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A blue bowl of borracho beans, pinto beans with bacon, tomato, and jalapeno, sprinkled with minced cilantro, with a bottle of beer and an Instant Pot in the background.

Instant Pot Borracho Beans (Drunken Beans)


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5 from 6 reviews

  • Author: Mike Vrobel
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8 cups of soup 1x

Description

Instant Pot Borracho Beans. The Tex-Mex classic of drunken pinto beans with bacon and chili powder, using my bean cooking secret weapon - a pressure cooker.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound dried pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon fine sea salt (or 2 teaspoons table salt)
  • 4 ounces diced bacon
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
  • 1 tablespoon ground Ancho chile pepper (or a chili powder blend)
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 4 cups water
  • 12 ounces beer
  • 15-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Minced cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  1. Sort and rinse the beans: Spread the beans out on a rimmed baking sheet and discard any stones, dirt, or broken beans. Rinse the beans, then do an overnight or a quick soak.
  2. Soak the beans overnight: Cover the beans with the 8 cups of water and add the 1 tablespoon of salt. Leave the beans to soak at least 8 hours, or overnight. Drain the beans and discard the soaking liquid.
  3. OR Pressure Quick Soak the beans for 1 minute with a 30 minute rest: Put the beans, 8 cups of water, and 1 tablespoon of salt in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker. Pressure cook at high pressure for 1 minute (“Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode in an Instant Pot for 1 minute), then let the beans sit for 30 minutes. Drain the beans and discard the soaking liquid. Wipe out the pot before continuing.
  4. Sauté the bacon, aromatics, and spices: Spread the bacon in a single layer in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Set the pot to sauté mode adjusted to high (medium-high heat in a stovetop PC), and cook the bacon, stirring often, until it starts to crisp on the edges, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onions, garlic, and jalapeño to coat with the bacon grease, then sprinkle with the ground ancho and ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften around the edges, about 3 minutes. Pour in the beer, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot with a flat edged wooden spoon to release any browned bits of bacon or onion. 
  5. Beans in the pot: Add the drained beans to the pot, pour in the 4 cups of water, and stir in the diced tomatoes. Sprinkle with the ½ teaspoon salt.
  6. Pressure Cook for 18 minutes with a Quick Release: Lock the lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 18 minutes (Use “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode in an Instant Pot), or for 15 minutes if using a stovetop pressure cooker. Quick release the pressure.
  7. Serve: Carefully remove the lid – tilt it away from you to avoid the hot steam. Ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with minced cilantro. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Forgot to soak? Pressure cook for 40 minutes with a Natural Release. Check the beans; if they’re still tough, stir the pot, then lock the lid and pressure cook for another 5 minutes.

What kind of beer? Shiner is the Texas classic, and Negra Modelo is the choice south of the border. That said, any lager or ale will work; I prefer dark lagers or ales for the added flavor. I go with my hometown favorite, Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold. That's right, I'm not from Texas...

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Pressure Cooker
  • Cuisine: Tex-Mex