Vegan at Chipotle: Ultimate Menu Guide

The tried and trusted vegan choice! You know that if you can find a Chipotle location (there are more than 2,500 of them across the U.S. and several abroad as well) you’ll be able to enjoy a fantastic and filling meal. Whether the Chipotle you find is snuggled in a shopping plaza, mainstream at the mini-mall, or cozied on a corner lot, you can easily order vegan at Chipotle and satisfy your cravings on the go.

As a vegan at Chipotle, you can get a giant burrito loaded with rice, beans, lettuce, guacamole, tomatoes, onion, corn, salsa, and even Chipotle’s special tofu sofritas. Not in the mood for a burrito? You can order a line of tacos, a burrito bowl, or a fully-loaded salad. Pair your main dish with a side of chips and guac (it’s vegan!) and you’ve got yourself a hearty meal that is so filling there’s a good chance you won’t be able to finish it. Wrap your leftovers in foil and your order can last for a whole extra meal!

It’s Easy Being Vegan at Chipotle

We love that there is less stress when ordering vegan at this mainstream Mexican-inspired grill because everything is made fresh at each location, and as long as you maneuver around the meat and choose to be cheese-less, you’re pretty safe.

Did you know that Chipotle only uses 53 ingredients in all of the meals they make? That’s pretty incredible! I counted 44 of the 53 ingredients to be vegan and only 9 were not. The non-vegan ingredients at Chipotle include beef, Monterey jack cheese, cheese cultures, chicken, cultured cream, honey, milk, pork and white cheddar. The short ingredient list is impressive and makes it easy to order almost anything on their menu made vegan.

How to Order Vegan at Chipotle

Here is the simplest way to order a vegan meal at Chipotle:

1. Choose a base: Burrito, Burrito Bowl, Salad, or Tacos
2. Pick all your toppings (see list below)
3. Decide if you’d like to add sides like chips, guac or both.
4. Choose a delightful drink, if you desire!

Burritos

Chipotle’s burritos are made with a large, soft, warmed flour tortilla filled with any ingredient toppings you’d like (such as your choice of rice, beans, veggies, tofu, salsa, lettuce, and guacamole.)

Burrito Bowls

These are essentially burritos without the tortilla served up in a bowl. People may choose burrito bowls because they prefer eating with a fork or looking for a healthier, gluten-free, or lower-carb option.

Tacos

You can order single tacos or a full 3-taco meal served up in soft flour tortillas or crispy corn tortilla taco shells. Fill your tacos with all the vegan fixins (such as your choice of rice, beans, veggies, tofu, salsa, lettuce, and guacamole.)

Salads

Chipotle salads are similar to Burrito Bowls except they’re on a bed of romaine lettuce instead of rice. You can load up all the toppings you’d like (such as beans, fajita veggies, sofritas tofu, corn, tomatoes, and salsa). In 2020 Chipotle rolled out a new option for salad lovers—their “Supergreens Lettuce Blend” which includes baby kale and baby spinach for a more diverse and nutrient-rich salad base. You can special-request this super greens mix instead of romaine in your salad.

Vegan Options at Chipotle

Vegan Toppings & Sides (all listed are vegan-friendly)

• Black Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Cilantro Lime White Rice
• Brown Rice
• Fajita Vegetables (sauteed bell peppers and onion)
• Sofritas (braised tofu with poblano and chipotle peppers)
• Guacamole
• Romaine Lettuce
• Supergreens Lettuce Blend
• Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa
• Fresh Tomato Salsa
• Tomatillo Red Chili Salsa
• Tomatillo Green Chili Salsa
• Tortilla Chips

Vegetarian Kids Meals

You can easily veganize Chipotle’s kids meals by choosing the vegan options (rice, beans, etc.)

• Any item listed above
• The B-Y-O tacos with either crispy corn tortilla shells or the soft flour tortilla rounds

Vegan Drinks at Chipotle

There are many vegan drink offerings at Chipotle that are accidentally vegan, including (but not limited to):

• Water
• Sparkling water
• Lemonade
• Nantucket Nectars (all flavors)
• IZZE fizzy drinks (all flavors)
• Assorted sodas

If you’d like to see if the beer is vegan, check out our vegan alcohol guide and consult Barnivore’s vegan beer directory.

What Happened to the Vegan Chorizo at Chipotle?

Following the 2014 introduction of sofritas (Chipotle’s first vegan protein option), a brand new menu item was introduced. In January, 2022 Chipotle launched a new spicy vegan chorizo made using pea protein (similar to the Beyond Burger), ancho chile and Chipotle peppers, tomato paste, garlic, smoked paprika, and extra virgin olive oil.

Sadly, the item is now off the menu, and we’re uncertain if it will return.

This is a nice reminder of how impactful it can be to support these new vegan options at mainstream restaurants and fast food restaurants. 

Helpful Hints When Ordering at Chipotle

• Browse the restaurant’s website before ordering. They have a very helpful nutrition calculator which allows you to not only see what is vegan (designated with a V+ in a green circle), but also which items contain gluten, soy, sulfites, or dairy.
• Gluten-sensitive customers should avoid the flour tortillas, which contain wheat gluten. The corn tortillas are free of wheat.
• Sulfite sensitive people should avoid the flour tortillas and the sofritas.
• Be careful—the delicious Smoked Chipotle Salad Dressing is not vegan. Honey is one of the main ingredients, so instead switch to a savory salsa for your salad.
• Consider ordering a large Lifestyle Bowl (available in Keto, Whole30, Paleo, Vegan, and Vegetarian) and save yourself a lot of hassle when you’re hungry! The vegan version includes brown rice, black beans, sofritas, tomato salsa, corn salsa, and romaine lettuce. All set to go and no decisions are required!

How to Order Vegan at Other Fast Food Chains

Don’t miss our vegan fast food guide where you can see how to eat vegan at many mainstream restaurant chains and fast food spots. For example:

• How to Order Vegan at McDonald’s
• Order Vegan at Taco Bell
• Vegan at Dominos

Have you found any other options to be veganizable? Did you find something amazing that we missed? Send us a message and let us know and tag #worldofvegan and @vegan on Instagram to share your favorite vegan at Chipotle creations with all of us!

Disclaimer: At the time of this article, all of the foods mentioned above are vegan. Since restaurants constantly update their menus, add or take away items, and reformulate menu items, please keep this in mind when ordering your food. There may be new items that are vegan and not listed above or items listed here as vegan, which are no longer vegan. Take care to double-check. Good luck!