Chipotle Secret Menu Items You Need To Try

Chipotle's menu is, at first glance, pretty simple and straightforward. The chain has streamlined Mexican fast food in such a way that you can mix and match a small number of ingredients to make a handful of meals, each basically the same, just in different form (because, let's face it, there's not a whole lot of difference between a Chipotle burrito and a Chipotle taco, a Chipotle burrito bowl, and a Chipotle salad).

Still, despite what some may think is a limiting factor (just look at Taco Bell and how it's gone in the opposite direction, with a maximalist menu that seemingly stretches for miles), Chipotle boasts a dedicated fanbase. Even those who decry the extra charge for guac can likely admit that, sometimes, a Chipotle burrito the size of a small baby is exactly what you need. However, what about when you need something beyond the few items offered on Chipotle's standard menu? That's where the Chipotle secret menu, crafted and spread by the chain's long-standing fans, comes in. When you crave something a little extra, here's what you need to order.

It's a burrito! It's a quesadilla! No, it's both — it's a burritodilla. While you may need to walk the employee at the front counter through the necessary steps to make this secret menu item (if they don't recognize it, they may even think you're trying to order the similar, but not quite the same quesarito; however there is a difference, which we'll discuss in a moment), you'll find that the effort is well worth it, so long as you don't mind a little mess.

At its most basic, the burritodilla is a loaded quesadilla. While the quesadilla itself is technically a Chipotle secret menu item, too, the burritodilla takes things a step further. First, you'll need to ask for a quesadilla, but then also ask for the quesadilla to be filled with your favorite Chipotle burrito ingredients, rather than just cheese. It's important, too, to ask for half servings of all of the burrito ingredients. Otherwise, your burritodilla will run the risk of falling to pieces as soon as you pick it up.

Do note that it's best to order this secret menu item when your Chipotle isn't very busy. The burritodilla takes longer to make and may require the employees to make customers' orders, out of order, which can lead to confusion — and due to this, some employees may outright refuse to make this secret menu item if the restaurant is packed.

A quesadilla is technically on the Chipotle menu, but it's only available via digital orders. As such, the easiest way to get this secret menu item is to just place your order via the Chipotle app or website.

Why are you technically not allowed to order a Chipotle quesadilla in person? According to one employee on Reddit, the restaurant's quesadillas require special equipment (specifically, a specially made oven that can only handle two quesadillas at a time, which cooks the quesadillas in just 45 seconds) and if a certain restaurant only has enough equipment to make those two quesadillas at a time, the restaurant limits quesadilla orders to online only, so as to prevent long lines and waits.

That said, some employees do say that, if you ask nicely, you can order a quesadilla in-person and the manager may humor you. Again, though, if you want to ask for this item in-person, be courteous and do so when the restaurant isn't busy. The good news is that maybe the quesadilla won't be a secret menu, in-app-only item forever; in a 2023 Fast Company interview, the brand's CTO called the chain's quesadilla limitations a failure that the brand could ideally resolve.

Remember how we said that a well-meaning Chipotle employee may take your request for a burritodilla and assume you actually want a quesarito? Well, if you're offered one in lieu of a burritodilla, don't take it. Despite these two menu items both being mash-ups of the two words "quesadilla" and "burrito," they are very different in reality. The burritodilla is a burrito turned into a quesadilla. The quesarito, in contrast, is a quesadilla turned into burrito.

If you want a quesarito, you're going to need to ask for a quesadilla first. Then, after the quesadilla is done, you'll ask for it to be used as the tortilla wrapped around all your burrito fillings. When comparing the quesarito to the burritodilla, the former is definitely less messy and easier to eat, whereas the burritodilla, depending on how many burrito ingredients you try to pack into this glorified quesadilla, can easily fall apart. Both, however, combine two amazing menu items into one.

In the vein of wrapping your Chipotle burrito a different way, you can also ask for a double wrapped burrito. This secret menu item is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of using one tortilla for your burrito, the employee will use two tortillas, either stacked one on top of the other or slightly overlapped so that they form a large oval, kind of like a venn diagram. The latter method gives you a greater space in which to spread out more burrito fillings, if you ask for them, but the former method provides more support for a fatter burrito.

Which method the employee uses for your double wrapped burrito will all depend on the individual. While some say that they always stack the tortillas directly atop one another, to show potentially greedy customers that they won't actually get more fillings by ordering this secret menu item, others say they prefer the Venn diagram method because it makes for easier rolling and wrapping. Whether you're going for more burrito fillings or just a sturdier burrito body, let the employee know if you have a preference for how your burrito's doubled tortillas are stacked.

The double decker taco is similar in concept to the double wrapped burrito. However, rather than just placing your taco shell inside of another taco shell, the double decker taco adds some extra goodness. A hard-shell taco is prepared like normal, but then you will ask for that taco to be placed inside a soft taco shell, which has been already filled with an extra layer of lettuce and cheese. It is a bit like a double decker taco from Taco Bell, just slightly messier, due to the loose lettuce and shredded cheese.

The benefits of the double decker taco are myriad. You get extra support from the added tortilla, in case you have a habit of filling your tacos to the brim. You also get a nice mix of textures, with both the soft and hard taco shells. Likewise, the extra lettuce provides even more crisp crunch, and who could say no to extra cheese? Not us.

But maybe you do not want to make your taco bigger and better. Maybe you want to do the exact opposite. A Chipotle taco order comes with three tacos. However, sometimes you are just not in the mood for three tacos. You only need or want one, maybe as a side to go along with the rest of your food, or as a quick snack. If that is the case for you, don't be afraid to walk into your local Chipotle and order a single taco. Yes, you are technically not supposed to, as it is not on the menu, but plenty of people still do it.

In fact, up until 2022, you could actually order a single taco as a menu item. However, Chipotle took the single taco off of its in-app menu as social media posts began circulating a hack using the $3 single taco as a way to get a cheap burrito. Customers were ordering the $3 taco and then ordering free toppings plus an extra soft tortilla, and then rolling their own burrito, saving them about $6.

If you want a Chipotle burrito (or a bowl) for a cheaper price, there's one very easy (and Chipotle-approved) way, to go about it. Simply order a three-pointer burrito or bowl, which will be a few dollars cheaper than a standard burrito or bowl.

To know how to order a three-pointer, though, you have to familiarize yourself with Chipotle's points system. Basically, every burrito or bowl ingredient on the line that's not an added cost, such as queso, comes with a point value. Proteins, and sometimes cheese, depending on your Chipotle, are worth two points. Everything else on the line, like rice, beans, and veggies, is worth one point. If you get a burrito or bowl with ingredients that add up to three points — so chicken and rice, for example, or a mix of rice, beans, and fajita veggies — then you have a three-pointer. You can add on extras, like extra meat or guacamole, to your three-pointer and you'll be charged extra, as normal, but it won't change your meal's point value — so you'll still get the burrito or bowl at the lowered cost.

Why Chipotle doesn't offer nachos is a mystery. While, yes, chips and queso are great, they really do not live up to all the glory of nachos. Yes, you could technically pour just some queso onto a plate of Chipotle's chips, but that's a little lackluster, too. Loaded nachos are where it is at. So how can you get proper nachos at Chipotle?

If you are lucky and catch an employee in a good mood, with no other pressing tasks at hand, you can simply ask the employee to make you a plate of nachos by pouring a bag of chips into a bowl, and then adding on your toppings of choice. If the employee doesn't want to or can't help you out, order a bag of chips, a side of queso, and a bowl with all your desired nacho toppings. Then, ask for an empty bowl and assemble the nachos yourself, pouring the chips into the empty bowl, along with your toppings and cheese. Planning on eating your nachos at home? Opt to assemble them yourself even if the Chipotle employees are more than willing to help. Otherwise, your chips will likely turn soggy before you get a chance to chow down.

Even though Chipotle's basic queso is filled with ingredients like chipotle chiles, and multiple types of peppers, it doesn't really have all that much heat, unfortunately. Yes, it is delicious, but sometimes you want a little more oomph.

So, if you love Chipotle's queso but wish it had a slightly spicier kick, then all you need to do is order the chain's queso blanco, and then a separate side of the tomatillo red chili salsa. Then, combine the two. Voilà — you now have a spicier queso. You can adjust the amount of salsa that you use in the queso to achieve your perfect level of heat. Start with a smaller amount first, then add more as you go. Do note that the salsa, as a somewhat thinner liquid, will thin out your queso accordingly, another reason to add it slowly. Then, you can use your perfectly spicy queso as a dip or add it to your secret menu nachos.

If you have ever had the pleasure of eating elote, you know just how magical this Mexican creation is — and also that you can't find it just anywhere, even if it is relatively simple to make. Elote is corn on the cob, grilled, and then topped with a mix of sour cream (though some use mayonnaise), cheese, and chile powder. You are not going to find this Mexican street food on the menu at your favorite Mexican fast-food chain, and you are not guaranteed to find it at your neighborhood Mexican restaurant either. You can, though, make an elote dupe at Chipotle.

What you will want to do is order a side of Chiptole's corn salsa. Then, slowly add some queso (consider using your secret menu spicy queso for more heat) into the salsa, stirring as you go. Do not add too much — you just want to coat the corn salsa and create a creamy base. While this secret menu item is not quite the same as traditional elote, it does still offer a certain cheesy, creamy, corny goodness that you can either eat straight up with a fork, or smother onto your burrito, chips, or secret menu quesadilla.

Another secret menu sauce that can take many of your basic Chipotle menu items to an entirely new level, dragon sauce is pretty simple. Ask for a side of sour cream and a side of tomatillo red chili salsa, and then mix the two together, adjusting the amount of salsa you use until you have reached your desired level of heat. If you use too much salsa, you may find that your creamy new sauce is a bit too hot to handle. If you're not keen on the tomatillo red chili salsa, you can swap it out with any of Chipotle's other sauces, but it won't be dragon sauce.

One of the best ways to eat your dragon sauce? Try the Quesadragon — a social media-spread secret menu "hack" that combines the dragon sauce with the quesadilla. In fact, dragon sauce has become so popular and hardly a secret that you can sometimes order it by name, and the employees will mix the sauce for your order, saving you the trouble and potential mess.

The 2-for-1 is a nifty little hack that may save you some money, especially if you find that you always have Chipotle leftovers. Chipotle's serving sizes aren't exactly skimpy, which is great, particularly if you want to turn one meal into two, via the 2-for-1.

To order a 2-for-1, just order a burrito bowl as you normally might, but ask for double everything. Then, ask for two tortillas on the side. You will pay a few dollars extra for double protein and the extra tortillas, but then you can take those tortillas and turn your burrito bowl into two burritos for the price of one burrito bowl. This secret menu hack has been praised by some as an excellent way to save some cash and feed, for example, two light eaters or maybe an adult and a child, but others frown upon it, thinking it's a bit scammy. Maybe wait until you get home to turn your burrito bowl into two meals, so you can avoid any nasty looks the employees might throw your way?

A taco salad is another staple that should really be on more Mexican restaurant menus, fast food or no. At Chipotle, a taco salad just seems like a no-brainer, given that the chain sells both tacos and salads. However, the taco salad is a firmly cemented secret menu item at Chipotle (Chipotle even published the taco salad hack on its TikTok account in 2020, in a post dedicated to secret menu items).

You will not typically get a taco salad in a fried tortilla bowl here, though (even if there are some reports of taco salad bowls being available at limited locations). Instead, it is more likely that your Chipotle taco salad is essentially going to be a regular Chipotle salad, but with the addition of some chips. You can order your salad and simply ask for chips to be added to the top, or you can order your chips on the side, crush them yourself, and then add them to your salad before mixing. The latter option makes for better, more even distribution of all that crunchy goodness.