The best copycat Chipotle black beans made simply by using canned black beans! No soaking required and no special equipment needed to bring the taste of Chipotle to your home.

Chipotle black beans in pot with bay leaves.

These copycat chipotle black beans are made of simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry and spice rack! This easy recipe is going to become a staple for burrito night! It already is in mine. It’s the perfect side dish for so many entrees.

I love going to Chipotle because they have fresh ingredients and a wide variety of vegan options. But making chipotle black beans at home is super easy and better on the wallet. Food is even more expensive right now so this black bean recipe is a great recipe to have saved for an affordable protein to add to your meals.

What You’ll Need for These Chipotle Black Beans

Kitchen Essentials:

This copycat chipotle black bean recipe is a stovetop recipe. No instant pot, electric pressure cooker or slow cooker needed! These black beans are super simple to pull together and most of the cooking time is inactive so you can prepare the rest of the meal.

Main Ingredients:

Canned Black Beans
Onion
Garlic
Bay Leaves
Vegetable Broth

Ingredient Breakdown:

Canned Black Beans: I wanted to make this black bean copycat recipe as easy as possible so I went with canned. This recipe is easy to bring together and tastes amazing. This recipe wasn’t developed using dried beans so I don’t recommend them. That being said, you can use canned pinto beans.
Bay Leaf: Dried bay leaves bring a lot of flavor and I don’t recommend leaving them out.
Vegetable Broth: I like the added flavor that vegetable broth brings so I recommend it but you can also use water but you’ll need to compensate by adding more salt.
Onion & Garlic: The best flavor duo! Chop the onions up very small and brown on the pan before adding the remaining ingredients. This will bring in a lot of good flavor.

How to Make Chipotle Copycat Black Beans

Heat olive oil or avocado oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté onions until soft and starting to brown, about 5-7 minutes. You want the onion to start to brown because that will bring in a lot of flavor.

Mince the garlic cloves and add to the pot and cook for another 1-2 minutes before adding the bay leaves and the remaining spices and seasonings. Coat the onion and garlic in the seasonings and cook for a few seconds.

Add in the drained and rinsed black beans along with vegetable broth. Rinsing the black beans is very important so excess salt and starch is washed away.

Bring the black beans to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take the lid off and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. The beans should be saucy still. The liquid won’t absorb entirely but that’s what you want. This helps the black beans from drying out and it has lots of flavor.

Tips & Tricks for Making the Best Black Bean Recipe

Make sure to drain and rinse the cans of black beans. This helps reduce the salt and starch.
Don’t get rid of the excess liquid after the beans are done. This helps keeps the black beans from drying out and it’s full of flavor!
After the beans are done, squeeze of lime juice and lemon juice! It adds a really incredible freshness to the beans.
Serve with fresh cilantro!

Burrito Bowl with salsa, beans, rice, chicken seitan and guacamole.

Serving Ideas:

These black beans are perfect for homemade burrito bowls!

Make my Vegan Chicken Seitan and toss in chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, maple syrup and seasonings like paprika, garlic and onion for a really tasty spicy protein.
Sauté red onions and bell peppers (I use a mix of red bell pepper and green bell pepper)
Cilantro Lime Rice (this rice recipe is coming tomorrow!)
Salsa! I love making my own homemade Salsa Verde or fresh pico, guacamole and a dollop of sour cream (Tofutti makes a delicious vegan one!)

More Chipotle Copycat Recipes:

Black Bean FAQ:

How to store leftover black beans?

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 to 5 days.

Can I make a double batch?

Yes, these black beans are delicious and make great meal prep! I recommend making a big batch and freezing in single serve portions and thawing it when needed.

Are the black beans at Chipotle vegan?

Yes, the black and pinto beans are vegan friendly at Chipotle!

How can I make these black beans spicy?

I love adding extra cayenne pepper or chili pepper for spice or a chopped up chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.

Are these exactly like Chipotle?

Disclaimer: This was simply inspired by Chipotle and not an exact recipe but my copycat black beans are incredibly delicious and are very flavorful and reminiscent of the black beans at Chipotle.

More Black Bean Recipes You Might Like:

If You Make This Recipe:

I would greatly appreciate if you share your review in the comments below and leave a star rating. Don’t forget to add if you made any fun substitutions. Thank you!