Among the meats you can choose for your burrito bowl or tacos at a Chipotle location, one item stands out from the rest as a fan-favorite option: Chipotle's barbacoa. Barbacoa generally refers to any slow-roasted, barbecued meat, but the barbacoa at Chipotle is specifically beef, and it packs flavors that fans love.

Chipotle takes pride in using what the fast-casual chain calls "responsibly raised" beef, where the meat suppliers use humane animal husbandry and no non-therapeutic antibiotics or added hormones. The cut used for barbacoa "mainly comes from the shoulder, because those cuts have enough fat to keep the meat moist during our long braising method," per the chain.

The beef is cooked sous-vide to lock in moisture, marinated overnight in the brand's proprietary peppers and spices, braised slowly at a low temperature until tender, and then shredded by hand. An average serving of Chipotle barbacoa contains 170 calories, 7 grams of fat, 530 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber, and 24 grams of protein.