Chipotle Mexican Grill is good for two things: 1) stuffing your face with a filling smorgasbord of fast-casual quasi-Mexican grub at odd times of the day, and 2) defiantly not eating at McDonald's.
In other words, you probably aren't hitting up your local Chipotle in pursuit of a healthy meal. Nonetheless, it's worth remembering that a typical Chipotle order might amount to almost 1,100 calories. Hey, it pays off to know what you're putting in your body, and how heavy those things are.
To help you live your best life and avoid overdoing it at everyone's favorite quesarito slinger, here are the caloric breakdowns of everything you're eating when you eat at Chipotle. Since there are 65,000 combinations of ingredients, we've listed the individual ingredients out line by line.*
How many calories any standard Chipotle order packs...
Whether you get a burrito, burrito bowl, three-taco spread, or a salad, here are the calorie breakdowns every standard portion of individual Chipotle menu item contains. Taken together, you can use any combination of the following to make a burrito bowl.
Ingredients:
- romaine lettuce: 5 calories
- tomatillo green-chili salsa: 15 calories
- fajita veggies: 20 calories
- fresh tomato salsa: 25 calories
- tomatillo red-chili salsa: 30 calories
- roasted chili-corn salsa: 80 calories
- cheese: 100 calories
- sour cream: 115 calories
- pinto beans: 115 calories
- black beans: 120 calories
- steak: 150 calories
- sofritas: 145 calories
- barbacoa: 165 calories
- chicken: 180 calories
- carnitas: 210 calories
- brown rice: 210 calories
- white rice: 210 calories
- guacamole: 230 calories
- chorizo: 300 calories
For burrito bowls, this is the caloric baseline, clocking in at about 705-1250 total calories, depending on your guac, protein selection, and additional fixings.
For burritos, add a flour tortilla (300 calories), and you're looking at a range of about 1085-1550 total calories, depending on topping selections.
For salads, you might want to add the Chipotle vinaigrette (270 calories), for a baseline of about 1010-1530 calories, again, depending on topping selections.
Don't forget the chips on the side...
If you like them with your meal, here's the breakdown of what Chipotle's nicely salted chips look like, per their calorie counts:
- chips: 570 calories
- chips and tomatillo green-chili salsa: 585 calories
- chips and fresh tomato salsa: 595 calories
- chips and tomatillo red-chili salsa: 600 calories
- chips and roasted chili-corn salsa: 650 calories
- chips and guacamole: 800 calories
Incidentally, Chipotle's margaritas are not terrible, and they're cheaper than you might typically pay for one in a big city like New York. (Definitely just go for the cheaper Sauza version if you're going to pull the trigger.) Here's the breakdown for these boozy drinks.
- Sauza margarita: 230 calories
- Patron margarita: 240 calories
If you're still curious about what you'll be buying at a Chipotle...
The chain has a helpful nutrition calculator you can use to tally up any number of meal combinations. Keep in mind, these won't always be exact, as it all depends on how much your server gives you. Never be afraid to speak up if you'd like more (or less).
* Note: These are Chipotle's officially publicized calorie counts. Individual orders will absolutely, definitely vary from what's presented here.
Eric Vilas-Boas savors every Chipotle experience but has not eaten a burrito there in at least six months. He feels great. Follow him @e_vb_.
FAQs
For burrito bowls, this is the caloric baseline, clocking in at about 705-1250 total calories, depending on your guac, protein selection, and additional fixings.
How many calories does Chipotle really have? ›
The typical order at Chipotle has about 1,070 calories. That's more than half of the calories that most adults are supposed to eat in an entire day. The recommended range for most adults is between 1,600 and 2,400.
How many calories in a Chipotle bowl without rice or beans? ›
Chipotle Burrito Bowl Without Rice, With Meat And Cheese (1 One Burrito Bowl ) contains 2g total carbs, 1g net carbs, 14g fat, 27g protein, and 260 calories.
Is Chipotle very high calorie? ›
Using Chipotle's Nutrition Calculator, we found that a Chipotle burrito can easily weigh in at over a thousand calories. For example, if you ordered a burrito with carnitas, brown rice, pinto beans, fresh tomato salsa, cheese and guacamole, you'd be consuming about 1,235 calories.
Is Chipotle OK to eat on a diet? ›
Chipotle may be fast food, but that doesn't mean you should dismiss it as a healthy option. "In all honesty, as a dietitian, Chipotle tops my go-to list for quick and easy meals in a pinch," says Micah Siva, R.D., a registered dietitian and trained chef.
What is the calorie scandal with Chipotle? ›
One of the customers said he was misled by the 300 calorie sign, and “felt excessively full” after consuming the burrito. Chipotle apologized to a different customer via tweet for the confusing sign, saying “…we'll make things more clear next time. The 300 calories is for the chorizo.” They've since updated the sign.
Is Chipotle the healthiest fast food? ›
Your sodium intake can easily add up with just a burrito order, ticking toward the FDA's recommended maximum of 2,300 milligrams sodium per day. A McDonald's Big Mac, for comparison, contains 1,010 milligrams of sodium. But when you look at the ingredients, Chipotle is comparatively healthier than other to-go options.
Is a bowl or burrito healthier at Chipotle? ›
Is a Bowl Healthier Than a Burrito? A bowl may be a healthier option based on how you build it. A bowl with higher-calorie ingredients like pollo asado, guacamole, sour cream, and cheese or queso Blanco can have 1,120 calories, 66g of fat, and 80 g of carbs.
How to eat less calories at Chipotle? ›
To customize your Chipotle order for fewer calories, start with a base of brown rice or lettuce, add a lean protein such as chicken or sofritas, and load up on fiber-rich toppings like beans and fajita vegetables. Skip the high-calorie add-ons like sour cream, cheese, and guacamole, and opt for salsa for flavor.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight? ›
In order to lose at least a pound a week, try to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days, and reduce your daily calorie intake by at least 500 calories. However, calorie intake should not fall below 1,200 a day in women or 1,500 a day in men, except under the supervision of a health professional.
Brown or White Rice
-The Brown rice has a little bit less sodium and calories, but there's no drastic difference. -I go for the brown rice because I think it tastes better and “healthier.” -You choose what tastes better for you.
How many calories in a full Chipotle bowl? ›
A Chipotle burrito bowl contains approximately 665 calories. Since Chipotle burrito bowls can contain a variety of ingredients, the number of calories in each one will depend on which items are added to the bowl.
Are beans or rice healthier at Chipotle? ›
Better yet, use beans for your base, since they have about half the calories and carbs as white rice. While the calories in beans can still add up quickly, legumes are a good source of fiber and low in saturated fat. “Beans will also give you an extra 8 grams of protein,” says Gans.
Is eating a Chipotle bowl healthy? ›
“You can order a bowl with steak, vegetables, lettuce, salsa, a sprinkle of cheese, black beans and guacamole for around 400 calories and 30 grams of carbohydrates,” says Leonard. “This would be fine for anyone following a regular healthy-eating plan.”
Does Chipotle burrito have more calories than bowl? ›
While the burrito would add 320 calories, 9g of fat, and 50g of carbs because of the tortilla, that can still be a lot of calories to consume in a bowl, depending on your calorie needs.
