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

    Published: Feb 5, 2023 · Modified: Nov 4, 2024 · By: Brendan Cunningham

    Jump to Recipe

    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!

    A grey bowl atop a grey plate filled with pinto beans and white rice, garnished with lime wedges and sliced peppers. A fork is on the plate.

    Table of Contents

    • The Best Chipotle Pinto Beans
      • Ingredients
        • Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions
          • Use Canned Pinto Beans
          • Boost Up The Flavor
      • How To Make Chipotle Pinto Beans
        • Step 1: Prep Work
        • Step 2: Cook The Beans
      • How To Store These Copycat Chipotle Pinto Beans
        • How To Reheat Pinto Beans
      • Wrapping It Up
    • More Copycat Chipotle Recipes
    • Easy Copycat Chipotle Pinto Beans Recipe (Prepped In 10 Minutes)
      • Ingredients
      • Instructions
      • Nutrition
      • Did you make this recipe?

    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!

    A grey bowl atop a grey plate filled with pinto beans and white rice, garnished with lime wedges and sliced peppers.

    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.

    An assortment of ingredients including a bowl of pinto beans, diced onion, adobo sauce, spices, a lime, a lemon, and salt and pepper shakers.

    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.

    Large grey sauce pot filled with cooked diced onions.

    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!

    Grey sauce pot filled with uncooked pinto beans, adobo sauce, garlic paste, and a bay leaf.

    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.

    Grey sauce pot filled with cooked and seasoned pinto beans with a bay leaf and sliced peppers in the pot.

    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!

    Overhead view of a bowl of pinto beans and white rice garnished with lime wedges and sliced peppers. The bowl is surrounded by a halved avocado, limes, a bowl of white rice, a fork, salt and pepper shakers, and sliced meat.

    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.

    A grey bowl atop a grey plate filled with pinto beans and white rice, garnished with lime wedges and sliced peppers.

    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.

    A grey bowl atop a grey plate filled with pinto beans and white rice, garnished with lime wedges and sliced peppers.

    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!

    A grey bowl atop a grey plate filled with pinto beans and white rice, garnished with lime wedges and sliced peppers. A fork is on the plate.

    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.

    Print

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

    A grey bowl atop a grey plate filled with pinto beans and white rice, garnished with lime wedges and sliced peppers.
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 2 reviews

    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!

    • Author: Brendan Cunningham
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 90 minutes
    • Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
    • Yield: 8 servings 1x
    • Category: Side
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: Chipotle

    Ingredients

    Scale

    ½ tbsp olive oil or rice bran oil

    ¼ cup chopped onion

    8 oz. dried pinto beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained

    1 chipotle pepper

    1 tbsp adobo sauce

    ½ tsp garlic paste

    ½ tsp cumin powder

    ½ tsp dried oregano

    1 small bay leaf

    3 cups water or enough to cover the beans

    1 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste

    1 tbsp lime juice, or to taste

    Salt and pepper, to taste

    Instructions

    1. Heal olive oil in a saucepot over medium-high heat.
    2. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic paste and cook until fragrant.
    3. Add pinto beans, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.
    4. Add water, so the beans are covered. 
    5. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cook the beans, simmering, for 1 ½-2 hours or until tender.
    6. Remove the beans from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. 
    7. Stir in lemon and lime juice. 
    8. Serve beans as desired.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 serving
    • Calories: 38
    • Fat: 1
    • Carbohydrates: 3
    • Protein: 5

    Keywords: chipotle pinto beans, chipotle pinto beans recipe, how to make chipotle pinto beans, best chipotle pinto beans recipe, easy chipotle pinto beans recipe, chipotle pinto beans ingreidents, chipotle pinto beans vegetarian, chipotle pinto beans recipe copycat, copycat chipotle pinto beans, copycat chipotle pinto beans recipe

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag us @ImHungryForThat — we can't wait to see what you've made!

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    The BEST Copycat Chipotle Black Beans Recipe (Prepped In 10 Minutes) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Terra

      March 08, 2023 at 7:57 pm

      Way better than Chipotles pinto beans they actually are cooked good!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Pam

      March 24, 2023 at 7:17 pm

      Loved the flavor in the beans.

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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