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Frijoles Borrachos (Drunken Baked Beans)

Frijoles Borrachos (Drunken Baked Beans)

Krysta
My version of frijoles borrachos, or drunken baked beans, might just be my all-time favorite version of baked beans. They say beer makes everything better, which might not be literally true, but once you taste a spoonful of these super savory, sweet and tangy, slightly spicy, and thoroughly amazing baked beans, you will surely agree. Not only is this one of the best-tasting baked bean recipes ever, it has to be one of the easiest.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8
Calories 187 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup prepared red salsa
  • 3 cans pinto beans drained, not rinsed
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped jalapeno peppers
  • 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 12- ounce bottle Mexican lager-style beer such as Modelo
  • 3 strips bacon optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  • Add brown sugar, vinegar, and salsa to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish or casserole pan. Stir until sugar dissolves.
  • Add pinto beans, onion, jalapeno peppers, mustard, paprika, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Pour lager over, and stir until thoroughly combined.
  • Lay bacon strips on top of casserole.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until liquids have reduced and thickened, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Notes

Cook's Notes

Beans should be liquidy, but not wet and soupy, so if they are not thick enough, bake them a little longer. They will thicken just a bit at room temperature.
 
While I think this is close to a perfect recipe, as always, feel free to play around. Use a different kind of beans, a slightly hotter (or milder) pepper, yellow mustard for the Dijon, or regular oregano–after all, you are the head honcho of your frijoles borrachos.