Uncovered: Chipotle Mexican Grill
I have yet to meet someone who does not like the food at Chipotle. No, really. Have you? I want to meet the person who does not emerge a sublimely happy customer from the guacamole paradise that is Chipotle.
Chipotle prides itself as serving “Food With Integrity.” It’s carnivore-friendly, vegetarian-friendly, heck, I even know some raw foodists who eat there on the regular.
It is likely you already know how good this food tastes. What you might not know are these little factoids: (Source)
- 40% of the beans currently served at Chipotle are organic.
- Vegetarians beware: the pinto beans contain bacon.
- All food contains no artificial colors or artificial flavorings
- All dairy (cheese and sour cream) is rBGH-free.
- All food contains zero trans fats.
- No peanuts, tree nuts or any other kind of nuts is used in Chipotle foods. There are no eggs in the food, either.
- Chipotle is the largest restaurant buyer of avocados and naturally raised meats in the country.
- All meat is antibiotic-free and fed a vegetarian diet.
What I Ordered
I pretty much order the same exact thing every time I visit Chipotle. The only thing that ever varies is the inclusion (or not) of the cilantro-lime rice. The stuff is blissful, but rice happens to be my Achilles heel: once I start, it’s hard to stop. Here was my most recent order.
Burrito Bowl Salad…with rice
- Black Bean/Pinto Bean mix (half and half)
- Fajita Vegetables
- Light on the rice
- Tomato salsa
- Corn salsa
- Guacamole
- Lettuce
You could also go the burrito route like my partner in crime did, but just know that the tortilla adds an additional 290 calories and 9g of fat.
Chipotle’s official nutrition information can be found on their website here. I got lucky and happened to visit a location with a menu that actually lists the nutrition information right on it. Currently this is only in select stores, but with the new healthcare bill, this information will soon be accessible on all Chipotle menus. Hooray!
A site I know to be popular is Chipotle Fan calculator. It is worth noting however, that per my conversation with @ChipotleMedia on Twitter, this is not official information.
Assuming a half-serving of each type of bean, my burrito bowl comes in at:
530 calories, 19g fat, 79g carb, 17g protein (official stat page)
525 calories, 19g fat, 77g carb, 16g protein (Chipotle Fan calculator)
Detective’s Question of the Day
What’s your “standard” Chipotle order? C’mon, I know you have one! If you have never been, what’s stopping you?!
Over and out,
23 Responses to “Uncovered: Chipotle Mexican Grill”
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gotta be the regular chicken burrito with rice, black beans, chicken, corn salsa, green salsa, VERY light sour cream, guac, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. holy heaven in my mouth!
LOVE Chipotle! My standard: Chicken burrito bol, no rice, black beans, some tomato salsa, some corn salsa, guacamole, lettuce, and sour cream on the side for dipping. YUM
I’ve been there once, when I lived in Florida… all I remember are the yummy, hot, salty tortilla chips! I think I had tacos… chicken ones, if I recall correctly and unfortunately they weren’t very good. The chicken was brownish. But then again, I was always an at-heart vegetarian and didn’t really ever enjoy meat. I just didn’t see any option to not order it! Oh, the young and foolish.
If I went back, I’d order a tortilla-less burrito probably, with lots and lots and lots of guacamole! In fact, maybe just a bowl of guacamole, bahahahaha.
Great post, Detective Lara!
I really like Chipotle, but we don’t go very often. So I don’t have a standard order; guess I’ll have to work on one! Or I could just “borrow” yours!
I avoided Chipotle after I found out how many calories were in their dishes. I know there’s a way to order them lighter but I don’t want to sacrifice things like sour cream and guacamole!
I do love that more restaurants are posting their calories!
I love Chiptole, and I could eat there regularly. Just remember, you don’t have to eat it all at once!
When I eat at Chipotle for dinner, I’ll take maybe 1/3rd home and use as lunch the next day!
Great idea to take some of your order home. The burritos are very large and you can easily get two meals out of them! More for your money!
I like Chipotle. When I do go I get the salad bowl with chicken, grilled peppers, salsa, light corn salsa and guacamole. Last time I went, I used half of the dressing it came with and was appalled to find out it had 260 calories (more or less for container of it). I emailed them immediately and was happy to receive a sincere response. They need to offer a lighter dressing option – if Newman’s Own can do it, they can! A bit of vinegar, lime juice and salsa blended with a touch of olive oil can do a long way
Love their principles!
I think I may be your one person who doesn’t like Chipotle! Well, to be fair, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten there so it’s anaccurate to say I don’t like it. However I don’t like the idea of “spending” so many calories there without knowing if it’s really worth it, so I just haven’t even bothered – I figure I might be better off not knowing!
honestly…i’m not a chipotle fan. well i’ve never had but still it just doesn’t do it for me! fail?
Thanks for taking the bullet and going to be the guinea pig on behalf of your readers. Sigh- you have a tough job
Can I be your assistant?
I don’t go often enough to have a regular order- depends on how much I’ve already eaten and if I’m craving beef or chix or burritos. Derek ADORES the rice= I believe there’s lots of butter?? I think someone at the restaurant told me so. I used to stop and wait in a line 30 people long and leave with a side order of rice for the hubs.
I usually do not get just a salad b/c I have SOoooooooooooooooooo many HJs at home, I feel like having something more special when I go out.
We don’t eat at Chipotle enough, mainly due to inconvenient locations for us. However, I do like their bowls as well.
I did not know their beans had bacon. Boo.
i do love chipotle, especially their bowls. Their burritos tend to be too much for me, so I like to get the tacos too. fresh and delicious, the lines are always out the door by me!
I am dying to try Chipotle- a place just opened in Edinburgh that looks similar (though I am going to hazard a guess and say that portions are half the size and twice the price!)
As much as I LOVE wraps, I think a burrito bowl would be my order…chicken, black beans, veggies, lettuce, tomato and salsa. Yum.
I’d probably order the exactly same thing as you did!
Loading up on guacamole!
Lara I had chipotle yesterday too! I was dying for some for weeks now and finally got it.
I always get the exact same thing- salad with lettuce, black beans, grilled chicken, onions/green peppers, corn salsa, pico de gallo and medium salsa, and a side of guac so i can add as much as i like (their scoops are HUGE!)- i eat half for lunch and half for dinner and am STUFFED with deliciousness after both.
ps- eeeek about bacon in the pinto beans! good to know!
pps- my fiance doesn’t like chipotle- in fact he HATES the rice. can you believe it???
Good idea to get the guacamole on the side! You’re right–they are very generous with that dollop!
Can’t believe your fiance doesn’t like the rice there. That stuff is heaven in a bowl!
You are right… I LOVE Chipotle and have never had anyone not like it
My standard order is a burrito bowl with rice, black beans, chicken, hot sauce and lettuce. Sometimes I go crazy and add a bit of cheese or sour cream 
When I did eat at Chipotle (even though I live and work close to ones, I decided to stop), I would purchase the chicken burrito bowl with tortilla on the side.
Even worse, I loaded it up with corn, cheese and even sour cream (gasp!). Now you can understand why I had to stop dining there.
I’m with you I go for the salads there!
I tried Chipolte a few times and it just didn’t do it for me. Maybe it’s because I am such a Baja Fresh Girl? I never think that their flavors go well together and there’s no salsa bar like Baja. I do like their guacamole on a positive note
When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four e-mails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service? Thanks!