Chipotle Mexican Grill, often called Chipotle, is a well-known American fast-casual restaurant chain that offers Mexican-inspired dishes such as burritos, bowls, tacos, and salads. Founded by Steve Ells in 1993 in Denver, Colorado, Chipotle gained rapid popularity for its focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients and the ability to customize meals. The brand is particularly noted for its commitment to sustainable practices and ethically sourced ingredients, including organic produce and hormone-free meats.
Over the years, Chipotle has grown extensively, with thousands of locations in the United States and around the world. Despite facing significant challenges like food safety scares in the mid-2010s, the company has managed to recover by implementing stringent safety measures and maintaining a transparent approach. Today, Chipotle continues to innovate through digital ordering systems, sustainability efforts, and new menu additions to keep up with changing consumer demands.
Chipotle has also become a popular choice for those following a vegan lifestyle, thanks to its wide range of vegan and plant-based options. The menu includes vegan-friendly ingredients such as sofritas (spicy tofu), beans, rice, and a variety of vegetables and salsas. This focus on catering to different dietary needs complements Chipotle’s overall commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing, as plant-based diets are known for their lower environmental impact. By offering customizable and nutritious vegan options, Chipotle is one of the best non-vegan options for vegans.
What are the vegan options at Chipotle?
Thankfully, Chipotle is a perfect place for a vegan. Since there are two meat substitute options for each meal, one for plant or other plant-based items, you can modify every menu item to a similar plant-based dish. Even plant-based protein called Sofritas is available at Chipotle! Here is the whole list:
- Build your Burrito
- Build your Burrito bowl
- Veggie Full Bowl
- Plant Powered Bowl
- Build your Quesadilla
- Build your Salad
- Build your Taco
- Chips and
- Guacamole,
- Fresh tomato salsa,
- Tomatillo-red chili salsa,
- Tomatillo-green chili salsa, and
- Roasted chili-corn salsa.
- Drinks (teas, lemonades, soft drinks, juice, water etc.)
Excellent, isn’t it?
Best vegan options at Chipotle
Okay, now let’s see the details about how you can make wonderful vegan dishes at Chipotle!
Build your vegan burrito
There are many customizable options here.
- Choose your protein
- Veggie with guacamole, or
- Sofritas
- Choose rice (or leave it out)
- White, or
- brown.
- Choose beans (or leave them out)
- Black, or
- Pinto beans which are also vegan.
- Add toppings
- Guacamole,
- Fresh tomato salsa,
- Roasted chili-corn salsa,
- Tomatillo-green chili salsa,
- Tomatillo-red chili salsa,
- Fajita veggies, and
- Romaine lettuce.
All will be double-wrapped in a vegan tortilla.
Build your vegan burrito bowl
Delicious fresh ingredients served in a large bowl.
- Choose your protein
- Veggie with guacamole, or
- Sofritas
- Choose rice (or leave it out)
- White, or
- brown.
- Choose beans (or leave them out)
- Black, or
- Pinto.
- Add toppings
- Guacamole,
- Fresh tomato salsa,
- Roasted chili-corn salsa,
- Tomatillo-green chili salsa,
- Tomatillo-red chili salsa,
- Fajita veggies, and
- Romaine lettuce.
Veggie Full Bowl
Healthy and full of taste and fiber. It comes with White Rice, Black Beans, Fajita Veggies, Fresh Tomato Salsa, Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa, and Guacamole
Plant Powered Bowl
It is as good as a full veggie bowl, but there is an enormous amount of vegan protein in it! Lettuce, White Rice, Sofritas, Fajita Veggies, Fresh Tomato Salsa, Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa, and Guacamole
Build your vegan salad
Our choice of protein with fresh lettuce and many, many additional options.
- Choose your protein
- Veggie with guacamole, or
- Sofritas
- Choose rice (or leave it out)
- White, or
- brown.
- Choose beans (or leave them out)
- Black, or
- Pinto.
- Add toppings
- Guacamole,
- Fresh tomato salsa,
- Roasted chili-corn salsa,
- Tomatillo-green chili salsa,
- Tomatillo-red chili salsa,
- Fajita veggies.
Build your vegan tacos
Our choice of protein with five different toppings served in a warm tortilla.
- Choose your protein
- Veggie with guacamole, or
- Sofritas
- Choose your taco
- Crispy corn tortillas or
- Soft flour tortillas
- Choose rice (or leave it out)
- White, or
- brown.
- Choose beans (or leave them out)
- Black, or
- Pinto.
- Add toppings
- Guacamole,
- Fresh tomato salsa,
- Roasted chili-corn salsa,
- Tomatillo-green chili salsa,
- Tomatillo-red chili salsa,
- Fajita veggies.
Sides
Luckily, chips – which is the only side option – are vegan at Chipotle. Also, there are many great vegan dipping options:
- Guacamole,
- Fresh tomato salsa,
- Roasted chili-corn salsa,
- Tomatillo-green chili salsa, and
- Tomatillo-red chili salsa.
What is Sofritas?
Sofritas is Chioptle’s answer to the growing trend of veganism. It is a well-seasoned, roasted, crumbled tofu which is an incredible vegan protein option. You can use it in any dish to substitute the meat. Healthy, full of protein, and, most importantly, cruelty-free. Also, Chipotle’s beans (black and pinto) are vegan, so there are many, many tasty plant-based proteins there.
Chipotle as a vegan in a nutshell
To be honest, Chipotle is wonderful for vegans. Almost everything is vegan except for the obvious items such as cheese, queso and meat. The biggest surprise is that there is not only veggies as meat substitutes but real plant-based protein. Chipotle introduced the Sofritas a few years ago, which is a very well-seasoned, roasted tofu that is a perfect meat substitute. Also, white and pinto beans are vegan, which is a nice additional plant-based protein. Furthermore, there are five different plant-based dipping/sauce options.
In conclusion, Chipotle is one of the best vegan fast food restaurants among the non-vegetarian chains. Torchy’s Taco is also a great choice if you are looking for vegan Mexican junk food since they offer Mofaux, which is a great plant-based beef substitute.
Frequently asked questions about Chipotle
There is some question that usually comes up about the fast-food restaurant chain:
- Are Chipotle tortillas vegan?
- Yes, It is vegan! So we can enjoy every typical Mexican food at the restaurant chain.
- Is Chipotle guacamole vegan?
- Yes, the guacamole at Chipotle is vegan. It is wonderful for dipping nachos and as a sauce for burritos and tacos.
- Is Chipotle sofritas vegan?
- Yes, the sofritas at Chipotle are totally plant-based. It is nothing but crumbled tofu with Chipotle secret, totally animal-ingredients-free seasoning.
- Are Chipotle pinto beans vegan?
- Yes, Pinto and black beans are plant-based at Chipotle so that you can have some extra protein next to Sofritas.
- Is Chipotle queso vegan?
- No, the queso isn’t vegan since it contains dairy. The only missing plant-based thing on Chipotle’s menu is the cheese alternative.
- Are Chipotle chips vegan?
- Yes, luckily, the chips at Chipotle are plant-based so we can enjoy it as one of the five dipping sauces.
