Chipotle is known for their delicious burritos filled with fresh, high-quality ingredients. But what exactly goes into a Chipotle burrito? The basic components are a flour tortilla, beans, rice, meat or sofritas, and toppings like salsa, cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. However, Chipotle offers many customization options so each burrito can be tailored to individual tastes. This article will explore the main ingredients Chipotle uses in their burritos, nutritional information, how the burritos are prepared, and tips for ordering.
Chipotle Tortillas
The foundation of every Chipotle burrito is the flour tortilla. Chipotle tortillas are made from just five simple ingredients: enriched wheat flour, water, vegetable shortening, salt, and sugar. They are stretched and grilled fresh in each restaurant daily.
Chipotle offers three tortilla options:
Flour Tortilla
This is Chipotle’s classic tortilla made with enriched wheat. It has 110 calories and 15g net carbs.
Whole Wheat Tortilla
Made with whole wheat flour instead of enriched wheat. It has 100 calories and 17g net carbs.
Gluten-Free Tortilla
This tortilla is made with certified gluten-free ingredients. It has 120 calories and 30g net carbs.
So whether you prefer regular wheat, whole grain, or need a gluten-free option, Chipotle has a tortilla to fit your dietary needs.
Burrito Beans
What would a burrito be without beans? Chipotle offers two bean options: Black Beans and Pinto Beans. Both are vegetarian and vegan.
Black Beans
Chipotle’s black beans are made from dry black beans cooked with water, salt, onion, garlic, and bay leaves. A serving (4 oz) contains 110 calories, 15g carbs, 7g protein, and 7g fiber.
Pinto Beans
The pinto beans are prepared the same way as the black beans. A serving has 100 calories, 15g carbs, 5g protein, and 5g fiber.
The beans provide a good source of plant-based protein and fiber. Choose black or pinto based on your taste preferences.
Burrito Rice
In addition to beans, Chipotle burritos also contain rice. Like the beans, customers can choose from two rice varieties: White Rice or Brown Rice.
White Rice
Chipotle’s white rice is seasoned with lime juice and salt. A serving (3 oz) contains 210 calories, 44g carbs, 4g protein.
Brown Rice
The brown rice is also seasoned with lime juice and salt. A serving has 200 calories, 40g carbs, and 4g protein.
The rice provides carbohydrates for energy. Opt for brown rice if you want a little more fiber.
Burrito Meat
One of the best parts of a burrito is the meat! Chipotle offers a variety of protein options:
| Meat | Serving Size | Calories | Fat (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 4 oz | 170 | 3.5 | 18 |
| Steak | 4 oz | 170 | 5 | 21 |
| Barbacoa | 4 oz | 170 | 5 | 21 |
| Carnitas | 4 oz | 210 | 13 | 17 |
| Sofritas (tofu) | 4 oz | 130 | 4 | 14 |
Lean protein like chicken or steak will be lower in fat and calories. For vegetarians, the sofritas tofu option packs a good protein punch. And of course, there’s always the savory carnitas if you want some extra delicious fat.
Burrito Toppings
Once you’ve chosen your base of tortilla, beans, rice and meat, it’s time to load up with delicious toppings! Chipotle offers:
Salsas
- Tomato Salsa – Mild chili pepper flavor
- Fresh Tomato Salsa – Diced tomatoes with onion and cilantro
- Roasted Chili Corn Salsa – Sweet corn and poblano chili salsa
- Tomatillo Green Chili Salsa – Tangy green tomatillo salsa
- Tomatillo Red Chili Salsa – Spicy red chili and tomatillo salsa
Cheese
- Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese – add 20 calories and 1.5g fat per ounce
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – add 110 calories and 9g fat per ounce
Lettuce
- Romaine Lettuce
Sour Cream
- Light Sour Cream – add 20 calories and 1g fat per ounce
- Regular Sour Cream – add 30 calories and 3g fat per ounce
Other Toppings
- Fajita Veggies (peppers and onions)
- Guacamole
Pile on your favorite salsas and toppings to give your burrito maximum flavor. Watch the calories and fat content if you add extras like cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.
How Chipotle Prepares Burritos
So how exactly does Chipotle take all those fresh ingredients and transform them into a perfect burrito? Here is the step-by-step process:
- Employee washes hands and puts on food preparation gloves
- Tortilla is warmed on the flat top grill
- Tortilla is placed on foil
- Employee scoops desired rice, beans, and meat/sofritas/veggies into tortilla
- Food is mixed together thoroughly in the tortilla
- Burrito is wrapped into cylindrical shape
- Foil is tightly wrapped around burrito
- Employee changes gloves before handling more food
- Desired toppings like salsa, lettuce, cheese are added on top
- Burrito is placed in bag and handed to customer
As you can see, Chipotle employees follow strict food safety guidelines. Gloves are changed frequently, and only small batches of ingredients are prepared at a time to ensure freshness. This results in a delicious, made-to-order burrito!
How to Order a Chipotle Burrito
Here are some tips for customizing the perfect burrito:
- First, decide on white or brown rice. Brown has a little more fiber.
- Next choose black or pinto beans. Black beans have slightly higher fiber and protein.
- Pick your meat or veggies. For lower fat options try chicken, steak, carnitas, or sofritas.
- Add fajita veggies for extra flavor and nutrition.
- Go easy on high-calorie toppings like cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.
- Flavor it up with your favorite salsa(s).
- Consider extra lettuce and tomatoes for more volume.
- Ask for both tortilla sides to be grilled – this prevents a soggy burrito!
Following these tips will help you build a healthy, delicious burrito packed with your favorite ingredients. Don’t be afraid to customize until you get it just the way you like. The Chipotle crew is there to create the perfect burrito for you!
Nutrition Information
Obviously nutrition will vary widely depending on your burrito ingredients. But here are the calories and macronutrients for some typical burrito orders:
| Burrito Order | Calories | Carbs (g) | Fat (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken, pinto beans, white rice, tomatillo salsa | 710 | 93 | 8 | 41 |
| Steak, black beans, brown rice, tomato salsa, cheese, sour cream | 1025 | 101 | 25 | 47 |
| Carnitas, pinto beans, white rice, cheese, guacamole | 1235 | 90 | 59 | 42 |
| Sofritas, black beans, brown rice, fajita veggies, tomatillo salsa | 800 | 106 | 14 | 38 |
As you can see, nutrition ranges widely from around 700-1200 calories with 10-60 grams of fat and 40-50 grams of protein. Load up on extras like cheese, sour cream, and guacamole and your burrito nutrition will increase. To make it healthier, stick to lean proteins, fill up on veggies, and watch portions of condiments.
Conclusion
A Chipotle burrito may seem simple, but a lot of care and high-quality ingredients go into making it a delicious and customizable meal. The key is a fresh, grilled tortilla stuffed with your choice of rice, beans, meat or sofritas, and flavorful toppings like salsas, guacamole, and more. Following the tips in this article will help you build the perfect burrito to suit your personal tastes and nutrition needs. So head to Chipotle and get ready to craft your ideal meal!
