Every Chipotle Protein Currently On The Menu (Including The New Chipotle Honey Chicken), Ranked For 2025

Uproxx We ranked every protein option on Chipotle's menu from worst to best.

Mar 28, 2025 - 20:22

Every Chipotle Protein Currently On The Menu (Including The New Chipotle Honey Chicken), Ranked For 2025

There are two types of fast food restaurants: the kind that rely on a regular cadence of new menu items to attract repeat customers, and those few chains that keep their menu carefully curated, rarely changing things up in favor of focusing on quality ingredients and preparation to win fans. Chipotle is the latter type, but every once in a while, the brand will add a new protein option to its core class, shaking up the menu and inspiring new burrito and taco builds.

Oftentimes, these limited offerings are better than a lot of the menu staples, which is why it’s imperative that when Chipotle launches a new protein, we embark on a re-ranking of every available protein on the menu. So, in honor of Chipotle’s new Honey Chicken, we did just that — re-tasting and re-ranking every protein option available, all to help you craft the best meal possible.

As always, to get the best sense of what these meats actually taste like, we sampled each completely devoid of additional ingredients. Just pure meat, which garnered some well-deserved side eye from the employees. But hey, we’re willing to look like total weirdos so that you don’t have to.

Here is every protein option available at Chipotle in 2025, ranked from least to most essential.

7. Sofritas

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Chipotle only has one plant-based protein so we’re sorry that we’re ranking the Sofritas as the worst protein option at Chipotle but… well it is! What do you want us to do, lie? If you don’t eat meat you’re not at a total loss at Chipotle and we’d encourage you go the “veggie burrito” route if you want the best experience rather than order these, at least you get free guacamole!

The Sofritas feature a nice blend of pepper and cumin that helps to cut through any add-ons, no matter how heavy. The vibe is savory and somewhat akin to meat but our major sticking point is the texture. It’s wet, chunky, and chewy to the point of being distracting. Tofu bits make up the bulk of this protein and we shouldn’t be the ones to that have to tell you that tofu is best enjoyed fried!

The Bottom Line:

Way too wet and chewy. We wish Chipotle would offer a true Mexican vegetarian option like calabacitas (sautéed squash, corn, tomatoes, onions and pepper) or nopales (cactus) in its place.

6. Carnitas

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Look, we love Chipotle here, that should be clear. But straight up, Chipotle’s Carnitas are the worst I’ve ever had. Now granted, as an LA native and someone of Mexican heritage I grew up surrounded by amazing taquerias and cooks. I could get on my high horse about this and argue whether or not these are “proper” carnitas, but I won’t. All I will say is that this protein option is lacking many of the aspects that make carnitas delicious.

Chipotle’s carnitas are over-salted, fatty and sinewy where they should be tender and juicy, and dry as a bone. I’ll give them the flavor — I’m tasting a nice blend of cumin, pepper, oregano, a touch of salt, and a bit of sweetness, but the rough and dry chew is so off-putting that no amount of flavor could ever make up for it.

The Bottom Line:

Skip. Chipotle’s Carnitas are an insult to the real thing.

5. Guacamole

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

We don’t consider Guacamole a protein option but Chipotle kind of does, so we’re going to go ahead and rank it. With its only two grams of protein per serving, it sucks as a legitimate protein option, but flavorwise? It’s hard to find something to dislike here, this is solid fast food guacamole, name me a brand that comes even close to how legit this is.

The Chipotle Guacamole features a red onion-dominant flavor, the occasion bit of fresh jalapeño, creamy and ripe avocado, and just a hair too much lime juice. Is it the best guacamole I’ve ever had? No, I’ve made better, but for a fast food restaurant this is pretty damn good and very authentic.

What really sells me on it is that diced jalapeño, which offers a nice subtle kick of heat that lingers on the palate.

The Bottom Line:

A bad substitute for meat, but pretty damn delicious.

4. Steak

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The biggest issue with Chipotle’s Steak is that its incredibly inconsistent. When it’s good, it’s great, offering tender chunks of beefy steak with a delicious caramelized outer and a wonderful blend of black pepper, salt, and cumin. When it’s bad — which is more often than not — it’s grainy, chewy, and tough.

So it’s a gamble here. You’re going to have to use your eyes. If it looks fresh, order it, if not, it’s smart to have a second option at the ready.

The Bottom Line:

All it would take is a bit of quality control to make this protein go from mid to top-tier.

3. Chicken

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Chipotle’s Chicken is overall the most consistent protein option on the menu. We’ve never had this one and been disappointed, though it’s not our favorite. The chicken has a delicious flame-grilled flavor with some ancho chili smokiness with a savory finish courtesy of adobo sauce. Because Chipotle uses chicken thighs rather than breasts, the chew is always tender and juicy, yet lean and not fatty.

This is some high-quality bird; you get all the flavor of dark meat without any of the off-putting chewiness.

The Bottom Line:

Flavorful, flame-grilled chicken and Chipotle’s most consistently tasty protein option. You can never go wrong with the chicken.

2. Barbacoa

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Chipotle’s Barbacoa used to be our favorite protein option, and the reason it’s now at number two is not that the quality has dropped in any way, there is just a new meat in the rotation and we like it a bit better.

What we love about the barbacoa is that it’s melt-in-your-mouth tender and exploding with flavor. Made from shoulder-cut meat, the Barbacoa has this silky, sumptuous quality that makes it more savory and incredibly satisfying.

Aside from the beefy notes, you’ll taste hints of oregano, clove, bay leaf, black pepper, and adobo. Flavor aside, what makes this one such a winner is that it complements every dish on the menu. Bowls are more satisfying with it, burritos more epic, tacos more savory — it’s a near-perfect protein option and the best pick for beef lovers.

The Bottom Line:

Once our number one pick leaves the menu, barbacoa will reign supreme once again, but until then it’ll have to languish at number two.

1. Chipotle Honey Chicken

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The Chipotle Honey Chicken (yes, ‘chipotle’ is part of its name) is the brand’s newest and best protein option. First debuted at the beginning of this month, our initial impressions of the dish was that it was at least in the running for the brand’s best protein option ever, and now a few weeks and a few taste tests later, we’re willing to confirm that this is hands down the absolute best.

The Chipotle Honey Chicken features a deep and complex earthy and herbaceous flavor, with some mild zesty heat, floral pepper notes, a lot of oregano, and a dry smokiness with a deep sweet finish. Like Chipotle’s other chicken option, the meat here is tender enough to melt in your mouth.

If you haven’t tried this one yet, get yourself to Chipotle ASAP.

The Bottom Line:

Chipotle’s best protein option is only available for a limited time. It’s so good that when they discontinue it, riots will likely ensue. Chipotle, if you’re reading, take that very much as a threat.