Chipotle Pinto Beans: Easy Copycat Recipe

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“Black beans or pinto beans?”

This is the second important question you will encounter while walking through Chipotle’s array of ingredients.

I’m glad you chose pinto today because my Chipotle pinto beans recipe captures the umami smoky notes found in Chipotle’s original recipe.

Sometimes you just don’t want to leave home to enjoy something you crave, don’t worry I’ve got you covered!

Chipotle makes it pretty easy to get close to the original flavors by posting their ingredients on their website, which I will cover here in my recipe.

But shhhhh… I didn’t tell you that.

Ingredient Profile

Chipotle pinto beans recipe has a depth of flavor similar to cowboy beans or Mexican frijoles charros.

There are a few ingredient details that make this recipe shine.

It’s worth taking some time to look over these to ensure your dish comes out as satisfying as the OG pinto bean recipe.

Chipotle Peppers

What makes that smoky flavor in Chipotle’s pinto beans recipe, you ask?

Why smoky chipotles of course!

I’ve gotta be honest, for a long time I wondered why Chipotle is called Chipotle because I’ve never noticed any of their dishes that use these peppers. After some research, viola!

There it was, on one of their staple dishes, chipotle peppers!

They use dried chipotle chili peppers in particular, I know those can be tricky to find.

If you live near a Mexican grocery store or carneseria, you’ll find them there, however, if you don’t, no worries, Amazon has you covered!

Another alternative is to use canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, which is what I’m using in our recipe today. 

Rice Bran Oil

I’m not familiar with this type of oil and, excuse my impertinence, perhaps you aren’t either?

It’s not a commonly used oil where I come from however it is part of Chipotle’s list of ingredients for this recipe.

Rice Bran makes sense for the company because it has a high smoke point so it’s perfect for grilling. It also has a mild flavor that works well with a variety of ingredients.

They ensure that it is non-GMO so that’s a plus! I’d like to offer an alternative here in this recipe.

Avocado Oil or Olive oil

Avocado oil is becoming more and more widely available and this has the same attributes as rice bran oil.

It has a high smoke point and mild flavor. This would be a great and healthy choice, however, use what you have available!

Olive oil is another healthy and excellent choice, although it doesn’t have as high of a smoke point as avocado oil and rice bran oil.

Olive oil will do well for this recipe because you don’t need to turn up the heat super high, you will stay at around medium heat to medium-high heat.

It also delivers great flavor. Again I’d like to repeat, use the oil that you have on hand.

Soak Dried Beans

I’m a mom and sometimes you just need to get food on the table, so soaking beans is not an option. I totally get it!

You can skip this step and follow the cooking time for non-soaked beans, I know I have to do that sometimes.

For those interested in more information about soaked beans this section is for you! 

Why would anyone want to soak their dried beans before cooking?

Mainly for 2 reasons: 

1. It makes them easy to digest.

According to the book Nourishing Traditions, pg 60, the enzymes in our intestines are not designed to break down the 2 complex sugars in beans and legumes called farrinose and stachyose.

These cause digestion issues like bloating and gas (enter the traditional Beans, Beans song here).

Preparing beans by soaking them for a long period helps break down these sugars resulting in a nourishing food to the body.

A long soak is the beginning of the sprouting process, it unlocks nutrients.

2. They cook faster.

If you’ve ever soaked dried beans overnight you will notice that they plump up and double in size! This will allow for less cooking time.

How to Soak Dried Beans

There are different ways to approach soaking dry beans, a long soak or a quick soak. Both will yield a more nutritious product!

1. Long soak: Add enough water at room temperature about 2 inches above the pinto beans to allow them to expand and grow.

Let soak for at least 6 hours to overnight.

You can do an extra long soak for 3-4 days while making sure to drain and rinse your beans every 12 hours! You seriously can’t mess this up 🙂

I generally soak them overnight.

When you’re ready to cook them, make sure to drain and rinse the water out as it contains anti-nutrients. 

2. Quick Soak: Simply add enough water as stated above and bring to a boil.

As soon as they begin to boil turn off the heat and let the beans soak for 30+mins.

Once you’re ready to cook, drain and rinse your beans!

How to Cook Dried Pinto Beans

I will cover 3 methods to cook dried pinto beans using the stovetop, Instant Pot/pressure cooker, and slow cooker.

My favorite way to cook them is with the Instant Pot, and this method is the same for most dried beans except for split or small beans such as lentils and split peas. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (1 lb) of beans
• 10 cups water

1. Stove Top: Cook beans in a pot on medium-high heat.

Once they begin to boil, bring the heat down to a simmer and cover to keep the liquid from evaporating.

Cook times are as follows:

-Soaked: 20-45mins

-No Soak: 60-90mins

2. Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker: Add ingredients into insert pot, if using soaked beans only use 4 cups of water, if using no soak use 5 cups of water.

Place the Instant Pot lid and set the vent valve to seal. Cook on high pressure:

-soaked: 20 mins

-No Soak: 120 mins

3. Slow Cooker: Add all ingredients into pot. Set to High and cook for:

-Soaked: 4-6 hours

-No Soak: 6-8 hours

Or Cooked on Low:

-Soaked: 6-8 hours

-No Soak: 8-10 hours

Copycat Chipotle Pinto Beans

This delicious bean recipe is easy to make using your typical pantry staples. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb or 2 cups Dry Pinto Beans
• or use 2-3-15oz Cans of Pinto Beans (drained and rinsed)
• Water (amount depends on cooking method)
• 1-2 Bay Leaf
• Dry Chipotle Pepper (deseeded for less heat) or 1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce (deseeded for less heat)
• 2 tbsp Avocado oil or Olive Oil
• 1 Onion (chopped)
• 3 Garlic Cloves (minced)
• 1 tsp of Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Mexican Oregano
• 2 tsp Salt + more to taste
• 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 2 tbsp of Lemon Juice
• 2 tbsp Lime Juice

Instructions:

1. Soak beans, see above methods.

2. Drain and rinse beans.

3. In a Dutch oven or other large pot, use a wooden spoon to saute onions in avocado oil for 2-3 mins on medium-high heat, then add garlic, bay leaf, and cumin, and saute for 1 minute.

4. Add soaked beans with 10 cups of water, along with the chipotle pepper, oregano, and pepper. 

5. Once it begins to boil, bring it down to a simmer for 30-45 minutes. (see cook time above for no soak beans). 

6. After the beans are soft and plump, remove the bay leaves, and add salt, pepper, lemon, and lime juices. 

7. Use a potato masher or immersion blender for only a couple of seconds to blend some of the beans and create a bit of a creamy texture.

Most of the beans should stay intact/whole. Add more salt to taste, Serve and Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

How to make Chipotle Pinto Beans with Canned Beans

1. In a Dutch oven or other large pot, use a wooden spoon to saute chopped onion in avocado oil for 2-3 mins on medium-high heat, then add garlic, bay leaf, and cumin, and saute for 1 minute.

2. Add rinsed canned beans,  with 3-4 cups of water, along with the chipotle pepper, oregano, and pepper. 

3. Once it begins to boil, bring it down to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

4. After the beans are soft and plump, remove the bay leaves, and add salt, pepper, lemon, and lime juices. 

5. Use a potato masher or immersion blender for only a couple of seconds to blend some of the beans and create a bit of a creamy texture.

Most of the beans should stay intact/whole. Add more salt to taste, Serve and Enjoy!

How to make Chipotle Pinto Beans with the Instant Pot/ Pressure CookerHow to make 

1. Set to “Saute” on high. Use a wooden spoon to saute onions in avocado oil for 2-3 mins, then add garlic, bay leaf, and cumin, and saute for 1 minute. 

2. Turn off the “Saute” setting and add soaked beans, chipotle pepper, oregano, and pepper.  Add about 5 cups of water to cover about 1 inch above the beans.

3. Secure the lid and set the vent valve to “Seal”, and pressure cook for 20mins. (no soak beans: 120mins). 

4. After they’ve finished cooking, remove the bay leaves and add lemon and lime juices. 

5. Use a potato masher or immersion blender for only a couple of seconds to blend some of the beans and create a bit of a creamy texture.

Most of the beans should stay intact/whole. Add more salt to taste, Serve and Enjoy!

How to make Chipotle Pinto Beans with the Slow Cooker

For depth of flavor follow these steps, you can always dump all ingredients and set cook time.

1. In a Dutch oven or other large pot, use a wooden spoon to saute onions in avocado oil for 2-3 mins on medium-high heat, then add garlic, bay leaf, and cumin, and saute for 1 minute.

4. Add soaked beans with water about 2 inches above the beans, along with the chipotle pepper, oregano, and pepper. 

5. Once it begins to boil, turn off the heat and place it in the slow cooker. (See cook times and heat settings above)

6. After the beans are soft and plump, remove the bay leaves and add salt, pepper, lemon, and lime juices. 

7. Use a potato masher or immersion blender for only a couple of seconds to blend some of the beans and create a bit of a creamy texture.

Most of the beans should stay intact/whole. Add more salt to taste, Serve and Enjoy!

Recipe Tips

Chipotle Pinto Beans Recipe FAQ

Do Chipotle pinto beans have pork in them?

No, they are vegetarian! You can find the list of ingredients on their website to ensure that.

What is Chipotle pinto beans made of?

The company’s website has a list of ingredients for all of their dishes, you can find them here.

Chipotle’s list of ingredients for their pinto beans recipe is as follows: bay leaf, black pepper, chipotle chili, cumin, garlic, lemon juice, lime juice, onion, oregano, pinto beans, rice bran oil, salt, and water.

Does Chipotle put meat in their pinto beans?

Chipotle’s pinto beans are vegan-friendly! There are no meat or animal products found in their pinto bean recipe and it doesn’t need it.

The restaurant’s website gives a list of healthy ingredients that are as follows: bay leaf, black pepper, chipotle chili, cumin, garlic, lemon juice, lime juice, onion, oregano, pinto beans, rice bran oil, salt, and water.

If you have any questions for this recipe, please write them out in a comment 🙂

Conclusion

Give this recipe a try whenever you get that Chipotle bowl craving but don’t want to leave the house.

These pinto beans are not only healthy, they are easy to make with simple ingredients already found in your home.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know if you gave it a try by adding your star rating 😘

Drop a comment down below with what you paired your Chipotle pinto beans with!

¡Buen Provecho!

¡Buen Provecho!