Chipotle Seed Oil Report Card
Based on our menu research, Chipotle cooks with: High oleic sunflower oil and canola oil - the only two oils on the official "53 Real Ingredients" list (chips, crispy tortillas, rice, proteins, veggies). High-oleic sunflower is a low-PUFA oil.. Across the 75 menu items we analyzed, it averages 3.3g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of A (Low Risk).
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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 |
|---|---|
| Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa | 0.0g |
| High Protein Cup - Steak | 0.4g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Fajita Veggies | 0.4g |
| Sour Cream | 0.5g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Steak | 0.6g |
What to Avoid at Chipotle
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| High Protein Bowl | 9.0g |
| Burrito with Sofritas | 9.0g |
| Burrito with Honey Chicken | 8.0g |
| Bowl with Sofritas | 8.0g |
| Chips | 8.0g |
Every Chipotle item, ranked
All 75 items we have for Chipotle, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Agua Fresca | 0.0g |
| Fountain Drink | 0.0g |
| Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa | 0.0g |
| Fresh Tomato Salsa | 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 |
| Queso Blanco | 0.5g |
| Sour Cream | 0.5g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Steak | 0.6g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Chicken | 0.6g |
| Crispy Corn Taco with Barbacoa | 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 |
| Kids Quesadilla | 1.3g |
| Soft Flour Taco with Steak | 1.3g |
| Soft Flour Taco with Carnitas | 1.3g |
| Bowl with Steak | 1.4g |
| Soft Flour Taco with Chicken | 1.4g |
| Bowl with Chicken | 1.5g |
| Bowl with Barbacoa | 1.5g |
| Soft Flour Taco with Barbacoa | 1.5g |
| Cilantro Lime Sauce | 1.5g |
| Bowl with Carnitas | 1.7g |
| High Protein Cup - Adobo Chicken | 1.8g |
| Salad with Fajita Veggies | 2.1g |
| Chips and Tomatillo-Red Salsa | 2.5g |
| Chips and Fresh Tomato Salsa | 2.5g |
| Salad with Steak | 2.5g |
| Salad with Barbacoa | 2.6g |
| Salad with Chicken | 2.6g |
| Kids Tacos with Chicken | 2.6g |
| Side of Guacamole | 2.8g |
| Salad with Carnitas | 2.8g |
| Guacamole | 2.8g |
| High Protein High Fiber Bowl | 3.1g |
| Chips and Queso Blanco | 3.3g |
| Soft Flour Taco with Honey Chicken | 3.5g |
| 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 |
| Kids Burrito with Chicken | 5.0g |
| Salad with Sofritas | 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 |
| Double High Protein Burrito | 5.5g |
| Barbacoa Quesadilla | 5.6g |
| Chips and Guacamole | 5.9g |
| Burrito with Carnitas | 6.0g |
| Burrito with Steak | 6.0g |
| Chipotle Honey Chicken Quesadilla | 6.0g |
| Burrito with Chicken | 6.1g |
| Burrito with Barbacoa | 6.4g |
| Bowl with Honey Chicken | 7.0g |
| Burrito with Honey Chicken | 8.0g |
| Bowl with Sofritas | 8.0g |
| Chips | 8.0g |
| High Protein Low Calorie Salad | 8.0g |
| High Protein-Low Calorie Bowl | 8.0g |
| Sofritas Quesadilla | 8.0g |
| High Protein Bowl | 9.0g |
| Burrito with Sofritas | 9.0g |
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 oil and canola oil - the only two oils on the official "53 Real Ingredients" list (chips, crispy tortillas, rice, proteins, veggies). High-oleic sunflower is a low-PUFA oil.. Across the 75 menu items we analyzed, it averages 3.3g 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 the official "53 Real Ingredients" list (chips, crispy tortillas, rice, proteins, veggies). 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 oil and canola oil - the only two oils on the official "53 Real Ingredients" list (chips, crispy tortillas, rice, proteins, veggies). High-oleic sunflower is a low-PUFA 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 oil and canola oil - the only two oils on the official "53 Real Ingredients" list (chips, crispy tortillas, rice, proteins, veggies). High-oleic sunflower is a low-PUFA oil., which includes seed oils. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at Chipotle?
Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at Chipotle, at an estimated 0.0g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at Chipotle?
High Protein Bowl is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at Chipotle, at an estimated 9.0g 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.