Are you trying to work out if you can eat vegan at Chipotle?
Chipotle has many items on its menu, with a lot of ingredients that go in each dish, and some of those ingredients may be of animal origin.
To ensure that you’re only eating food that aligns with your vegan lifestyle and diet, I’ve investigated the ingredients and production processes of Chipotle.
Here’s what I found out.
Is Chipotle Vegan?
No—but also yes. Chipotle Mexican Grill is not a vegan fast food chain per se, but it’s easy to eat vegan at Chipotle, with even more vegan options than some other popular fast food chains.
Chipotle uses meat, dairy, and honey in a few of its dishes and condiments. Its burritos and tacos are available with beef, chicken, or pork. And its Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette contains honey, which comes from bees. Cheese is also a common ingredient in the dishes at Chipotle.
It does have a number of vegan-friendly items on its menu, though, and continues to increase its vegan options, but as of right now, Chipotle’s non-vegan items still outnumber its vegan ones.
Chipotle does provide a comprehensive allergen page so you can check what kind of diet each menu item is suitable for. You can also request no dairy or meat be added to your food.
So, even though Chipotle is not a vegan restaurant, it is certainly vegan friendly.
Is Chipotle Cruelty Free?
Yes! Chipotle is a cruelty-free fast food chain.
Chipotle does not test on animals and it doesn’t include ingredients that are often tested on animals, such as artificial colors or flavors.
What Is Chipotle Made Of?
Here are the ingredients in Chipotle’s popular Carnitas Burrito:
- Flour tortilla
- Carnitas
- White and brown rice
- Black and pinto beans
- Guacamole
- Fresh tomato salsa
- Roasted chili-corn salsa
- Tomatillo-green chili salsa
- Tomatillo-red chili salsa
- Sour cream
- Fajita veggies
- Cheese
- Romaine lettuce
- Queso blanco
- Vegetable oil
Let’s break down each ingredient of the Chipotle Carnitas Burrito:
Tortilla
Chipotle’s flour tortillas contain wheat flour, water, canola oil, and salt. These flour tortillas are vegan.
Carnitas
Carnitas is a kind of Mexican pulled pork that is slow-cooked with sunflower oil, juniper berries, thyme, black pepper, and bay leaves. Carnitas comes from pigs and is not vegan.
Brown rice
Chipotle’s brown rice is a mixture of brown rice, bay leaf, cilantro, lime and lemon juice, rice bran oil, salt, and water. All of these ingredients are vegan.
White rice
Chipotle’s white rice is a mixture of white rice, bay leaf, cilantro, rice bran oil, salt, water, and lime and lemon juice. This rice is vegan.
Black beans
Chipotle’s black bean recipe consists of black beans, bay leaf, black pepper, chipotle chili, cumin, garlic, lime and lemon juice, red onion, oregano, rice bran oil, salt and water. These beans are vegan.
Pinto beans
The pinto beans at Chipotle are made with pinto beans, bay leaf, black pepper, chipotle chili, cumin, garlic, lime and lemon juice, red onion, oregano, rice bran oil, salt and water. These beans are vegan.
Guacamole
Chipotle guacamole contains Hass avocado, lime and lemon juice, cilantro, red onion, jalapeño, and kosher salt. All of these ingredients are vegan.
Fresh tomato salsa
Chipotle’s Fresh Tomato Salsa is a simple salsa recipe of diced tomatoes, red onion, jalapeños, cilantro, salt, lemon juice, and lime juice. This salsa is vegan.
Roasted chili-corn salsa
This salsa at Chipotle is made of white sweet corn, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, salt, lemon and lime juice, and poblano pepper. This corn salsa is vegan.
Tomatillo-green chili salsa
Chipotle’s tomatillo salsa is made of tomatillos, a small green fruit native to Mexico, tomatoes, black pepper, cilantro, cumin, garlic, jalapeño, lemon juice, lime juice, onion, oregano, and salt. This salsa is vegan.
Tomatillo-red chili salsa
The red version of Chipotle’s tomatillo salsa consists of tomatillo, distilled vinegar, water, red chili, black pepper, cumin, garlic, and salt. These ingredients are all vegan.
Sour cream
Sour cream is a type of cultured cream made by mixing cream with a lactic acid culture. Sour cream is a dairy product made from cow’s milk and is not vegan.
Fajita veggies
Chipotle’s fajita vegetables are a mixture of bell peppers, Mexican oregano, red onions, salt, and sunflower oil. These are all vegan ingredients.
Queso blanco
Chipotle’s queso blanco is made of a variety of cheeses. White cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese are made from cow’s milk. Queso blanco also contains serrano, poblano, and chipotle peppers, garlic, cornstarch, yellow onion, water, salt, and cultured cream. Queso blanco is not vegan.
Romaine lettuce
Romaine lettuce is a common leafy green vegetable used in salads and other dishes. Romaine lettuce is vegan.
Shredded cheese
Chipotle’s shredded cheese is made from shredded Monterey jack cheese and cheddar cheese, neither of which are vegan.
Vegetable oil (canola, sunflower oil)
Vegetable oil is a type of oil that is extracted from vegetables. The vegetable oils used at Chipotle are canola oil and sunflower oil. Chipotle also uses rice bran oil in some of its recipes. These oils are vegan.
Why Isn’t Chipotle Vegan?
Chipotle is not a vegan fast food chain because its products still focus on meat, including chicken, beef, and pork, and dairy, particularly cheese.
However, compared to other fast food brands, Chipotle is still one of the more vegan-friendly options. It offers plant-based proteins, such as sofritas, black beans, and pinto beans. It also offers a variety of vegan-friendly toppings, including salsa, guacamole, and cilantro. Overall, while Chipotle is not a vegan-focused fast food chain, it is still one of the more vegan-friendly options.
Is the Chipotle Steak Lifestyle Bowl Vegan?
No. This meal contains beef.
These burrito bowls are not safe for vegan consumption.
Are Chipotle Barbacoa Tacos Vegan?
No. Barbacoa tacos contain beef.
These tacos are not safe for vegan consumption.
Is the Chipotle Veggie Burrito Vegan?
Yes! This burrito is one of Chipotle’s vegan-friendly options and is really made to cater to vegans. It contains only plant-based ingredients. To make it vegan, be sure to order it without cheese.
This burrito is safe for vegan consumption.
Are Chipotle Sofritas Tacos Vegan?
Yes! Sofritas does not contain any animal ingredients. Instead, it’s made from braised tofu, which comes from the soybean plant.
This taco is safe for vegan consumption.
Is the Chipotle Chicken Keto Salad Bowl Vegan?
No. This salad contains chicken.
This salad bowl is not safe for vegan consumption.
Is the Chipotle Veggie Bowl Vegan?
It can be! By leaving the cheese out of this vegetarian bowl and choosing a plant-based protein, you can easily make this a vegan bowl.
What’s Vegan at Chipotle?
To make things easier for you, I’ve put together a list of the vegan options on the Chipotle menu. This should help you make a more informed decision the next time you visit Chipotle.
- Soft flour tortilla
- Sofritas
- Rice
- Beans
- Guacamole
- Fajita veggies
- Shredded romaine lettuce
- Fresh tomato salsa
- Tomatillo red-chili salsa
- Tomatillo green-chili salsa
- Roasted chili-corn salsa
- Tortilla chips
By choosing plant-based protein, beans, rice, fajita vegetables, salsa, and guacamole, you can enjoy a vegan burrito or other vegan meal at Chipotle.
Final Words
So there you have it!
Chipotle is not a vegan fast food chain but it is vegan friendly. Chipotle offers a variety of vegan options and adds more plant-based items to its menu every year.