Chipotle Seed Oil Report Card
Based on our menu research, Chipotle cooks with: high-oleic sunflower and canola oil. Across the 125 menu items we analyzed, it averages 2.9g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of A (Low Risk).
What oil does Chipotle fry in? The full answer
Compare Chipotle with: Del Taco · Moe's Southwest Grill · Taco Bell
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Safest Orders at Chipotle
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| High Protein Cup - Steak | 0.4g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Fajita Veggies | 0.4g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Chicken | 0.6g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Steak | 0.6g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Barbacoa | 0.6g |
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Build my orderWhat to Avoid at Chipotle
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Chips and Guacamole (Large) | 10.3g |
| Chili Lime Chips and Guacamole (Large) | 10.1g |
| Burrito with Sofritas | 9.0g |
| High Protein Bowl | 9.0g |
| Burrito with Honey Chicken | 8.0g |
Around the world: Chipotle
We have Chipotle in 2 countries. Here is what it cooks with in each one, and how the same menu items compare.
| Country | Cooks with | Chili Lime Chips (Large) |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. (this page) | sunflower and canola oil | 3.6g |
| Canada | sunflower and canola oil | 3.6g |
Items are matched by name, so portions and recipes can differ between countries. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item. Oil notes are as each country's chain discloses them.
Every Chipotle item, ranked
All 125 items we have for Chipotle, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Fountain Drink | 0.0g |
| Agua Fresca | 0.0g |
| Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa | 0.0g |
| Fresh Tomato Salsa | 0.0g |
| Mexican Coca-Cola | 0.0g |
| Tractor Organic Watermelon Limeade (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Mexican Sprite | 0.0g |
| Coke Zero | 0.0g |
| Poppi Orange | 0.0g |
| Tractor Organic Lemonade (Bottle) | 0.0g |
| Poppi Strawberry Lemon | 0.0g |
| Tractor Organic Mandarin Agua Fresca (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Tractor Organic Mandarin Agua Fresca (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Tractor Organic Berry Agua Fresca (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Open Water Still | 0.0g |
| Tomatillo-Red Chili Salsa (Large) | 0.0g |
| Tractor Organic Watermelon Limeade (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Tractor Organic Lemonade (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Tractor Organic Berry Agua Fresca (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Fresh Tomato Salsa (Large) | 0.0g |
| Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa (Large) | 0.0g |
| San Pellegrino Sparkling Water | 0.0g |
| Jarritos Mango | 0.0g |
| Tractor Organic Lemonade (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Jarritos Guava | 0.0g |
| Apple Juice | 0.0g |
| Organic Milk | 0.1g |
| Side of Beans | 0.2g |
| Side of Rice | 0.4g |
| High Protein Cup - Steak | 0.4g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Fajita Veggies | 0.4g |
| Sour Cream | 0.5g |
| Queso Blanco | 0.5g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Chicken | 0.6g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Steak | 0.6g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Barbacoa | 0.6g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Pollo Asado | 0.6g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Carnitas | 0.7g |
| Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa | 0.9g |
| Bowl with Fajita Veggies | 1.0g |
| Side of Queso Blanco | 1.0g |
| Adobo Ranch | 1.0g |
| Soft Flour Taco with Fajita Veggies | 1.0g |
| Soft Flour Taco with Steak | 1.3g |
| Soft Flour Taco with Carnitas | 1.3g |
| Kids Quesadilla | 1.3g |
| Bowl with Steak | 1.4g |
| Soft Flour Taco with Chicken | 1.4g |
| Soft Flour Taco with Pollo Asado | 1.4g |
| Bowl with Chicken | 1.5g |
| Bowl with Barbacoa | 1.5g |
| Cilantro Lime Sauce | 1.5g |
| Soft Flour Taco with Barbacoa | 1.5g |
| Bowl with Pollo Asado | 1.5g |
| Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa (Large) | 1.5g |
| Bowl with Carnitas | 1.7g |
| High Protein Cup - Adobo Chicken | 1.8g |
| Side of Queso Blanco (Large) | 2.0g |
| Salad with Fajita Veggies | 2.1g |
| High Protein Cup - Pollo Asado | 2.1g |
| Salad with Steak | 2.5g |
| Chips and Tomatillo-Red Salsa | 2.5g |
| Chips and Fresh Tomato Salsa | 2.5g |
| Chips and Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa | 2.5g |
| Salad with Chicken | 2.6g |
| Salad with Barbacoa | 2.6g |
| Kids Tacos with Chicken | 2.6g |
| Salad with Pollo Asado | 2.6g |
| Chili Lime Chips | 2.7g |
| Chips and Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa | 2.7g |
| Chili Lime Chips and Fresh Tomato Salsa | 2.7g |
| Chili Lime Chips and Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa | 2.7g |
| Chili Lime Chips and Tomatillo-Red Chili Salsa | 2.7g |
| Salad with Carnitas | 2.8g |
| Side of Guacamole | 2.8g |
| Guacamole | 2.8g |
| Chili Lime Chips and Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa | 2.9g |
| Tortilla on the Side | 2.9g |
| Side of Cilantro Lime Sauce | 3.0g |
| High Protein High Fiber Bowl | 3.1g |
| Chips and Queso Blanco | 3.3g |
| Soft Flour Taco with Honey Chicken | 3.5g |
| Chili Lime Chips and Queso Blanco | 3.5g |
| Chili Lime Chips (Large) | 3.6g |
| Chips (Large) | 3.8g |
| Kids Bowl with Chicken | 4.0g |
| Soft Flour Taco with Sofritas | 4.0g |
| Cheese Quesadilla | 4.3g |
| Fajita Veggie Quesadilla | 4.3g |
| Double High Protein Bowl | 4.4g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Sofritas | 5.0g |
| Salad with Sofritas | 5.0g |
| Kids Burrito with Chicken | 5.0g |
| High Protein Taco | 5.0g |
| Salad with Honey Chicken | 5.0g |
| Burrito with Fajita Veggies | 5.1g |
| Steak Quesadilla | 5.2g |
| Carnitas Quesadilla | 5.2g |
| Chicken Quesadilla | 5.3g |
| Pollo Asado Quesadilla | 5.3g |
| Double High Protein Burrito | 5.5g |
| Side of Guacamole (Large) | 5.5g |
| Barbacoa Quesadilla | 5.6g |
| Chili Lime Chips and Queso Blanco (Large) | 5.6g |
| Chips and Queso Blanco (Large) | 5.7g |
| Chips and Guacamole | 5.9g |
| Burrito with Steak | 6.0g |
| Burrito with Carnitas | 6.0g |
| Chipotle Honey Chicken Quesadilla | 6.0g |
| Side of Cilantro Lime Sauce (Large) | 6.0g |
| Burrito with Chicken | 6.1g |
| Chili Lime Chips and Guacamole | 6.1g |
| Burrito with Pollo Asado | 6.1g |
| Burrito with Barbacoa | 6.4g |
| Bowl with Honey Chicken | 7.0g |
| Burrito with Honey Chicken | 8.0g |
| Bowl with Sofritas | 8.0g |
| High Protein Low Calorie Salad | 8.0g |
| Chips | 8.0g |
| High Protein-Low Calorie Bowl | 8.0g |
| Sofritas Quesadilla | 8.0g |
| Burrito with Sofritas | 9.0g |
| High Protein Bowl | 9.0g |
| Chili Lime Chips and Guacamole (Large) | 10.1g |
| Chips and Guacamole (Large) | 10.3g |
Fry Oil History at Chipotle
Cooking in sunflower oil since April 2015.
Chipotle announced on April 27, 2015 that it had removed GMO ingredients from its food, and part of that was dropping soybean oil. Chips and taco shells moved to sunflower oil and the rest of the cooking moved to rice bran oil, both picked because there are no GMO versions of those crops. Source
Every documented oil switch across the industry lives on the Oil History timeline.
Frequently asked
Does Chipotle use seed oils?
Based on our menu research, Chipotle cooks with: high-oleic sunflower and canola oil. Across the 125 menu items we analyzed, it averages 2.9g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of A (Low Risk).
What oil does Chipotle cook with?
Our research indicates: High oleic sunflower oil and canola oil, the only two oils on Chipotle's official "53 Real Ingredients" list (chipotle.com/ingredients, read 2026-10-16). The per-recipe breakdown names high oleic sunflower oil in the chips, white and brown rice, chicken, steak, carnitas, barbacoa, sofritas, both beans, fajita veggies and the Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette; canola oil appears only in the flour tortilla. Rice bran oil, used in earlier years, is no longer listed. High-oleic sunflower is a low-PUFA oil. Preparation can vary by location, so treat PUFA numbers as estimates.
Does Chipotle use beef tallow?
No. Our research indicates Chipotle cooks with high-oleic sunflower and canola oil, not beef tallow. For chains that fry in tallow or other real fats, see Tallow Watch.
Is Chipotle seed oil free?
No. Our research indicates Chipotle cooks with high-oleic sunflower and canola oil, which includes seed oils. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at Chipotle?
High Protein Cup - Steak is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at Chipotle, at an estimated 0.4g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at Chipotle?
Chips and Guacamole (Large) is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at Chipotle, at an estimated 10.3g PUFA. Fried items and creamy, mayo-based sauces are usually the heaviest.
What are seed oils?
Seed oils — canola, soybean, sunflower, corn, and similar vegetable oils — are extracted from seeds using high heat and chemical solvents. They are very high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which are unstable at cooking temperatures and can oxidize easily. Many health-conscious eaters choose to minimize seed oils and prefer foods cooked in beef tallow, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil instead. This page shows estimated PUFA grams per menu item to help you make more informed choices. These are estimates — actual values vary by preparation and location. New to the topic? Start with what seed oils are and the complete list, or read the evidence on why people avoid them.
Compare other chains
Taco Bell · Qdoba · Moe's Southwest Grill · Del Taco · Taco John's · Taco Cabana
See where Chipotle lands on the full Seed Oil Index, or check which chains cook in real fats on Tallow Watch. Wondering about a specific dish instead? The Is It Seed Oil food guide answers it for 200+ everyday foods, and the distributor oils page covers what independent restaurants fry in.