The best, creamy copycat Chipotle black beans that can be made in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker! Perfect for pairing with cilantro lime rice, homemade burrito bowls topped with Tomatillo Green-Chili Salsa and Roasted Chili Corn Salsa. All you need is 11 simple ingredients and 10 minutes to prep them. No soaking required and completely vegan and gluten free!
I personally love eating at Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. It’s one of the best bangs for your buck when eating out vegan and the ingredients are always fresh and not over processed. I love the beans so much, I always ask for a double scoop!
But as we all know, eating out is expensive and making your own Tex-Mex beans from scratch is not only a huge money saver but beyond easy too!
All you need is an Instant Pot or slow cooker crockpot and you can have a Chipotle style Mexican bowl at home!
I even recommend freezing them in pre-portioned jars for easy meal prep and quick dinners.
Why This Recipe Works
- Cooking beans from dry on the stovetop takes FOREVER and in my experience, never cooks them evenly. Using a pressure cooker or slow cooker results in perfect beans every time without the need to babysit the stove!
- The spice mix and final squeeze of lime and lemon makes these beans so much more flavorful than canned beans.
- Making beans from dry means you get to control how much sodium you use! If you’re watching your sodium intake, you can leave the salt out completely!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- spices – I use a homemade taco seasoning blend of chipotle powder, cumin, red chili flakes, nutmeg, paprika, salt and pepper.
- dried black beans – Don’t try substituting canned or pre-soaked beans here. This recipe is written for dried beans. All you need to do is give them a good rinse.
- onion and garlic – Classic staples in any savory dish for good reason!
- jalapeno – I love adding a diced jalapeno to my beans for a little spice. If you’re sensitive to spice or don’t care for it, leave it out!
- vegetable broth – Helps make these beans super flavorful and perfectly salty. If you prefer, you can use water!
- lemon and lime juice – Completely optional, but Chipotle finishes their beans with a squeeze of lemon and lime! The perfect touch.
Step by Step Instructions
I am showing how to make these beans in the Instant Pot, but full instructions for using your slow cooker are down below as well.
- Thoroughly rinse the beans in cold water.
- Saute the onions, minced garlic and jalapeno.
- Add in the spices and saute for 1-2 more minutes.
- Stir in the vegetable broth and beans. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot while stirring to deglaze it. If any onions or garlic is stuck to the bottom of the pot, it could cause a burn message.
- Turn off saute function and cook beans on manual high pressure for 45 minutes. Allow the pot to naturally release for 25 minutes, then release any remaining pressure and drain the beans from liquid if desired.
- Enjoy beans with rice, tacos, or freeze for meal prep! For a full Chipotle experience, top with fajita veggies, corn salsa, guacamole, shredded romaine and more!
Freezing Instructions for Make Ahead Meals
These beans are super simple to freeze for meal prep!
- Cook the beans according to instructions and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
- Portion the beans into freezer safe containers. I like to put 1 ½ cups beans into 16 ounce glass mason jars, along with any remaining cooking liquid as this is equivalent to 1 can of beans. This makes it super easy to meal plan and thaw only what you need on a moment’s notice.
- Freeze for up to 6 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator or quickly in the microwave!
FAQs
No. You do not need to presoak beans before cooking them in a pressure cooker or slow cooker. The pot will cook them perfectly without a presoak. If you are new to incorporating lots of legumes in your diet, you may find soaked beans easier to digest, but I have never noticed a difference myself.
Slow cooker beans will take about 8 hours. Instant Pot beans are a much shorter cook – It will take the pot 15-20 minutes to come to pressure, then 45 minutes cook time, and 25 minutes of natural release. Total time in pot: 1 hour and 20 minutes.
In general, it’s best to cook 1 cup of dried, unsoaked beans with 2-3 cups of water. It’s better to have a little too much liquid than not enough. Not enough water will result in crunchy, sometimes burned beans.
This recipe will make about 6 cups of cooked beans, or the equivalent to 4 cans.
Yes, the slow cooker beans are a bit creamier in my opinion because the liquid the beans cook in thickens a bit more over the 8 hour cook time, but the flavor is fantastic with both.
YES! The black beans at Chipotle are completely vegan and animal free, as are the pinto beans!
Expert Tips
- Make sure to rinse the beans thoroughly. This will get rid of any debris, excess starch, and help ensure the beans will be the best texture!
- Store the beans in leftover cooking liquid! It thickens overtime, keeps the beans super moist and creamy and has so much flavor you don’t want to get rid of.
- Freeze the beans for easy meal prep in the future!
- Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for full 25 minutes before removing the lid. This ensures the beans are fully and evenly cooked and extra creamy!
What to Enjoy Your Beans With
- Avocado Crema (vegan)
- The Best Cashew Sour Cream
- Beer Braised Jackfruit Enchiladas
- Vegan Chilaquiles with Silken Tofu Scramble
Copycat Chipotle Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil - for sauteeing (can substitute bran oil or if oil-free, use water)
- 1 yellow onion - diced
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- ½ jalapeño - deseeded and diced (completely optional for spicier beans - Chipotle Mexican grill does not use in their beans)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder - adjust to spice preference
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt - plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups black beans - dry
- 5-6 cups vegetable broth
Optional
- ½ lemon - juiced
- ½ lime - juiced
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Rinse dry beans in cold water thoroughly. Discard any unfavorable beans.
- Using the sauté function on the Instant Pot, sauté the onion, garlic and jalapeno (omit for less spicy beans), in oil until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add in spices and sauté for an additional minute.
- Add in rinsed beans, 5 cups vegetable broth, bay leaves and stir. To prevent a burn notice, be sure to scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot with your Instant Pot to make sure none of the spices are stuck.
- Twist on lid and cook beans on manual high pressure for 45 minutes. Make sure valve is set to seal. It will take the pot 15-20 minutes to come up to pressure before it begins cooking.
- After 45 minutes, naturally release pressure for 25 minutes. When the screen reads "L25," release any remaining pressure and carefully remove lid and remove bay leaves.
- Optional: Squeeze lemon and lime juice over beans to taste (I like to do about ½ a lemon and lime each but adjust to your personal preference). Add additional salt at this time as well, if desired.
- Serve immediately or allow to cool completely for later use. The leftover liquid will thicken considerably once cooled.
Slow Cooker
- Rinse dry beans in cold water thoroughly. Discard any unfavorable beans.
- In a stovetop skillet, sauté the onion, garlic and jalapeno (omit for less spicy beans), in avocado oil until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add in cumin, chipotle powder, paprika, nutmeg, kosher salt, and pepper. Sauté for an additional minute.
- Add sautéd onion, garlic, jalapeno and spices from the skillet into your slow cooker along with the rinsed beans, 6 cups vegetable broth and bay leaves and stir.
- Cook on high pressure for 6-8 hours, or until beans are soft and tender. Time needed will vary depending on your slow cooker (I cook the full 8 hours).
- Optional: Squeeze lemon and lime juice over beans to taste (I like to do about ½ a lemon and lime each but adjust to your personal preference). Add additional salt at this time as well, if desired.
- Serve immediately or allow to cool completely for later use. The leftover liquid will thicken considerably once cooled.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To freeze, divide between 16 ounce jars and freeze for up to 6 months. One 16 ounce jar will be about equivalent to 1 can of black beans from the grocery store. Thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours before needed.
- I like to store the beans in any remaining cooking liquid as it thickens over time and makes the beans more flavorful and creamy! Chipotle Mexican grill does this as well.
Notes
- Disclaimer: This recipe is only inspired by Chipotle Mexican Grill's beans and is not the authentic restaurant version.
- Slow Cooker Beans Disclaimer: Do not cook these beans on "low" in the slow cooker or substitute the black beans for red kidney beans. Beans need to be cooked over 212 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature for 30 minutes to break down Phytohaemagglutinin, a known gastrointestinal toxin. My slow cooker reaches close to 300 degrees Fahrenheit on the "high" setting. Test the temperature of your slow cooker with a thermometer during cooking to ensure it reaches a safe cooking temperature or use the Instant Pot method when in doubt.
- Note about the spiciness: Chipotle black beans have a slightly spicy underlying flavor to them from the chipotle powder. I like adding a ½ jalapeno for additional spice to our beans, but this is completely optional and only recommended if you enjoy spicier foods. Chipotle does not use jalapeno in their beans. Omit the jalapeno in addition to the chipotle powder if you do not like spice.
- This recipe is written for dry beans that have not been soaked. If you choose to soak the beans ahead of time, you will need to adjust the cook time and water used considerably. I have not tested this and cannot recommend.
- Note that the slow cooker method calls for 1 additional cup of vegetable broth. This is because it steams far more than the Instant Pot.
- This recipe was developed in a 6 qt. Instant Pot. If you use a different size Instant Pot or a different brand pressure cooker, you may need to adjust cook time to suit your specific model.
- Slow cooker machines also vary greatly. Check your beans after 6 hours, but I usually need to cook for the full 8 hours.
General note about salt
Please pay attention to the type of salt called for in the recipe (if applicable). Not all salts are made equal and cannot be substituted 1 for 1. If you are substituting table salt for kosher salt, you will need to cut the amount called for in the recipe by at least half.
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Nutrition
Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
This recipe was originally published November 10, 2019. It has been updated on May 12, 2021 to include improved images, step by step process shots, FAQs and expert tips, and a tested slow cooker method. The original recipe remains the same.
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