Chipotle Mexican Grill is a popular fast casual restaurant chain that serves tacos, burritos, bowls, and salads. One of their most popular menu items is the pollo asado bowl, which features cilantro-lime rice, black beans, chicken, salsa, cheese, lettuce, and other toppings of your choice. With so many ingredients packed into one bowl, many people wonder just how many calories are in a Chipotle pollo asado bowl.
What’s in a Chipotle Pollo Asado Bowl?
The basic ingredients in a Chipotle pollo asado bowl include:
- Cilantro-lime rice
- Black beans
- Chicken (pollo asado)
- Fresh tomato salsa
- Cheese
- Lettuce
You can then customize your bowl with other toppings like:
- Fajita veggies (peppers and onions)
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Corn salsa
- Tomatillo salsa
- Tortilla chips
The portion sizes can vary based on if you order a regular, large, or extra large bowl. A regular bowl contains about 2 cups of rice, 1 cup of beans, 3 ounces of chicken, 2-4 ounces of salsa, and 2 ounces of toppings like cheese, lettuce, and guacamole.
Calories in Individual Ingredients
To determine the total calories in a Chipotle bowl, we need to look at the calories in each ingredient:
Cilantro-Lime Rice
- 1 cup cooked white rice: around 205 calories
- Cilantro-lime rice seasoning adds negligible calories
Black Beans
- 1 cup cooked black beans: around 230 calories
Chicken
- 3 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast: around 110 calories
Salsa
- 1/4 cup salsa: around 15-20 calories
Cheese
- 2 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese: around 220 calories
Lettuce
- 1 cup shredded lettuce: around 5 calories
Guacamole
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup): around 230 calories
Sour Cream
- 2 tablespoons: around 60 calories
Corn Salsa
- 1/4 cup corn salsa: around 40 calories
Chips
- 1 ounce tortilla chips: around 140 calories
Total Calories in a Regular Bowl
Based on standard serving sizes, a regular Chipotle pollo asado bowl with:
- 2 cups cilantro-lime rice: 410 calories
- 1 cup black beans: 230 calories
- 3 ounces chicken: 110 calories
- 1/4 cup salsa: 20 calories
- 2 ounces cheese: 220 calories
- 1 cup lettuce: 5 calories
Contains around 995 calories in total.
If you add any additional toppings like guacamole, sour cream, or corn salsa, that would increase the calories further.
Calories with Customizations
Let’s look at some common customizations and how they impact the calories:
With guacamole
- Regular bowl: 995 calories
- Plus 4 ounces guacamole: 230 calories
Total: Around 1,225 calories
With guacamole and sour cream
- Regular bowl: 995 calories
- Plus 4 ounces guacamole: 230 calories
- Plus 2 tbsp sour cream: 60 calories
Total: Around 1,285 calories
With guacamole, corn salsa, and chips
- Regular bowl: 995 calories
- Plus 4 ounces guacamole: 230 calories
- Plus 1/4 cup corn salsa: 40 calories
- Plus 1 ounce chips: 140 calories
Total: Around 1,405 calories
As you can see, adding more toppings like guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and tortilla chips can quickly drive up the calories. A basic pollo asado bowl has around 1,000 calories, but customizing it can take you over 1,400 calories.
Calories in Large and Extra Large Bowls
The calorie counts above are for a regular sized bowl. Here’s how the calories scale up for larger bowls:
| Bowl Size | Calories |
|---|---|
| Regular | ~995 |
| Large | ~1,220 |
| Extra Large | ~1,540 |
A large bowl has about 1.5 times as much food as a regular bowl. An extra large bowl has around double the amount of a regular bowl. So the calories scale up accordingly.
Lower Calorie Options
If you’re looking for lower calorie options at Chipotle, consider these tips:
- Order a bowl instead of a burrito, which wraps everything in a tortilla
- Skip extras like chips, queso, and guacamole
- Choose chicken, steak, carnitas, or barbacoa instead of sofritas (tofu)
- Use salsa instead of sour cream or cheese for added flavor
- Mix in romaine lettuce for extra volume and nutrients
- Ask for a thin layer of rice and beans at the bottom of your bowl
- Add extra fajita veggies for more nutrients and fiber
Making simple swaps like these can trim 200-300 calories from your meal.
Nutrition Facts
Here are the nutrition facts for a typical Chipotle pollo asado bowl, based on standard serving sizes:
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 995 | 50% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 55mg | 18% |
| Sodium | 840mg | 36% |
| Carbohydrates | 123g | 41% |
| Fiber | 17g | 68% |
| Sugar | 4g | 4% |
| Protein | 44g | 88% |
Key nutrients to note:
- High in protein (44g) from the beans, rice, and chicken.
- Contains a good amount of fiber (17g), about 68% of the daily value.
- Relatively low in sugar (4g).
- High in sodium (840mg or 36% DV), mostly coming from the rice, beans, salsa, and cheese.
Overall the bowl provides a balance of protein, carbs, fiber and fat. Customizing your bowl with high sodium add-ons like queso, chips, or lots of guacamole can quickly spike the sodium level.
Conclusion
A regular Chipotle chicken bowl contains around 995 calories. This can range from 800-1500+ calories depending on customizations like:
- Portion size – regular, large, extra large
- Add-ons like guacamole, queso, sour cream, etc.
- Tortilla chips on the side
Sticking to lighter options like salsas, fajita veggies, and lettuce can help keep calories in check. Overall, a pollo asado bowl can be a nutritious meal high in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Just be mindful of portion sizes and sodium levels based on your customizations.
