14 Hacks For Ordering At Chipotle Everyone Should Know

If you intend to eat at Chipotle, adopt the hacks customers have discovered to get the best out of the experience. For the most part, the ordering tricks are about how to stretch your dollar a little further. If you order creatively, you can end up with large quantities of food and free ingredients. But that's not all; other hacks can help you customize food items to your tastes and prevent you from waiting in long lines.

Once you know what's possible, you can use a few of these tricks to craft an order that makes sense for your meal preferences. Granted, we found some hacks that no longer work because Chipotle realized people were gaming the system. For example, you could once order a taco with the tortilla or shell on the side to get a cheaper Burrito Bowl, but now, the two menu items cost the same. Abusing these hacks might ruin it for everyone. So, hack wisely and conservatively for the best results.

Read more: 11 Fast Food Breakfast Sandwiches, Ranked

Always Look For Promotions Or Rewards Before You Start Your Order

Before diving into your Chipotle order, make sure to check out their ongoing promotions and reward offers. Missing these can cost you significant savings opportunities. The most effective way to uncover Chipotle’s latest deals is through online searches — simply include this year when looking up discounts. You could come across promotional codes granting free chips and guacamole or queso with orders consisting of at least three entrees. Additionally, keep an eye out for events like the Boorito celebration – where customers can enjoy special treats. receive complimentary food when they make an order while dressed in a Halloween outfit.

The frequently downloaded Chipotle Rewards program It’s one of the most effective options for saving money. Therefore, make sure to regularly review the Rewards segment within your application. check if you have an available reward Remember that certain promotions are exclusive to Rewards Members. The positive aspect is that you have the option to save your reward points to get complimentary menu items, including some main courses.

To Maximize Your Value, Request a Bowl with a Tortilla on the Side

A trick discovered by some Chipotle patrons involves requesting a Burrito Bowl along with the tortilla served separately. This way, they get what essentially amounts to two dishes for just an additional cost of roughly $0.50 because adding a tortilla doesn’t significantly hike up the price. The large tortillas at Chipotle come in at about 320 calories each; these offer considerable sustenance, allowing diners to savor them alongside their leftover bowl contents later.

Moreover, because a bowl can accommodate more components compared to a taco or a burrito, you can use it to stretch your budget or share the meal. Of course, some people just get a tortilla because they can't decide between a burrito and a bowl and want the best of both worlds. Whatever your reason, it's a cheap way to get more bang for your buck out of a Burrito Bowl.

Order a combo with two types of meats

A widely-used trick at Chipotle involves requesting a combination plate with equal portions of two different meats. Typically, this method gives you an extra amount of meat compared to a regular single-meat serving. Social media reviews indicate that staff members often provide slightly generous halves for these custom orders. When combined, these larger-than-usual half servings result in having significantly more meat than just one full portion — occasionally even approaching double the usual quantity.

While it may not be an exact science, it generally proves effective. Additionally, ordering different types of meats means you can savor multiple flavors in your meal. Just remember that if you opt for two kinds of meat as halves, they’ll charge you based on the priciest option available. Thus, choosing both beef barbacoa and chicken won’t cost you the same as just getting the cheaper item; this trick doesn't work like that.

Find Out Which Toppings Are Available at No Extra Cost

A key tip when aiming to maximize value for your money is understanding that certain extras come at no added cost. If you wish to boost the size of your portion, inquire about adding these complimentary components. Items like extra rice, beans, and cheese do not incur additional charges but add significant volume and nutritional content to your dish. These additions offer substantial benefits without increasing the price tag.

Adding extra vegetables does not incur additional charges; feel free to ask for more fajita vegetables, lettuce, or fresh vegetable salsas. Similarly, requesting extra salsa or sour cream will not affect the price of your meal. However, certain premium options such as guacamole or queso typically come with an added fee unless you have discovered a promotional offer. Requesting larger portions of these might lead to higher costs, possibly even doubling them. Keep this in mind when making selections. Moreover, if your server finds it difficult to seal the lid due to the contents being too full, they might charge you for using two bowls instead of one.

Order In-Person To Prevent A Small Serving Size

Although there are valid justifications for placing orders online or through an app, you stand a greater chance of receiving a well-prepared meal when doing so in-store. Otherwise, the preparer might cut corners on your order. Ordering personally allows you a better likelihood of experiencing quality service that would encourage you to return to Chipotle. Moreover, this way lets you watch as your food is made and request specific adjustments according to your preference.

As we mentioned earlier, you can ask for several ingredients without incurring an upcharge. When you're ordering digitally, there's not an option to ask for more. However, when you visit Chipotle in person, you can ask for just a little more of this or that, greatly increasing the bulk and value of your food. Plus, ordering in person allows you to enact some hacks, like the one we mentioned for getting two types of meat.

You Can Order Any Item On The Side

One ordering hack you might not have known about is being able to order any item on the menu on the side. This opens up a variety of possibilities that require a little creativity to benefit from. There are multiple reasons to order items on the side. For example, it's great for picky eaters who just want a couple of items or those who don't like their ingredients to touch.

Picking additional sides can introduce various dipping options for your chips aside from just salsa, guacamole, and queso. Consider piling your chips high with toppings such as beans, meats, sour cream, or fajita vegetables. Furthermore, several customers who shared their experiences on social media mentioned ordering all taco toppings on the side to avoid taking home soggy tacos .

Acquire All The Salsas Rather Than Only One

When the person taking your order at Chipotle asks the type of salsa you want, don't consider it a limitation. While it may seem like you can only get one, request as many as possible or even all. Different salsas offer something unique. The two chunky ones provide extra ingredients: Roasted chili-corn salsa contains corn, onions, peppers, and cilantro, while fresh tomato salsa features large tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. Meanwhile, the two liquid ones add an extra layer of flavor, with Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa and Tomatillo-Red Chili Salsa contributing tartness.

There's no reason you can't get the entire roster to add fresh corn, peppers, onions, cilantro, and two types of tomatillo salsa to whichever entrée you order. However, you'll want to remember that combined, they add 150 calories and could make your entrée soupier. Additionally, too much salsa often leaks out of burritos.

Buy Your Tacos Off The Kids Menu

If cost constraints or calorie counting guide your choices, opting for the children’s menu could be beneficial. This can particularly help when considering pricier meats. A useful trick here involves ordering two "Kid's Build Your Own" plates. Regardless of what type of meat you choose, these orders have fixed prices. By doing this, you receive four tacos. In contrast, selecting just one taco from the standard menu gives you only three tacos.

Furthermore, choosing the priciest option from the standard taco offerings can increase your bill significantly. It’s also worth mentioning that the children's meal includes a smaller serving of chips, some fruit, and a little beverage. Therefore, opting for one of the cheaper meats still gives you great value for money.

However, there is one detail that could alter your decision to try this: Kids’ menu tacos permit just one kind of meat and two toppings (salsas included), whereas adults get the option to pick one meat with up to five toppings. Therefore, consider carefully which suits your preferences better.

Obtain complimentary guacamole by opting for vegetarian choices through rewards programs or special promotions.

Avocado cream is an extra charge at Chipotle and can cost close to $3, making it quite valuable. Therefore, learning how to obtain the complimentary version is incredibly useful. You can secure free avocado cream either by ordering a plant-based meal or by keeping an eye out for special offers through Chipotle’s promotional activities and rewards program.

If you opt for an entrée without meat or a meat substitute, you'll get free guacamole as part of your meal. This information is clearer through the app, which lets you select between options like meat, sofritas (plant-based protein), or vegetables. Picking the vegetable option gets you guacamole rather than meat or sofritas. Given how delicious the guacamole is alongside everything else, vegetarians might find they barely notice the absence of meat at all. If you're dining with a vegetarian who prefers not to have the complimentary guacamole, request that it be served on the side instead. .

You should keep an eye out for special promotions and Chipotle Rewards offers to score free guacamole. We’ve noticed contests like one held each week where people had to find a promotional code posted on Instagram every Friday; the first thousand customers who messaged this code got their guacamole for free. Additionally, during certain events such as Extra Sundays, rewards program members received complimentary guacamole (or queso) by using a specific promotion code. Moreover, you have the option of redeeming your 500 reward points anytime for some delicious guacamole.

You Can Skip Long Mealtime Lines By Ordering Through The App

When Chipotle launched its mobile app in 2017, one of its claims was that it would help customers skip lines and shorten pickup wait times. Because there are so many online orders now, some locations even have a separate set of people putting together everything that comes through the website and app.

Despite not immediately thinking of this trick, many individuals have shared on social media how effective it has been for them when faced with a bustling Chipotle during peak times. Upon noticing the lengthy line, these customers opted to place their orders via their smartphones instead. As a result, their meals were often prepared and waiting well before those who had queued up earlier could receive theirs. Even more convenient, consider placing your order beforehand so that everything is set upon arrival. Should there be no specific section designated for picking up pre-ordered items, simply approach the counter and inform the staff member that you’ve placed an online order. Typically, they will either confirm its readiness or start preparing it promptly.

Utilize Chipotle Rewards and search for promotions to obtain free entrees.

Who doesn't like free food? While we've mentioned a way to get free guacamole, getting a free entrée is even better. It turns out there are ways to get free Chipotle entrées by redeeming rewards points and looking for special promotions. To get free entrée with Chipotle Rewards, all you have to do is buy food at Chipotle. Every time you spend $1, you get 10 points you can collect until you have 1,625, which you can redeem for a free entrée. Yes, that means you have to spend $162.50 to earn that free entrée, but it's still free!

You'll also want to keep your eyes open for random promotions offering a chance to win entrées. For example, in 2024, Chipotle launched an Unlock the Burrito Vault game on National Burrito Day that offered buy-one-get-one-free promo codes to the first 100,000 people who could figure out the vault code. Similarly, during the holidays, Chipotle often offers buy-one-get-one promo codes to customers who buy gift cards. If you want to stay in the loop about active promotions, sign up for Chipotle Rewards messages via email and text so you know what promotions are out there.

Increase Your Protein Intake for Less by Opting for Meat as a Side Dish

If you're craving extra meat, consider requesting it as an additional side rather than including it in your main dish like a Burrito Bowl. A user shared their experience online validating this strategy; they mentioned receiving up to double the amount of meat in the side portion compared to what was included with their bowl.

Sure, individuals posting online share mixed experiences regarding orders of meat served separately across various places. There are instances where folks have measured the portions and were surprised to receive just 1½ to 2 ounces at times versus 4 to 5 ounces elsewhere. Hence, although it’s not always reliable, it could still pan out based on what containers staff use for sides and their mood. Still, others sidestep this issue by requesting their accompaniments be put into bowls instead, often leading to larger servings of meat.

Request Your Server To Blend Your Burrito Ingredients

There isn’t a single burrito that’s more irritating than ones where the components gather into clumps instead of being evenly spread out. This is precisely why you should request from the server to thoroughly combine all the elements within your burrito. Therefore, when the server places portions of ingredients so that everything ends up segregated—like having all the meat in one area and the sour cream isolated elsewhere—you’ll understand how to proceed.

Certain burrito places, like Pancheros, boast about their method where each bite offers an ideal combination with a sampling of all components. Although this isn’t typically part of Chipotle’s standard procedure, you could still make this happen when ordering directly at the restaurant. Simply instruct them to blend everything prior to rolling up your burrito. As soon as you get that first mouthful, you’ll avoid encountering singular elements; instead, they'll come through harmoniously combined within one delightful swirl.

In certain places, you might be able to request a non-tortilla burrito wrapper.

Although it’s not guaranteed, you could potentially modify the menu options to order a lettuce wrap instead of a regular burrito. This alternative can appeal for several reasons: firstly, it allows those who are gluten intolerant to enjoy their meal without consuming wheat. Secondly, standard tortillas pack quite a caloric punch with around 320 calories per large size alone, which may consume much of your daily calorie allowance. Lastly, some people simply prefer the experience of wrapping their ingredients inside a soft shell rather than enjoying them open-faced in a bowl format.

An employee from Chipotle shared an image online showing off her impressive creation: a massive burrito featuring unusually large pieces of lettuce. To ensure everything stayed intact, she carefully layered additional lettuce at the base before wrapping the entire concoction tightly with foil. Although it’s uncertain whether they would assemble such a dish upon your request, it might be worth asking anyway. Alternatively, consider ordering a Burrito Bowl but specify that you want extra-large, uncut lettuce rather than just shredded bits as toppings. Afterward, simply ask for one of their typical burrito wrappers and see how close you can come to recreating her masterpiece yourself.

Read the article from Tasting Table .