The Chipotle Ranch grilled chicken burrito is a popular menu item at Chipotle Mexican Grill. With its mix of grilled chicken, rice, beans, salsa, and hearty Chipotle Ranch dressing, this burrito packs a tasty punch. But what exactly goes into making this burrito? Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients in the Chipotle Ranch grilled chicken burrito.
The Tortilla
The foundation of any burrito is the tortilla. At Chipotle, burritos are wrapped in a warm flour tortilla. Flour tortillas have a slightly sweet flavor and tend to be thicker and heartier than corn tortillas. The flour helps the tortilla be flexible enough to wrap around all the burrito fillings without tearing.
Chipotle’s tortillas are made without preservatives or artificial ingredients. They receive them fresh and steam them in the restaurant to warm and soften them before making each burrito. A standard Chipotle burrito uses a 10-inch tortilla.
The Rice
After the tortilla comes the bed of rice. Chipotle burritos use their signature cilantro-lime rice. This rice recipe combines white rice with a dash of lime juice and freshly chopped cilantro to give it a citrusy, herbal flavor.
The cilantro-lime rice contains only a few basic ingredients:
- Long grain white rice
- Water
- Lime juice
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Salt
This rice contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. The lime and cilantro provide all the extra flavor it needs.
The rice gives the burrito a lightly seasoned carbohydrate base. It also helps absorb all the juices from the meat and salsa so the tortilla doesn’t get soggy.
The Beans
On top of the cilantro-lime rice, Chipotle Ranch chicken burritos get a helping of black or pinto beans. The beans add protein, fiber, and nutrients like iron, magnesium, and potassium.
Chipotle prepares their beans with:
- Dry beans
- Water
- Salt
- Onion
- Garlic
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Oregano
Beans help make the burrito filling and add delicious flavor. They also provide a healthy plant-based protein to complement the chicken. The combination of rice and beans creates a complete protein profile.
The Chicken
Of course, the star ingredient in the Chipotle Ranch chicken burrito is the grilled chicken. Chipotle uses responsibly raised chicken with no added hormones or steroids.
Workers marinate the chicken in Chipotle’s signature adobo marinade. The adobo marinade contains:
- Chipotle chile peppers
- Garlic
- Oregano
- Cumin
- Salt
- Pepper
- White vinegar
- Oil
This gives the chicken a smoky, mildly spicy flavor. The chicken cooks quickly on a hot grill, sealing in the juices. Grilling the chicken gives it nice char marks and a tender, juicy texture.
The grilled chicken provides the burrito’s primary protein and meaty texture. Chipotle portions chicken based on the type of protein selected for each burrito. A chicken burrito typically contains about 3-4 ounces of grilled chicken pieces.
The Salsa
No burrito is complete without salsa adding a fresh, flavorful punch. For the Chipotle Ranch chicken burrito, workers add the following salsas:
Tomato Salsa
Chipotle’s tomato salsa is made from diced roma tomatoes, onions, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, and lime juice. It has a bright, citrusy tomato flavor with moderate spice.
Green Chili Salsa
The green tomatillo salsa gets its tangy flavor from tomatillos, poblano peppers, onions, cilantro, and lime juice. It has a deeper, smokier flavor than the tomato salsa.
The combination of both red and green salsas gives multiple layers of flavor. Salsa also adds beneficial vitamins from the fresh veggies.
The Cheese
Cheese is an optional topping for Chipotle burritos, included by customer request. The Chipotle Ranch chicken burrito typically comes with a generous sprinkling of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
Monterey Jack is a creamy white cheese with a mild flavor and soft, melty texture when heated. It comes from the salad line at Chipotle, where it’s shredded fresh daily. The cheese adds creaminess and cools down some of the burrito’s spiciness.
The Chipotle Ranch Dressing
The signature ingredient that makes this burrito “Chipotle Ranch” is the creamy ranch dressing. It gets drizzled over the top before wrapping.
Chipotle Ranch dressing has a classic ranch flavor – tangy, creamy, and cooling. It’s made with a blend of buttermilk, mayo, and sour cream. Chipotle’s special touch is adding pureed chipotle chiles and adobo sauce. This gives it a smoky, spicy kick.
The rich ranch perfectly compliments the seasoned rice, beans, chicken, and salsa. It adds moisture and binds all the ingredients together into a cohesive, flavorful package.
Assembly & Wrap
Constructing the massive Chipotle Ranch chicken burrito is an art. Here are the layering steps Chipotle crew members follow:
- Warm up tortilla on grill
- Lay tortilla flat and add thin layer of rice
- Add serving of black or pinto beans
- Place marinated, grilled chicken pieces in a line down center
- Spoon tomato and green chili salsas over chicken
- Sprinkle with shredded cheese
- Drizzle Chipotle Ranch dressing over top
- Fold sides of tortilla over filling
- Tuck bottom flap under
- Roll tightly to wrap
This precise assembly method allows workers to tightly wrap all the ingredients without any falling out. It results in a neatly folded, stuffed burrito.
Macros & Nutrition
One Chipotle Ranch chicken burrito (with cheese) contains approximately:
| Calories | 1022 |
|---|---|
| Fat | 36g |
| Carbs | 123g |
| Protein | 44g |
Key nutrition facts:
- High in protein from chicken and beans
- Relatively high calories and carbohydrates
- High in fiber from beans, rice, and tortilla
- Provides vitamins A and C from salsas
The burrito gives you strong doses of carbohydrates from the rice and tortilla as well as protein from the beans and chicken. The fat primarily comes from the cheese, ranch dressing, and chicken. Overall, it’s a filling meal but quite high in calories, so good for eating when very hungry or sharing between multiple people.
Customizations
One great thing about Chipotle burritos is you can customize them to your preferences:
- Protein: Substitute sofritas (organic tofu) or steak for chicken
- Rice: Brown rice available for lighter option
- Beans: Pinto or black beans offered
- Salsa: Try roasted chili-corn or tomatillo-red chili salsas
- Toppings: Add fajita veggies, lettuce, sour cream, etc.
- Tortilla: Switch to a bowl or crispy taco shell instead of burrito
You can also remove any ingredients you don’t want, like cheese or ranch dressing. This allows you to lighten up the burrito or cater it to personal preferences.
Conclusion
The Chipotle Ranch chicken burrito packs big Tex-Mex flavor into a handy hand-held meal. It contains lightly seasoned rice, savory beans, tender grilled chicken, fresh salsas, creamy cheese, and tangy dressing. While high in calories, it provides a good balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. The abundance of options allows you to customize your perfect burrito. Next time you visit Chipotle, give the Chipotle Ranch chicken burrito a try!
