A Chipotle bowl is a customizable entrée option at the popular fast casual restaurant Chipotle Mexican Grill. Bowls allow customers to choose from a variety of ingredients to create a meal in a bowl. Chipotle bowls typically consist of rice, beans, meat or sofrito, salsa, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and guacamole or corn. Customers can select the ingredients they want to customize their perfect bowl.
Rice
The base of a Chipotle bowl begins with rice. Customers can choose between white or brown rice. The white rice is seasoned with lime and salt, giving it a citrusy flavor. The brown rice has a nuttier taste and contains more fiber and nutrients than the white rice. Brown rice takes longer to prepare than white rice, so some locations may not begin serving it until later in the day after the lunch rush. Both types of rice add texture, substance, and carbs to round out a Chipotle bowl.
Beans
Beans add protein, fiber, and vitamins to Chipotle bowls. Customers can select either pinto or black beans. The pinto beans have an earthy, mildly sweet taste and creamy texture. Black beans have a slightly stronger flavor with hints of pepper and garlic. They have a soft texture and absorb the flavors of the other ingredients nicely. Beans add bulk, texture, and nutrients to Chipotle bowls.
Meat or Sofrito
Adding meat or sofrito provides the main protein source in a Chipotle bowl. Customers have several meat choices including:
- Chicken – Chipotle’s classic chicken option. The grilled chicken breast is lightly seasoned and adds lean protein.
- Steak – Tender pieces of marinated, grilled steak. It has a bold, beefy flavor.
- Barbacoa – Shredded beef seasoned with spices and braised until tender.
- Carnitas – Pork braised until meltingly tender and lightly crisped.
- Sofrito – A spicy vegetable medley with poblano peppers, tomatoes, onion, peppers, and spices.
The sofrito is a good option for vegetarians. In addition to the main protein, customers can add extra meat, fajita veggies like peppers and onions, or guacamole for an added cost.
Salsa
What really gives a Chipotle bowl flavor is the salsa. Customers have a choice between mild, medium, and hot salsa:
- Mild Tomatillo Green Chili – Has a nice tomatillo taste but very little heat.
- Medium Tomatillo Green Chili – Bolder flavored with a bit of a kick.
- Hot Tomatillo Red Chili – The hottest salsa with a deep, smoky chili flavor.
- Mild Tomato Red Chili – Made from vine-ripened tomatoes with mild spice.
- Medium Tomato Red Chili – Ripened tomato flavor with moderate spice.
- Hot Tomato Red Chili – Bold tomato taste and real heat.
The tomatillo salsas have a tangy, green chili taste while the tomato salsas have a richer red chili flavor. Customers can mix and match salsas to find their perfect spice level.
Toppings
Toppings provide extra flavor, texture, and creaminess to finish off a Chipotle bowl. Popular topping choices include:
- Cheese – A four cheese blend of Monterey Jack, cheddar, queso blanco, and asadero cheese. It adds creamy, melted cheese throughout the bowl.
- Lettuce – Freshly chopped romaine lettuce provides crispness.
- Sour Cream – Cool and tangy sour cream balances out spicier flavors.
- Guacamole – Freshly made guacamole with creamy avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, and lime.
- Corn – Sweet fire-roasted corn kernels add texture.
Cheese, lettuce, and sour cream come free on bowls while guacamole and corn cost extra. Customers can also add other toppings like fajita veggies, chili-corn salsa, and fresh tomato salsa for an additional charge.
Putting Together Your Custom Chipotle Bowl
When ordering a bowl at Chipotle, you progress through an assembly line style burrito station. Here are the steps to build your custom Chipotle bowl:
- Choose white or brown rice as your bowl base.
- Pick black or pinto beans.
- Select your protein – chicken, steak, barbacoa, carnitas or sofrito.
- Choose your salsa heat level – mild, medium or hot.
- Move down the line and add free toppings like cheese, lettuce, sour cream.
- Consider paying extra for guacamole, corn, or other addons.
- The Chipotle team member mixes everything together in a bowl for you.
You can customize your bowl to match your preferences by selecting your favorite ingredients. Try different salsa flavors and topping combinations each visit.
Chipotle Bowl Calories and Nutrition
The nutrition in a Chipotle bowl can vary widely depending on your ingredient choices. In general, a typical bowl contains 500-1000 calories. To make a lower calorie bowl, opt for brown rice, black beans, chicken or sofrito, and load up on veggies. Higher calorie bowls may have white rice, carnitas, extra cheese, sour cream, and guacamole. Here are the calories for some common Chipotle bowl ingredients:
| Ingredient | Calories |
|---|---|
| Brown rice | 210 calories per cup |
| Pinto beans | 115 calories per cup |
| Chicken | 90 calories for 3 oz |
| Steak | 120 calories for 3 oz |
| Barbacoa | 140 calories for 3 oz |
| Carnitas | 210 calories for 3 oz |
| Sofrito | 20 calories per cup |
| Cheese | 110 calories for 2 oz |
| Sour cream | 60 calories for 2 oz |
| Guacamole | 230 calories for 4 oz |
As you can see, ingredients like rice, beans, salsas, lettuce, and sofrito are relatively low calorie. Meat, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole pack more calories. Focus on vegetable toppings and lighter proteins to make a nutritious Chipotle bowl.
Macronutrients in a Chipotle Bowl
Here is the macronutrient breakdown for an average Chipotle bowl with chicken, brown rice, black beans, tomatillo salsa, cheese, lettuce, and sour cream:
- Calories: 705
- Fat: 13g
- Carbs: 105g
- Protein: 44g
- Fiber: 15g
This provides a good balance of complex carbs, lean protein, fiber, and healthy fats. The rice, beans, salsa, and toppings add vitamins and minerals as well. You can lower the carbs by swapping brown for white rice or skipping the rice altogether.
Gluten Free and Vegetarian Chipotle Bowls
One benefit of Chipotle’s customizable bowls is that they can easily be modified for special diets. To make a gluten free Chipotle bowl, choose corn tortillas instead of flour and avoid the chips. Stick to ingredients like rice, beans, meat, salsa, cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. For vegetarian bowls, opt for sofrito, black beans, brown rice, fajita veggies, salsa, and guacamole. Vegan bowls can be made by skipping the cheese and sour cream.
Most Popular Chipotle Bowl Orders
While the variety of ingredients allows everyone to create their perfect bowl, some combinations seem to be customer favorites. Here are some of the most commonly ordered Chipotle bowls:
- The Basic: Chicken, white rice, black beans, mild salsa, lettuce, cheese, sour cream
- The Spicy: Steak, brown rice, pinto beans, hot salsa, corn, sour cream
- The Vegan: Sofrito, brown rice, black beans, medium salsa, fajita veggies, lettuce, guacamole
- The Vegetarian: Sofrito, white rice, pinto beans, mild salsa, cheese, lettuce, guacamole
- The Extra: Barbacoa, brown rice, black beans, hot salsa, cheese, sour cream, guacamole
These demonstrate some customer favorites, but again, the wonderful thing about Chipotle bowls is you can customize and experiment to create your own go-to order.
Copying Your Bowl at Home
Recreate your favorite Chipotle bowl at home with a few simple ingredients. Cook brown or white rice along with pinto or black beans. Sauté chicken, steak, ground beef or shredded pork. Warm up canned black beans and pre-cooked fajita veggies for a vegetarian option. For salsa, pulse tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice in a food processor. Serve everything together in a bowl and add cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and guacamole.
Conclusion
With a choice of rice, beans, meat or sofrito, salsa, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and corn, Chipotle bowls provide endless customization options. Follow the burrito station line to build your perfect combination. Bowls range from 500-1000 calories and offer a balance of carbs, fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Skip the tortilla to enjoy your favorite Chipotle ingredients in a bowl. A world of delicious possibilities awaits your own unique Chipotle bowl creation.