Easy Copycat Chipotle Pinto Beans Recipe (Prepped In 10 Minutes)

This copycat Chipotle pinto beans recipe is jam-packed with flavor. It combines simple ingredients like dried pinto beans, Mexican spices, fresh lime juice, and chipotle peppers to make a savory, perfectly seasoned side dish you'll love. And in addition to tasting great, this recipe is also super easy to make. In fact, just 10 minutes worth of prep work is all you need to invest to make it!

The Best Chipotle Pinto Beans

If you love Chipotle's pinto beans, just wait until you try this copycat recipe for 'em. This recipe has all of the same savory, smoky flavors as the "real deal," plus it has that irresistible creamy texture that you only get from perfectly cooked beans.

Now, don't get me wrong, I know beans aren't usually the most exciting thing on the dinner table. But if you love Chipotle as much as I do, then you're probably looking for every recipe you can get your hands on to make burrito bowls or burritos at home! I know I am, which is why I've been hard at work testing out as many new copycat Chipotle recipes as possible to share with you guys.

And I know I'm a bit biased, but I really think I hit the nail on the head with this pinto beans recipe. Plus, in addition to tasting delicious, this pinto beans recipe also happens to be so, so easy to make! In fact, all you have to do is follow a few simple steps to make 'em. You'll just sauté the onion, then add the beans, spices, and water, to 'em, and then let everything simmer until the beans are perfectly cooked. That's really all there is to it!

Also, since these copycat Chipotle pinto beans only use one pot, cleaning up is a breeze too! And you know how I'm a big fan of that.

By the way, since most of the time spent making this Chipotle pinto beans recipe is just letting the beans simmer, you'll have plenty of time to whip up this Chipotle sofritas or Chipotle chicken to go along with them!

Ingredients

Another thing to love about this pinto beans recipe is that it's made with just a few simple ingredients, most of which are common kitchen/pantry staples. In fact, I'm willing to bet you already have most - if not all - of them at home already!

Anyway, here's everything you'll need to make 'em:

• ½ tablespoon olive oil or rice bran oil
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 8 oz. dried pinto beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
• 1 chipotle pepper
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• ½ teaspoon garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 small bay leaf
• 3 cups water or enough to cover the beans
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon lime juice, or to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Not too bad, eh?

By the way, you can use a lot of these same ingredients to make this butter beans recipe. It's another one of my favorite pinto bean recipes, so you'll definitely want to give it a try if you end up with some extra beans.

Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions

Now, while I recommend making this copycat Chipotle pinto beans recipe with the ingredients listed above, there are some ways you can put your own spin on it and possibly save yourself a trip to the store as well.

With that said, I'll go over some of my favorite ideas to try below.

Use Canned Pinto Beans

So, this recipe calls for dried pinto beans to be soaked overnight before simmering 'em with the spices. That said, if you want to save time, then you can swap dried beans for canned beans. Just keep in mind that you won't need to cook the beans for as long as this recipe says to since they've already been cooked. You'll just need to warm them up.

Boost Up The Flavor

If you'd like to boost the flavor of these pinto beans up even more, you can add even more seasonings. Things like garlic powder, chili powder, and Mexican oregano are all great additions.

How To Make Chipotle Pinto Beans

Now, I know I mentioned this earlier, but it's worth saying again - this copycat Chipotle pinto beans recipe is super easy to make.

Even if you've never cooked beans from scratch before, you'll have no problem following this recipe. Just keep in mind that if you're using dried beans, you will need to soak pinto beans overnight before cooking them. So, make sure to do that first. 

Anyway, let's stop wasting time and make these pinto beans!

Step 1: Prep Work

First things first, you'll want to heat some olive oil in a saucepot over medium-high heat. Then, when the oil is hot, you can add the onions and cook 'em for about 5 minutes - or until the onions are soft and tender. Also, make sure to stir the onions frequently for even cooking.

Now, when you've got the onions looking good, you can add the garlic paste to the pot and cook until it's fragrant. Then, once the garlic is good to go, you can add the pinto beans, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, and water to the pot and give everything a good mix.

Step 2: Cook The Beans

So, now that everything is in the pot, you can bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Next, you can cook the beans by letting them simmer for about 1 ½-2 hours or until the beans are tender.

Once the beans are tender, you can remove them from the heat and season them to taste with salt and pepper. Then, add the lemon and lime juice to the beans and give them a stir.

Finally, you can serve the pinto beans next to anything you want to and enjoy 'em!

How To Store These Copycat Chipotle Pinto Beans

This recipe for Chipotle's pinto beans makes about 8 servings, so it'll make the perfect amount for a big family dinner. In fact, if you're lucky, you might even end up with leftovers.

Speaking of leftovers, you can store your leftover Chipotle pinto beans in an airtight container in the fridge. Stored this way, they should last up to 3-5 days.

Alternatively, if you want to store your pinto beans for even longer, you can freeze 'em. Just transfer the cooled beans to an airtight container - or freezer bag - and they'll last in the freezer for up to 6 months.

How To Reheat Pinto Beans

When you're ready to enjoy your Chipotle pinto beans again, you'll definitely want to reheat them first.

To reheat the beans, just transfer the leftovers to a small saucepot with a little water and set it over medium heat. Then, let them cook for several minutes - until they're fully reheated.

Alternatively, if you want to reheat your beans even quicker, you can use a microwave. Just microwave your beans in 20-second intervals until they're warm. If you go this route, I recommend keeping a plate over the bowl of beans, just in case any of them pop in the microwave.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make Chipotle's pinto beans at home!

I really think this pinto beans recipe tastes identical to the beans at Chipotle.

I don't know if it's the perfectly balanced blend of spices or the creamy, smooth texture that makes this recipe taste so good, but it's just as yummy as it gets. And my family loves it too!

Anyway, I hope you like this easy copycat Chipotle pinto beans recipe as much as I/we do.

As always, if you give it a try, be sure to leave a comment below and let me know how it went!

More Copycat Chipotle Recipes

If you enjoyed this copycat Chipotle recipe, we have a ton of other ones that you can try next! 

Here are some reader favorites:

• Chipotle black beans
• Chipotle corn salsa
• Chipotle guac
• Chipotle barbacoa
• Chipotle steak

Oh, and as always, make sure to check us out on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. We post new recipes on them every day.

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