Smoked Drunken Beans (Borracho Beans)
Smoked pinto beans with beer, bacon, garlic and onion, peppers, diced tomatoes and green chiles, and Mexican herbs and spices.
Servings 16 Servings
Calories 115kcal
Ingredients
- 4 slices Bacon diced
- 1 Sweet Onion finely diced
- 1 Jalapeño Pepper seeds removed and finely diced
- 1 Fresno Pepper seeds removed and finely diced
- 4 cloves Garlic crushed or minced
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Dried Mexican Oregano
- 1 can (10oz) Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles RO-TEL
- 3 cans (15oz) Pinto Beans
- 3 cups Dark Beer like Modelo Negra, Dos Equis Amber, or Shiner Bock*
- 3 Bay Leaves
- Cilantro and Cotija Cheese for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 300ºF with the lid closed.
- Add the bacon to a Dutch oven over medium heat on the stovetop. (If you don't have a Dutch oven or smoker-safe pot, you can start in a skillet and transfer to a large aluminum grill pan.)
- Once the bacon is fully cooked but not yet crispy, add the onion and peppers. Cook until the veggies soften, about 4-5 minutes, before adding the garlic, oregano, and ground cumin. Cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the beans (undrained), diced tomatoes and green chiles, beer, and bay leaves. Stir everything together and transfer to the smoker.
- Smoke uncovered for 3 hours or until the beans have picked up your desired level of smoke. Stir occasionally and add more beer or broth if needed.
Notes
*You can use any beer, including non-alcoholic beer.
You can adjust the temperature and cook time for these beans to work with other main dishes on the smoker if needed. You may need to increase the beer for longer cooks or higher temperatures, and vice versa for shorter cooks and lower temperatures.
For dried pinto beans, use 1 1/2 cups and soak ahead of time before using this recipe.
I used a Traeger Pro 575 with Signature Pellets for recipe testing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (1/2 cup or 112g) | Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Fiber: 5g