The chicken burrito at Chipotle is one of their most popular menu items. Customers love the combination of flavorful grilled adobo chicken, rice, beans, salsa, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, and other fresh ingredients wrapped up in a warm tortilla. But what exactly comes inside a Chipotle chicken burrito? Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients that make this burrito so crave-worthy.
Chicken
The star of the chicken burrito is the chicken itself. Chipotle uses responsibly raised chicken thighs and drumsticks that are grilled fresh in the restaurant each day. The chicken is seasoned with a signature spice blend called adobo. Adobo contains chiles, garlic, oregano, paprika, and other herbs and spices that give the chicken its robust, Mexican-inspired flavor. Approximately 4 ounces of chicken are stuffed into each chicken burrito. The tender, juicy chicken provides plenty of protein to keep you satisfied.
Rice
The chicken burrito comes with a base of steamed white rice. The rice has a light, fluffy texture and soaks up the juices and flavors of the other burrito ingredients. Rice is a staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. At Chipotle, the rice contains only white long grain rice, water, lime, and salt. There are no preservatives, colors, or artificial flavors added. Around 1/2 cup of rice goes into each chicken burrito. The rice provides carbohydrates for energy.
Beans
You have your choice of beans to add protein, fiber, and texture to the chicken burrito. The options are pinto beans, black beans, or fajita veggies (peppers and onions). The pinto beans have an earthy, mellow flavor while the black beans are more robust and seasoned. If you opt for fajita veggies instead of beans, you’ll get crunchy strips of bell peppers and onions. Beans add important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants like folate, potassium, iron, and phytochemicals. Approximately 1/4 cup of beans or fajita veggies are added to the burrito.
Salsa
No burrito is complete without salsa! At Chipotle, you can load up your chicken burrito with as much fresh salsa as you want. Options include the mild tomato salsa, spicy tomatillo-green chili salsa, smoky chipotle-chile salsa, and tangy corn salsa. The salsas are made in-house daily using whole ingredients like tomatoes, tomatillos, jalapeño peppers, garlic, cilantro, lime, and salt. A generous spoonful or two of salsa adds a burst of fresh flavor and texture to complement the rich chicken and savory beans.
Cheese
Melty cheese is added to bring more texture and cheesy goodness to the chicken burrito. Chipotle uses Monterey Jack cheese that has a mild, creamy taste. About 1-2 tablespoons of shredded cheese get sprinkled over the top of the burrito before it is rolled up and grilled. The cheese helps bind the ingredients together and provides calcium for strong bones.
Lettuce
Crisp pieces of freshly chopped romaine lettuce provide cooling crunch and moisture. The lettuce helps balance the heartiness of the chicken, rice, beans, and cheese. Approximately 1-2 tablespoons of shredded lettuce go in each chicken burrito. Romaine lettuce offers vitamins K, A, and C as well as folate.
Sour Cream
A dollop of sour cream finishes off the chicken burrito with its cool, tangy flavor. The sour cream has a creamy, rich texture and helps cut through the spiciness of the salsa. About 1-2 tablespoons of sour cream are added on top of the stuffed burrito before rolling. Sour cream contains probiotics for gut health.
Tortilla
All of the chicken burrito fillings get wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla. Chipotle uses only non-GMO, stone ground corn masa flour and sunflower oil to make their tortillas. The tortillas are preservative free and transform the burrito from a messy bowl to a tidy hand-held meal. The soft, pliable tortilla soaks up chicken juices and salsa for amazing flavor in every bite.
Nutrition
The chicken burrito is a nutritious meal full of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Here is the nutrition information for a standard chicken burrito with rice, black beans, tomato salsa, cheese, romaine lettuce, and sour cream (nutrition can vary based on exact ingredients and quantities):
| Nutrition Facts | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 790 |
| Total Fat | 13g |
| Saturated Fat | 4.5g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 55mg |
| Sodium | 1420mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 129g |
| Dietary Fiber | 17g |
| Sugars | 5g |
| Protein | 37g |
As you can see, the burrito provides a good amount of protein from the chicken and beans. Fiber comes from the beans, rice, lettuce, and tortilla. With 37g of protein and 17g of fiber, this burrito will keep you feeling full and satisfied. The calorie, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium counts are moderate for the serving size. There are also useful amounts of vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and K. Overall, the chicken burrito can be part of a balanced diet when eaten in moderation.
Build Your Own vs. Pre-Configured Options
One great thing about Chipotle is you can customize your chicken burrito however you want for free. Follow these steps when ordering:
1. Choose your format: burrito, bowl, tacos, or salad
2. Pick your base: rice, no rice, salad (lettuce), or tortilla chips
3. Select protein: chicken, steak, carnitas (pork), barbacoa (shredded beef), vegetarian/sofritas (tofu crumbles), or none
4. Choose beans: pinto, black, fajita veggies, or none
5. Add toppings: salsa, cheese, sour cream, etc.
6. Select extras like guacamole or queso
With endless possible combinations, you can really make your perfect burrito packed with your favorite flavors.
If you don’t want to build your own, Chipotle also offers several pre-configured chicken burrito options:
| Burrito | Description |
|---|---|
| Chicken Burrito | Chicken, rice, black beans, salsa, cheese, lettuce |
| Chicken Bowl | Chicken, rice, black beans, salsa, cheese, lettuce |
| Chicken Crispy Tacos | Chicken, shredded lettuce, cheese in crispy corn taco shells |
| Chicken Salad | Chicken, romaine lettuce, black beans, salsa, cheese |
The pre-configured options allow you to quickly order a chicken meal customized by Chipotle. But don’t be afraid to create your own burrito packed with all your favorites!
Tips for Customizing Your Burrito
Here are some tips for choosing burrito ingredients to build your perfect meal:
– **Pick more than one salsa** – Mix and match mild, medium, and hot salsas like the tomato salsa and green chili salsa for flavor complexity.
– **Add lettuce and sour cream** – They help cool down spicy salsas and balance the heartiness of the other ingredients.
– **Say yes to guacamole** – The creamy, fresh guacamole takes your burrito to the next level.
– **Consider brown rice** – It has a nuttier flavor and more fiber than white rice.
– **Load up on veggies** – In addition to lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and peppers add nutrition and crunch.
– **Give queso a try** – The creamy cheese sauce integrates well with the burrito ingredients.
– **Drink horchata** – The sweet cinnamon rice milk beverage perfectly complements your Mexican meal.
– **Make it a bowl** – Go bowl instead of burrito for an easier, less messy way to eat on-the-go.
Order Online for Easy Customization
The easiest way to customize your perfect chicken burrito is to order online through the Chipotle app or website. When ordering online:
– You can take as much time as you want to choose each ingredient.
– The digital menu shows allergen information for personalizing based on dietary needs.
– You can save your customized burritos as favorites for reordering.
– Choose from preset options or build from scratch.
– Integration with Apple Pay and Android Pay makes checkout easy.
– Pick up your meal on the Chipotle tab without waiting in line.
Ordering online allows you to perfectly customize your chicken burrito and save it for next time.
Conclusion
With responsibly raised grilled chicken, fresh veggies, beans, rice, tortilla, and delicious salsa options, the Chipotle chicken burrito is a filling and nutritious meal any time of day. You can customize the burrito by mixing and matching your favorite ingredients like guacamole, queso, lettuce, brown rice, hot salsa, and more based on your preferences. Ordering online makes choosing your ideal chicken burrito easy. So next time you’re craving a delicious Mexican-inspired meal, customize an epic chicken burrito at Chipotle!