It may be challenging to find restaurants that fit your vegan lifestyle, whether you’ve newly converted to veganism or have been at it for years. However, Chipotle takes the guesswork out of ordering vegan and is considered one of the biggest fast-food chains with the widest vegan options (it’s said that everything is vegan here, except for the meat, Monterey jack cheese and sour cream!).
So if you’re planning to visit the fast-casual restaurant, here are all things vegan at Chipotle.
What’s Chipotle?
Chipotle Mexican Grill, or Chipotle for short, is an American chain of fast-casual restaurants offering tacos and Mexican burritos. The fixings are lined up behind a glass wall in the counter, and the customer can pick what they want from the offerings and watch as their taco, burrito, or bowl is built.
The name chipotle is derived from the Nahuatl name of smoked and dried jalapeno chili pepper. The restaurant was founded in 1993 by Steve Ells, a chef in San Francisco, with the help of his father.
The first Chipotle was opened in Denver, Colorado, and Ells projected that he would need to sell at least 107 burritos per day to be considered profitable. Within a month, he was selling at a rate of a thousand burritos per day.
Chipotle is one of the first fast-casual restaurants in the United States, and by 2020, they have expanded to over 2,500 locations worldwide, including Canada, France, Germany, and the UK.
Are There Vegan Options On The Menu?
Lifestyle Bowl
The vegan Lifestyle Bowl is the most filling and satisfying vegan meal on the Chipotle menu. This plant-powered bowl is made with the merriment of cilantro-lime brown rice, romaine lettuce, black beans, sofritas, tomato, and corn salsa.
Tortillas
Thankfully, all of Chipotle’s tortillas are vegan-friendly. They carry two options: corn and flour tortillas. They’re also a great snack to nibble on while you’re on the go! Check out this vegan tortilla soup recipe!
Vegan Chorizo
Chipotle is a one-of-a-kind fast-casual restaurant that carries its own vegan chorizo [1] -- you can sprinkle it over your tacos and burritos with no guilt!
This plant-based chorizo is made from ancho and chipotle peppers, tomato paste, and crushed garlic and flavored with Spanish smoked paprika and extra virgin olive oil.
Unfortunately, though, this is not yet available in all locations.
Vegans can enjoy this vegan protein option in select Chipotle locations, including Colorado and Orange County.
Burrito
It’s extremely easy to build a vegan burrito at Chipotle! Fill your flour burrito with black and pinto beans, cilantro-lime rice, and fajita veggies -- the world is your (vegan) oyster!
Mixed Fajita Veggies
Most fajitas at other restaurants are done with cheese. Thankfully, Chipotle uses all-vegan ingredients in its signature fajita veggies. The grilled veggies are seasoned with oregano, giving it the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and bitter.
Tacos
Eat vegan at Chipotle by filling up the crispy corn or flour taco shells with your choice of vegan-friendly fixings! You can opt for the single taco or the full three-taco meal, depending on the severity of your hunger. You can also make your own vegan tacos at home.
Salads
Chipotle’s salads are built similarly to their burrito bowls, but instead of using a bed of rice, you’ll be piling the fixings atop some lettuce leaves instead.
Choose from either Romaine or Chipotle’s specialty, the Supergreens Lettuce Blend, which includes nutritious baby kale and baby spinach alongside romaine lettuce.
Rice
Chipotle carries three variations of rice, all of which are vegan. You can opt for their cilantro-lime white or brown rice or the cilantro-lime cauliflower rice.
Guacamole
Chipotle’s famous guacamole is made fresh every day. This side dish is made with fresh avocados, red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.
Chips
Just like the guacamole, the tortilla chips are also made daily to ensure freshness. These crispy snacks are seasoned with lime juice and a little bit of kosher salt. Try dipping these in guacamole or any of Chipotle’s salsas!
Salsas
All of Chipotle’s salsa options fit the vegan lifestyle! Here are your options in terms of flavor and heat:
- Fresh tomato salsa: Mild
- Roasted chili corn salsa: Medium
- Tomatillo green chili salsa: Medium hot
- Tomatillo red chili salsa: Hot
Toppings and Sides
We’ll be listing all the vegan and vegetarian options in Chipotle that you can use for your entrees:
- Black Beans
- Pinto Beans
- White Rice
- Brown Rice
- Fajita Vegetables (sauteed bell peppers and onion)
- Sofritas (braised tofu with poblano and chipotle peppers)
- Guacamole
- Supergreens Lettuce Blend
- Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa
- Fresh Tomato Salsa
- Tomatillo Red Chili Salsa
- Tomatillo Green Chili Salsa
- Tortilla Chips
How To Order Vegan at Chipotle
- Choose your base! Which are you going for today: a burrito, burrito bowl, taco, or salad?
- Select your favorite vegan toppings! We love a burrito built with flour tortilla, black beans, white rice, sofritas, guacamole, and roasted chili corn salsa.
- Decide whether you’re in the mood for chips. Chips with guac or salsa?
- Choose from any of Chipotle’s vegan drinks! We like to keep it simple by choosing their fresh homemade lemonade.
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Some Tips When Ordering Vegan Options
- When in doubt, grab the Lifestyle Bowl. No hassle and thinking required!
- Although delicious, the Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette is not vegan.
- Those who are avoiding wheat gluten should stay away from their soft flour tortilla. Opt for crispy corn tortillas instead -- it’s equally delicious.
- Chipotle has an extremely useful website! Check out their nutrition calculator to track what you eat. All the vegan items they carry are designated with a green V inside a circle.
- If you are vegetarian and eat dairy, the shredded Monterey jack cheese is made from vegetable-based rennet and is vegetarian-approved.
FAQs
Yes, Chipotle’s cauliflower rice is vegan! It’s your best option if you’re trying to cut back on carbs, and it’s just as delicious as their regular rice.
Yes, the sofritas at Chipotle are safe for the vegan diet. The sofritas are made with absolutely no animal ingredients -- seasoned tofu, chipotle chilies, and roasted poblanos make up this fixing.
Yes, the black and pinto beans at Chipotle are vegan-friendly! Other restaurants saute their beans with lard, but thankfully, Chipotle opts not to follow this practice. Instead, they saute their beans with a blend of savory spices.
Final Thoughts
Chipotle is, hands down, one of the best vegan places out there! There isn’t a shortage of yummy vegan meals available to us whenever we visit -- mixing and matching their fixings is always exciting!
If you’ve never tried Chipotle, we highly encourage you to give the place a shot. And remember to bring this guide when you drop by the Chipotle location to make vegan eating easier!
Reference:
- https://www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/news/chipotle-plant-based-chorizo-vegan
About Author
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Claudette
Chipotle lifestyle bowl is my vegetarian choice once a week. Fresh and wholesome ingredients that tastes delicious. Thanks for the tips
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Claudette, I'm so glad it was helpful. Thank you for your feedback.