10 Chipotle Secret Menu Items to Try (and 2 to Avoid)

My favorite thing about Chipotle is how personalized everything is. It’s a breeze to tweak any menu item to make it gluten free, vegan or keto, and you can be as healthy or indulgent as you’d like. This makes the fast-casual chain a prime candidate for a secret menu, a selection of unofficial-but-popular customizations that fans swear by. Here, you’ll find ten Chipotle secret menu items that I’m eager to taste, along with two that I’d rather skip. Read on for my recs, plus tips for ordering.

• What It Is: a burrito wrapped in a quesadilla

Two heavyweights in one delicious bite. If you’re super hungry, this is just the ticket. Ask the server to first make a quesadilla with two flour tortillas and cheese, then proceed to fill it with all your favorite fillings, using the initial quesadilla as a wrapper. Nothing wrong with this one, IMO.

• What It Is: tortilla chips with toppings of your choice

Crunchy, indulgent and ever-customizable—no complaints here. The easiest way to order this classic is to ask for a burrito bowl with chips on the bottom instead of rice. My one bone to pick is that the cheese likely won’t be melted all the way like it typically is on nachos, but you can always sub queso instead of shredded cheese to solve that problem.

• What It Is: a custom burrito made with three cheaper fillings

Fun fact: Chipotle has a point system for all their ingredients. Proteins and guacamole are all two points, while fillers like rice and beans are only one. If you order a burrito with three one-point items (or one two-point and one one-point), you can get your handheld for a lower price. Ta-da.

• What It Is: a loaded burrito bowl that’s split into two flour tortillas to make two smaller burritos

This one is meant to be a money-saving hack, although you’ll have to pay extra to really make the most of it. Let me explain: You order a burrito bowl with double of everything and two tortillas on the side. You won’t be charged for most of the extra toppings, except for proteins, guac and queso. Then, you split the bowl between the two tortillas and wrap.

• What It Is: a quesadilla stuffed with extra toppings that you’d get on a burrito

It’s sort of the inverse of a quesarito, but the burritodilla is more cheese and less add-ons. I’d recommend asking for a quesadilla with your go-to protein and three included sides. Request that they don’t cut the quesadilla, then open the tortilla and stuff it to your heart’s content.

• What It Is: queso with roasted chili-corn salsa mixed in

Think of this DIY condiment, made popular by TikTok, as an extra cheesy play on esquites (aka off-the-cob Mexican street corn). While it’s spicy, creamy and indulgent, I’d suggest adding cilantro and fresh lime to the mix to make it more elote-like. You could even mix in a bit of sour cream to emulate the tang of traditional mayo.

• What It Is: half-and-half splits of proteins, rice and/or beans

This Chipotle secret menu option allows you to mix up your usual order and try new things without breaking the bank. Can’t choose between steak and carnitas? Go for a 50/50 split of any protein. It’s cheaper than paying for double meat just to get both. You can also ask for half white and half brown rice, or half black beans and half pinto beans.

• What It Is: a custom salad with tortilla chips

It may not come in a fried tortilla chip bowl, but it gets the job done. Whether you use the chips to scoop up the salad or crumble and mix them in, a little extra crunch is sure to improve this Chipotle item. To me, it’s an easy way to make a healthy-ish main a little more fun and indulgent.

• What It Is: a burrito wrapped in two tortillas instead of one

If you routinely over-stuff your burrito, it can’t hurt to call in a tasty reinforcement. It makes for a bulkier, breadier bite, but also a sturdier burrito that won’t rip or leak a few bites in. Sounds like a win to me.

• What It Is: sour cream and tomatillo-red chili salsa combined

Tangy, creamy and hot, this condiment is a no-brainer. Use it as a dip for quesadillas, drizzle it over your salad or bowl or pour it onto your burrito between bites. It’s also a spicier alternative to queso and guac, in case you always order a side of chips. You could also sub in another salsa, like the verde option, for less heat.

• What It Is: tacos of your choice, wrapped in cheese-filled soft shells

My main issue is that unless you ask the server to press the tortillas, the cheese isn’t going to fully melt and perhaps won’t stick to the taco. Personally, I’d prefer a layer of refried beans (or smashed pintos, I guess) à la Taco Bell. Also, Chipotle’s taco shells are bigger than the typical street-style tortilla, so you may find this secret menu item to be excessively filling. That said, you could ask for kids’ quesadillas on the side to ensure the cheese is melted and wrap them around the tacos yourself, or sub queso for shredded cheese to avoid the melting issue altogether. Either way, this secret menu item feels like more effort—and mess—than it’s worth.