Chipotle Ordering Secrets — How to Get the Biggest Bang for Your Buck
I was a hungry student during my time at the University of California, Berkeley. I found that I was always hunting for a quick, relatively healthy meal that is also delicious. Chipotle checked all the boxes.
I would sometimes get Chipotle 3 to 5 times per week. Going this often, for 4 years, I have gotten fairly skilled at maximizing the amount of food I could get for my money. I’ll be sharing some of my tips and tricks I used to get the most food from Chipotle.
1. Order a Bowl Instead of a Burrito
If you’re looking to get the most food for your money at Chipotle, ordering a bowl instead of a burrito is a great place to start. This is because you often get significantly more food compared to regular burritos.
2. White or Brown Rice?
Chipotle offers white or brown rice.
To get the maximum amount of rice:
- ask for half brown (or white) rice,
- wait for them to add the half spoonful of rice,
- then ask “actually, can I have the second half of brown (or white) rice?”
This easily gets you about 50–100% more rice than usual. This works because when you get half rice the first time, they’ll usually give you more than half of a spoonful, sometimes up to a full spoonful. And by pausing to allow them to add that “half spoonful” to your bowl, it prevents them from “cheating” you, so to speak. And then the second “half spoonful” is just doubling that.
If you don’t want to go through that mental gymnastics, you could also just as easily ask for extra rice. It’s a no-cost modification.
3. Black or Pinto Beans?
Chipotle offers black or pinto beans.
To “give it more beans”, do the same technique as above, asking for half beans, and then half beans again. I usually ask for half black and half pinto beans in one ask to make the transaction slightly faster. But if you like one kind of beans better, you could do the half one bean, and then half the same bean method. Or again, you could ask for extra of the one bean. It’s a no-cost modification.
4. Protein?
There are a few protein options.
The most cost-effective options are chicken and sofritas (a plant-based protein). There are other protein options like steak, barbacoa, and carnitas, but they cost more money and don’t fill your stomach more than chicken or sofritas does. I also just love the chicken, I think it’s delicious.
I again recommend doing the half-half technique. Don’t ask for double protein, because that costs more money.
5. Toppings?
There are a lot of salsas and toppings.
To get the most value, I’d recommend getting all of the salsas. Extra, if possible. Keep in mind that having all of this salsa may make your burrito bowl soggy if you don’t eat it right after.
Then, also get the lettuce, cheese, sour cream. And then also get the fajita veggies (this is usually next to the proteins, so you may need to remember to ask for this when you’re at the protein section). Again, ask for extra, as it’s a no-cost modification.
6. Payment
The Chipotle app often has deals and discounts that can save you money on your meal. Be sure to check the app before you order to see if there are any promotions or offers available.
You’ll also be able to take advantage of the Chipotle Rewards program. You earn points for your spend at Chipotle, and you can redeem for free meals with those points.
7. Enjoy!
And that’s it!
If you’re looking to get the most food for your money at Chipotle, there are several tips and tricks that can help you maximize your meal.
- Ordering a bowl instead of a burrito,
- getting extra beans (half-half technique, or ask for extra)
- opting for cost-effective proteins like chicken or sofritas (half-half technique),
- getting all the salsas and toppings (ask for extra), and
- taking advantage of the Chipotle app and Chipotle Rewards program
are ways to stretch your dollar at the popular fast-food chain. These strategies can make a significant difference in the amount of food you receive.
TL;DR: My Order
This is my Chipotle order for quick reference, in the order that the stations appear:
- Burrito bowl
- Half brown rice, wait, half brown rice
- Half pinto beans, half black beans
- Half chicken, wait, half chicken
- Extra fajita veggies
- Extra all of the sauces
- Extra lettuce, cheese, and sour cream
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