5 Ordering Tips To Get The Best Chipotle Burrito

Few fast-casual menu items inspire such fierce loyalty as Chipotle's behemoth burrito. Wrapped in a flour tortilla and packed with ingredients of your choosing, it's a massive meal (or two) for those who want something quick, filling, and relatively affordable. The chain's assembly-line format allows for plenty of customization, but not every burrito is created equal. The choices you make impact the item's flavor, texture, portion size, and overall value, so be mindful of how you order if you want the best experience.

A great burrito is all about balance: Too many wet ingredients can leave you with a soggy tortilla, and skipping certain ingredients means you might miss out on key flavors. Luckily, getting a better burrito doesn't require ordering off a secret menu or making complicated custom requests. Most of the time, a few simple adjustments like doubling up on tortillas, carefully pairing ingredients, and ordering half-and-half proteins can help you avoid common mistakes and maximize Chipotle's offerings. Whether your priority is getting more food for your money or creating the most flavorful combo, these tips can help you achieve the best Chipotle burrito.

One way to improve your Chipotle burrito doesn't have to do with the fillings selection, but rather the tortilla. If your burrito has ever broken open from the bottom, or if you've struggled to keep rice and beans from spilling out from the seams, consider asking for a double-wrapped burrito. This means the employee uses two tortillas instead of one, creating a sturdier handheld that's less likely to fall apart. This is especially helpful when ingredients like salsa, sour cream, or queso add extra moisture. A second tortilla can also make the burrito easier to transport and save for later if you're taking it home or bringing it to work.

Make sure to specify you'd like your burrito double-wrapped before the employee starts making it since the tortilla is the first ingredient they prepare. Fortunately, this is also an option when ordering a burrito online, and an additional tortilla only costs $0.50 extra.

When faced with Chipotle's mouthwatering selection of meats, veggies, beans, and salsas, you probably just select whatever looks good. Your Chipotle order can be a reflection of your preferences, but not every order will work equally well. Instead of letting impulse guide your burrito construction, maximize flavor harmony through your bean-and-meat pairing. In a 2019 interview with Business Insider, executive chef Thomas Leonard from Chicago's Walton Street Kitchen + Bar explained, "If I get barbacoa, I get black beans, because the flavors go great together. If I get carnitas, I get pinto beans for the same reason."

Chipotle's carnitas and beef barbacoa are both slow-cooked and braised with spices. The firm black beans have a bit of an earthy, nutty flavor, which holds up against barbacoa's rich, robust taste. Pinto beans, on the other hand, are a bit creamier and more subtle, and they nicely soak up the carnitas juices.

Even if you don't choose these exact pairings, consider what flavors match rather than randomly selecting ingredients. And by the way, if you don't eat meat, the vegan sofritas are well-seasoned and have a little spicy kick. We recommend balancing out this protein with some guacamole.

Feeling lost at Chipotle's build-your-burrito station? Ask the employee what they would order. They know what fillings are freshest, and they spend every day working with the same ingredients. They've almost certainly experimented with many combinations and landed on one combo that's now their go-to. Of course, employee favorites will vary greatly from person to person, so if you ask them to make their favorite order, keep an open mind.

TikTok user @alexis.frost posted a video showing the Chipotle burrito they received after following an employee's recommendation. It included white rice, steak, queso, mild salsa, corn, sour cream, cheese, and guacamole. They showed off a reasonably sized burrito with well-balanced ratios of ingredients and rated it 10 out of 10. While there's no single best Chipotle order out there, following employee recommendations can be a great way to break out of your usual ordering routine.

If you're a Chipotle regular, there may come a time when you feel like you want more variety. Consider a half-and-half order of different ingredients, like a half scoop of two different proteins such as barbacoa and chicken. This also works for the chain's rice and bean options. Choosing both white and brown rice can add some texture variance, while both black and pinto beans provide a broader range of flavor.

Each ingredient contributes something different, and the result is often a more complex yet balanced burrito. This is one of the easiest ordering tips for further customizing your meal, and it doesn't increase the cost with add-ons. It's also a great tip for those who are indecisive when ordering, or perhaps for those who don't order from the chain often and want to try different options. Plus, this half-and-half Chipotle ordering hack may actually get you a little more food if the employees are generous with the half scoops.

While Chipotle's serving sizes are notoriously massive, bigger isn't always better. Seeing posts and videos of burritos the size of a human baby or queso-burrito menu hacks might make you feel like you need to maximize every order. But just because it looks good for a social media video doesn't mean it's going to make a great meal.

Newsflash: You don't have to add every available ingredient. This is one of the biggest mistakes when ordering at Chipotle, and it can lead to a messy, wet burrito that collapses in your hands and leaks in your lap. As with our second tip, selecting your fillings intentionally allows you to taste the individual flavors better, and you'll most likely have a better burrito-eating experience. To top it off, the benefit of being a bit more minimalist is that you'll probably save yourself some money. If you go simple and feel like you're still missing something, ask for a side of salsa or take advantage of the Tabasco.