Chipotle Mexican Grill is known for its delicious burritos and tacos, but did you know they also have amazing salads? Chipotle salads are a great option if you are looking for a lighter meal or want to avoid tortillas and rice. But what exactly comes on a Chipotle salad? Here is a comprehensive overview of the standard ingredients and customizable options for building your perfect Chipotle salad.
The Salad Base
All Chipotle salads start with a base of fresh, crisp lettuce. Specifically, they use a blend of romaine and iceberg lettuce. The combination of these two lettuces gives you a good crunch while also providing more nutrients than iceberg lettuce alone. Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of vitamins A, K, and C as well as folic acid. The lettuce base gives you a solid foundation for building a nutritious and satisfying salad.
The Protein Options
One of the best parts of a Chipotle salad is that you can customize it with your choice of protein. This allows you to tailor the salad to fit your dietary needs or preferences. Here are the protein options available for Chipotle salads:
- Chicken – Chipotle serves responsibly raised chicken with no added hormones or steroids. A generous portion of chicken breast provides lean protein.
- Steak – Upgrade to steak for a heartier salad with more protein and flavor. The steak is also responsibly raised with no hormones or steroids.
- Barbacoa – Shredded beef barbacoa is braised to be meltingly tender and full of smoky, spicy flavor.
- Carnitas – Slow-cooked pork carnitas have a delicious lightly crispy texture.
- Sofritas – Spiced organic tofu sofritas offer a vegetarian/vegan protein option if you want to skip the meat.
You can also opt to get a salad with no main protein if you prefer a lighter veggie-focused meal. But the protein additions really take the salad to the next level in terms of flavor, texture, and nutrition.
Veggie Toppings
In addition to lettuce and protein, you can load up your Chipotle salad with lots of fresh vegetable toppings. All of the salsas, beans, and other standard burrito fillings can be added on top of your salad too. Here are some of the most popular veggie topping choices:
- Tomatoes – Diced tomatoes add sweetness and juiciness.
- Corn – Grilled corn kernels provide fiber, vitamin C, and extra crunch.
- Black Beans – Black beans add plant-based protein, fiber, and texture.
- Pinto Beans – Like black beans, pinto beans add protein, nutrients, and heartiness.
- Fajita Veggies – Onions and bell peppers sauteed with seasoning.
- Guacamole – Fresh, flavorful guacamole made in-house daily.
- Queso – Smooth, creamy queso fresco cheese.
You can also top your salad with salsa, sour cream, cheese, and lettuce if desired. Feel free to mix and match toppings to create your favorite flavor and texture combo.
Dressings
No salad is complete without a delicious dressing to add extra flavor and moisture. Here are the dressing options available at Chipotle:
- Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette – Tangy vinaigrette with a kick of spice.
- Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette – Bright, herby citrus vinaigrette.
- Tomato Chili Salsa – Mildly spicy salsa for extra flavor.
The tomato chili salsa doubles as a salad dressing. You can also order any of Chipotle’s salsas on the side to drizzle over your salad. Many customers opt for the fresh tomato salsa or spicier red or green chili salsas. The vinaigrettes add plenty of flavor without overwhelming the other ingredients.
Crunchy Toppings
To add some crunch and textural contrast to your Chipotle salad, take advantage of these crispy topping options:
- Chips – Crunchy corn chips add salty flavor and satisfying texture.
- Chopped Romaine – Extra shredded romaine boosts the lettuce content.
The corn chips give you that signature Chipotle crunch to balance out the soft lettuce, tomatoes, beans, and protein. Mixing in extra torn pieces of romaine also helps to vary the textures.
Putting It All Together
One of the best things about Chipotle salads is the versatility to customize your perfect combination of ingredients. To give you an idea of what your salad could look like, here is one sample combination:
Southwest Chicken Salad
- Base: Romaine & Iceberg Lettuce Blend
- Protein: Chicken
- Veggies: Corn, Black Beans, Tomatoes, Guacamole
- Dressing: Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette
- Toppings: Tortilla Chips
This salad has the crisp lettuce base combined with warm grilled chicken, sweet corn, protein-packed beans, juicy tomatoes, creamy guacamole, smoky-sweet dressing, and crunchy tortilla strips. You truly get a variety of flavors, textures, colors, and nutrients in each bite! And you can recreate this combo or create your own favorite mix.
Nutrition Information
Chipotle salads provide a very nutritious option compared to other fast casual choices. The exact nutrition will vary based on which ingredients you select, but here is the approximate nutrition information for a standard Chipotle salad:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 220-550 |
| Total Fat | 6-24g |
| Protein | 15-50g |
| Carbohydrates | 30-75g |
| Fiber | 7-15g |
| Sugars | 3-8g |
Salads with just lettuce, salsa, and vegetables will be at the lower end of the range for calories, fat, carbs, and protein. Salads with beans, cheese, guacamole, and meat will be higher in nutrition contents. But even the higher calorie salads provide healthy fats and high amounts of fiber and protein to keep you full.
Ordering Tips
Here are some useful tips for ordering the perfect Chipotle salad:
- Feel free to mix and match ingredients to hit your preference for flavors, nutrition, and budget.
- Watch the portions of higher-calorie ingredients like cheese, sour cream, and dressing if you are concerned about calories.
- For maximum nutrition, include lettuce, vegetables, beans, and chicken or steak.
- Add extra salsa for more flavor without many additional calories.
- Pair your salad with salsa and side of chips for crunch.
- Stick to water or iced tea instead of soda for a lighter beverage.
Prices
One of the advantages of building your own Chipotle salad is that you can control the costs based on your ingredient choices. Here are the current prices for Chipotle salad components:
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Lettuce Base | $4.25 |
| Chicken, Steak, Barbacoa | $1.95 extra |
| Carnitas, Sofritas | $1.85 extra |
| Cheese | $1.40 extra |
| Guacamole | $2.50 extra |
| Chips | $1.75 side |
| Salsa | Free |
Veggies like beans, corn, tomatoes, etc. are included in the base salad price. So you can add plenty of nutritious toppings without increasing the price too much. Going for a veggie salad with salsa is one of the most affordable options. The meats, cheeses, guacamole, and chips will increase the total most significantly. But the upside is you can customize based on your budget!
Why People Love Chipotle Salads
There are many great reasons that Chipotle salads have become such a popular menu item, including:
- Endless customization – Make it exactly how you want.
- Fresh ingredients – High-quality produce, meats, etc.
- Nutritious options – Packed with veggies, protein, fiber.
- Lighter alternative – Great if you don’t want a heavy burrito.
- Satisfying flavors – Tangy dressings, spice, and crunch.
- Affordable – Prices comparable to a burrito.
- Fast & convenient – Quickly made to order.
Compared to other fast food salads, Chipotle lets you maximize nutrition and flavors without breaking the bank. The variety of flavors and textures in each bite makes it anything but boring. Next time you visit Chipotle, don’t forget to consider ordering a custom salad for a refreshing change.
Conclusion
With its fresh lettuce base, quality proteins, tons of veggie mix-ins, zesty dressings, and crunchy toppings, Chipotle offers salads that are nutritious, customizable, and downright delicious. The variety of ingredients allows you to craft a salad that suits your tastes and needs. Whether you go for a Chipotle salad with chicken, steak, sofritas, or carnitas, you can’t go wrong complementing the protein with corn, beans, salsa, guacamole, and other favorite toppings. Keep the ordering tips in mind to maximize nutrition and value. With so many possible combinations, you could eat at Chipotle every day and never get the same salad twice!