Brian Nagele
Chipotle is a fast-food chain you can feel good about patronizing. Not only is their Mexican-inspired food delicious, but it’s also sustainably sourced, simply made, and made to order from behind their massive glass counter case.
This revolutionary concept of health-conscious and environmentally friendly fast food has garnered a massive following. You can get fresh, made-to-order, never-frozen Mexican food in biodegradable containers for a price any budget can afford.
If you love Mexican food, you know that it’s about far more than burritos. Chipotle has a menu that is inherently customizable as customers create their own burritos, salads, or bowls by pointing to the ingredients in front of them.
Apart from customizing burrito fillings, Chipotle has plenty of other lesser-known options that honor classic Mexican dishes or combine Mexican flavors with American culinary concepts. Check out the Chipotle secret menu!
I have compiled the following list of my favorite Chipotle Secret menu items that you should try to expand your Mexican food horizons.
Quesarito
The Quesarito is a decadent combination of a typical Chipotle burrito and a cheesy quesadilla.
As opposed to filling a large flour tortilla with all the desired fixings, this burrito comes wrapped in an enormous quesadilla. Cheese lovers, rejoice!
If you thought a burrito was filling, the Quesarito adds a whole new layer to really burst your britches. The massive quantity of melted cheese ups your calorie intake as well, but if you’re looking for a splurge, it’s well worth it!
If you aren’t a fan of spice, you can still get flavorful salsas as the extra cheesy outer layer will help neutralize the heat.
You can fill the burrito with all your favorite ingredients, just order it with a quesadilla instead of a tortilla.
Burritodilla
If the Quesorita is the ultra-decadent, maxed-out cheesy take on a burrito, the Burritodilla takes the opposite approach.
It is a quesadilla with burrito fixings. However, it cuts the size in half, using half the portion of burrito fixings and double the cheese to envelop everything in gooey goodness.
Unlike a burrito, the burritodilla is folded quesadilla-style and toasted on a hot griddle to melt the cheese and crisp the tortilla.
If you’re a cheese lover, the Burritodilla is even cheesier than the Quesorita, but won’t cause you to feel so full.
I especially like the crispy outer tortilla to give it that decadent contrast in texture to the soft, melted cheese.
To order the Burritodilla, ask for a large tortilla topped with shredded cheese, pile on half the proportion of burrito fillings followed by another layer of shredded cheese, then fold it like a quesadilla and throw it on the grill.
Nachos
With loads of toppings like fresh meats, cheeses, salsas, and guacamole, you better believe that the potential for incredible nachos at Chipotle is exceedingly high.
You know that fresh tortilla chips are on the menu as you can order them with a side of queso sauce or guacamole. Therefore, it’s easy for Chipotle to make all of your nacho dreams come true.
To order nachos, ask your server to create a burrito bowl and substitute rice for chips.
The nacho combination you make has limitless options with everything from Mexican street corn to velvety queso sauce.
You could always get nachos as a shareable appetizer for the table and order another burrito or menu item for the main event.
Quesadilla
If you aren’t willing to commit to a giant overstuffed burrito, a quesadilla might be just what the doctor ordered.
Since burritos and quesadillas consist of essentially the same ingredients, it’s easy enough to request a quesadilla instead of a burrito.
Your server will simply trade a more elaborate tortilla fold for a trip to the grill.
To order a quesadilla, you can ask for a tortilla with a base of shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheese, the toppings of your choice in a small amount, and more cheese to top it all off.
Instead of wrapping, the server will just fold it and grill it for a few minutes on each side. I recently enjoyed a quesadilla with grilled chicken, peppers, and onions and a helping of pico de gallo.
Taco Salad
Akin to ordering soup inside of a bread bowl, the taco salad is a salad inside of a hard-shelled taco bowl.
Chipotle offers salads as a healthier, more fiber-filled option that’s lighter on the carbs and heavier on the protein.
However, you can make it as decadent as a burrito by asking for it in a fried taco bowl.
Unfortunately, not all Chipotle locations have taco shell bowls available.
You can create your own hard shell “taco bowl” by ordering a Chipotle salad with a side of fresh tortilla chips to sprinkle into the mix.
Double-Decker Taco
Tacos are the staple of an authentic Mexican diet, and a double-decker taco gives you two tacos in one!
Chipotle’s tacos try to stay true to the authentic Mexican street food taco, using a small corn tortilla stuffed with protein, cilantro, and maybe a little pico de gallo.
They give customers the liberty to add the fillings of their choice, but overloading a small tortilla isn’t advisable.
The Double-Decker Taco puts an American twist on the classic Mexican taco by adding a simple cheese-filled soft-shell taco to wrap around a Mexican taco.
You simply order a softshell cheese taco, then ask your server to place a regular taco on top with the filling of your choice.
The 3-Pointer
If you’re on a budget, or just not into overloading a burrito with a million fillings, then the 3-pointer is a great option.
Aptly named, the 3-Pointer is a burrito with your choice of three ingredients. It’s much cheaper than a standard burrito, but you should know some important stipulations.
According to Chipotle, not all ingredients are equal. Sofritas, meat, and guacamole count as two ingredients.
Double Wrapped Burrito
Perhaps the best bang for your buck, the Double Wrapped Burrito is a regular Chipotle burrito that uses two tortillas instead of one.
The best part is that there’s no extra cost for that extra tortilla layer.
If you love carbs, this is the ultimate secret menu item for you. Plus, a lot of times we stuff our burritos so full of gushy ingredients that they end up breaking through a single tortilla’s thin border.
You can fill your double-wrapped burrito to the brim without sacrificing its integrity and getting a lap full of filling!
Chipotle’s delicious and hearty Mexican menu features fresh, sustainable ingredients stuffed into customizable bowls, salads, and handhelds. With so many ingredients and the standard Mexican base of tortillas, cheese, and meat, there’s a whole world of new Mexican dishes at your fingertips.
My list of Chipotle secret menu items has everything you need to create a whole new Mexican handheld by adding to a standard burrito or deconstructing its ingredients into more manageable parts.
