One Ingredient Will Make Your Black Beans Way More Flavorful

If you've got a can of black beans in the pantry and are looking for an easy snack or side dish, get ready to crack open a cold one. No, not to drink — to pour into your dish, because beer is one of the 14 ingredients that can upgrade canned black beans. Beer adds a depth of flavor to foods that can make it seem like they've been on the stovetop for hours.

If you've never heard of beer and black beans before, perhaps you might be more familiar with frijoles borrachos, or "drunken beans," a simple-yet-flavorful Mexican dish. Drunken beans use straightforward ingredients like garlic, onion and cumin, plus Mexican lager and canned beans. A hoppy, complex beer like IPA doesn't work well for cooking, so beers like Modelo or Corona are perfect in this application. Drunken beans can serve as a snack or appetizer with warm tortilla chips, or as a side dish to a meaty main like Yucatan-style slow cooked pork (cochinita pibil).

If you're using black beans from a can, this tasty dish is both fast and easy to make. It's best to start by sautéing aromatics like garlic and onions, then the spices of your choice. Cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika or oregano would all work great. If you like some heat, you can add cayenne pepper, or even some smoky chipotle powder. 

It really is as simple as dumping the drained can of black beans in the pot along with one bottle of beer. You only want to simmer for about 20 minutes since the beans are technically already cooked, and you don't want them to turn to mush. (That said, a medium-low simmer is good.) The liquid will thicken up but you do want a soupy consistency. 

When it comes to toppings, think about a squeeze of fresh lime, chopped cilantro, crumbled Cojita cheese, or even grated cheddar. Pair your black beans with the same crisp lager you used to cook them with for a perfect complement to the flavor!