How Many Calories Are in a Chicken Burrito from Chipotle?

Chipotle’s chicken burritos are a popular menu item, but many people wonder just how many calories are packed into one of these tasty wraps. As a health-conscious food blogger, I decided to dig into the nutrition facts and uncover the calorie count of Chipotle’s chicken burritos.

A Closer Look at Chipotle’s Chicken Burritos

On their menu, Chipotle has a few different kinds of chicken burritos. There is rice, beans, chicken, salsa, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, and a flour tortilla in a basic chicken burrito. There is also a burrito bowl that has all the same ingredients but is wrapped in a bowl instead of a tortilla.

Chipotle is also well-known for allowing complete customization of burritos. You can make your own perfect burrito by adding or taking away ingredients as you please. Adding guacamole, corn salsa, romaine lettuce, fajita veggies, and extra meat are all popular extras. It’s even possible to pick between black or pinto beans and white or brown rice at Chipotle.

All these options make the nutrition facts vary quite a bit between one chicken burrito and another. To get a standard calorie baseline I focused on the classic chicken burrito with white rice black beans, chicken, tomato salsa, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, and a flour tortilla.

Analyzing the Chicken Burrito Nutrition Facts

Luckily, Chipotle provides detailed nutrition calculators on their website so customers can see the calorie and nutrient breakdown of menu items.

According to Chipotle’s nutrition calculator, here are the nutrition facts for a standard chicken burrito with white rice, black beans, chicken, tomato salsa, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, and a flour tortilla:

• Calories: 480
• Total Fat: 16g
• Saturated Fat: 5g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 115mg
• Sodium: 1040mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 45g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Sugars: 1g
• Protein: 39g

As you can see, a regular chicken burrito from Chipotle contains 480 calories.

A lot of the calories in the burrito come from the carbs (45g) and protein (39g). There are 16g of fat, with 5g of that being saturated fat.

The burrito also contains a whopping 1040mg of sodium, which is nearly half of the recommended daily sodium intake.

Comparing Chipotle’s Calorie Count to Other Restaurants

How does Chipotle’s 480-calorie chicken burrito stack up against competitors? Here’s a comparison of a basic chicken burrito from a few popular Mexican fast-food chains:

• Chipotle Chicken Burrito (white rice, black beans, chicken, salsa, cheese, sour cream) – 480 calories
• Qdoba Chicken Burrito (chicken, rice, black beans, pico de gallo, cheese, lettuce) – 670 calories
• Moe’s Chicken Burrito (flour tortilla, chicken, rice, black beans, pico de gallo, cheese) – 595 calories
• Taco Bell Chicken Burrito Supreme (flour tortilla, rice, chicken, beans, red sauce, sour cream, cheese) – 500 calories

Among the major chains, Chipotle reigns supreme with the lowest calorie chicken burrito option. Qdoba is significantly higher at 670 calories for their chicken burrito, while Moe’s comes in the middle at 595 calories. Taco Bell offers a comparable 500-calorie chicken burrito supreme.

Tips for Ordering a “Healthier” Chicken Burrito at Chipotle

While Chipotle’s chicken burritos are certainly lower in calories than some competitors, 480 calories is still a hefty amount for one burrito. Here are some tips for ordering a “healthier” chicken burrito at Chipotle:

• Go bowl over burrito – Removing the 300 calorie flour tortilla saves you over 60 calories

• Pick brown rice – The brown rice option cuts about 40 calories compared to white rice

• Skip the beans – Removing the beans saves you around 110 calories

• Limit sour cream – Ask for just a little sour cream or skip it altogether to save 50 calories

• Load up on veggies – Add extra tomato salsa, lettuce, fajita veggies, and corn salsa for more nutrients without a lot of calories

• Choose chicken, steak or carnitas – These leaner proteins are lower in saturated fat than barbacoa or chorizo

• Don’t eat chips, queso, or guacamole. These foods are tasty, but they are high in fat and calories.

By customizing your burrito and skipping high-calorie add-ons, you can enjoy Chipotle’s delicious burritos while still watching your calorie intake! A customized “healthy” chicken burrito bowl with brown rice, chicken, salsa, lettuce, and fajita veggies rings in around 300 calories.

The Bottom Line

So how many calories are in a chicken burrito from Chipotle? A basic chicken burrito made with white rice, black beans, chicken, mild salsa, cheese, sour cream, and lettuce contains approximately 480 calories. This is on the lower end of the calorie count compared to chicken burritos from other popular chains like Qdoba and Moe’s. With some simple customizations like skipping the tortilla, beans, and sour cream, you can order a lighter chicken burrito bowl from Chipotle for around 300 calories. Knowing the nutrition facts allows you to enjoy Chipotle’s burritos guilt-free while still sticking to your health goals.