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Black Beans with Bacon and Tequila
Borracho beans, or “drunken beans,” are beans cooked with flavorful alcohol, along with bacon or ham. Tequila complements the smokiness of the cured meat, while chipotle chilies add spice. But save your top-shelf tequila for sipping; any inexpensive tequila works well here (however, if you prefer, you can omit it entirely). Offer the beans as a side to any Tex-Mex or Mexican-style main, or use them as a filling in tacos and burritos. Or make a light meal by serving with rice, sour cream and salsa. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days; when reheating, thin with broth or water to the desired consistency.
6
Servings
Tip
Don't soak the black beans. In the Instant Pot, the unsoaked beans will be plump and tender after only 35 minutes of pressure cooking or after 7 to 8 hours of slow cooking. Soaked beans will end up overdone if cooked for the same amount of time.
FAST: 1¼ hours
Slow: 7½ to 8½ hours
30 minutes active
Ingredients
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6
slices bacon, roughly chopped
-
1
large yellow onion, finely chopped
Directions
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01On a 6-quart Instant Pot, select More/High Sauté. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until browned and crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside (refrigerate if slow cooking). Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chipotle chilies and tequila (if using) and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, beans and 1 teaspoon salt.
Reviews
April 6, 2025
Second time making this
I love this as a backup recipe, something I can always make when I find myself with an empty fridge. I almost always have these ingredients in my pantry. Almost. I love the spice the chipotles give this, and I even add more - don’t do if you’re sensitive to heat. But the star is the liquid gold adobo sauce. That smokey sauce cuts through the richness of the beans. This last time, I shockingly found myself without tequila or a can of chipotles. Instead I had a very smokey mezcal and dried pasilla and anchos. The result was something delicious, very smokey, but lacked heat or a tang that cut through the richness of the beans. It definitely needed pickled jalapeño and some lime to help, but is a good alternative for those that are worried about the heat of chipotles.
March 25, 2025
Awesome beans
These are amazing!
May 12, 2024
Great with pulled pork instead of bacon
I made this with homemade pork and chicken bone broth, used olive oil to fry the onions, then added shredded pulled pork at the end. This recipe also works well with pinto or red beans. I would reduce the sugar from 1Tbsp to 1tsp as it seems too sweet, especially with black beans.
February 23, 2024
Love this recipe
I make this for potlucks or as a side for Mexican food. Totally love this! I use the instapot and I like how quick I can make this.
January 20, 2024
Perfect
Very good. I will be making again but I will increase the cooking time for the IP to 40 minutes so the beans are a bit softer. Will also put a dash of feta on to with the cilantro for a garnish.
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Great flavor, but too spicy. Maybe cut back to two chipotles.