What this guide covers: Seed oil usage in Chipotle's menu items, based on their published allergen and ingredient documentation. This guide does not evaluate overall nutrition, calorie content, sodium, or other health factors. For a complete nutritional picture, see Chipotle's nutrition calculator.
Chipotle publishes their ingredient and allergen information publicly. Their menu uses rice bran oil as the primary cooking fat. Rice bran oil is extracted from the outer husk of rice grains using industrial processing. It is classified as a seed oil and is high in omega-6 linoleic acid.
What oil Chipotle uses
Chipotle switched from soybean oil to rice bran oil, which they reference in their allergen documentation. Rice bran oil is extracted using chemical solvents and high-heat processing from rice grain husks. Per USDA FoodData Central, rice bran oil is approximately 39% linoleic acid (omega-6).
According to Chipotle's published allergen guide, rice bran oil is used to cook the rice, beans, chicken, and steak. The sautéed fajita vegetables also use it. The sofritas are made with it.
The carnitas and barbacoa are braised in their own fat rather than cooked in rice bran oil. The guacamole is made from avocado, lime, cilantro, and onion, with no added oil listed.
No seed oil contact: per Chipotle's published ingredient list
✓ = not cooked in or containing seed oil per the published list. This does not indicate these items are nutritionally ideal in other respects.
- ✓Carnitas Braised in its own fat. No rice bran oil in the cooking process per Chipotle's allergen documentation.
- ✓Barbacoa Slow-braised beef. No rice bran oil listed in the cooking process.
- ✓Guacamole Made from avocado, lime, cilantro, jalapeño, and onion. No added oil listed.
- ✓Romaine lettuce No oil. Plain leafy green.
- ✓Cheese Shredded cheese. No seed oil ingredients listed.
- ✓Sour cream Cream and cultures. No seed oil ingredients listed.
- ✓Fresh tomato salsa Tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime. No oil listed.
Contains seed oil: per Chipotle's published ingredient list
✗ = cooked in or containing rice bran oil per the published list.
- ✗Rice (white or brown) Cooked in rice bran oil per allergen documentation.
- ✗Beans (black or pinto) Cooked with rice bran oil.
- ✗Chicken Grilled with rice bran oil.
- ✗Steak Grilled with rice bran oil.
- ✗Fajita vegetables Sautéed in rice bran oil.
- ✗Sofritas Rice bran oil used in preparation.
- ✗Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette Soybean oil listed as an ingredient.
How Chipotle's ingredient documentation works
Chipotle makes their allergen and ingredient information available at chipotle.com/allergens and through their nutrition calculator. Formulations can change. The oil data on this page reflects their published documentation at the time of research. Verify directly before making decisions based on this guide.
Our Pick
Fatworks Pasture-Raised Beef Tallow
Beef tallow is a traditional animal fat with a high smoke point, historically used in commercial cooking before the widespread adoption of seed oils. For at-home cooking reference.
About rice bran oil
Rice bran oil is sometimes marketed as a healthier alternative to other vegetable oils. From a seed oil standpoint, it's still an industrially processed oil high in omega-6 linoleic acid. Whether that matters for your dietary goals is a decision this guide doesn't make for you.
What this guide can tell you: rice bran oil is present in most Chipotle menu items. The proteins that are braised (carnitas, barbacoa) and the fresh ingredients (guacamole, salsas, cheese, sour cream) do not list seed oil in their published ingredient documentation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Chipotle use seed oils?
Yes. Chipotle uses rice bran oil as their primary cooking fat across most menu items, per their published ingredient and allergen documentation. Rice bran oil is extracted industrially from rice grain husks and is classified as a seed oil.
What oil does Chipotle fry in?
Chipotle does not use a traditional fryer. Their cooking method is stovetop and grill-based. The oil used across their grills and cooking process is rice bran oil, which appears throughout their allergen documentation.
Which Chipotle items don't list seed oil in the ingredients?
Per Chipotle's published ingredient list, the following items do not list seed oil contact: carnitas, barbacoa, fresh tomato salsa, corn salsa, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole. This reflects the published documentation only and does not account for shared-surface cross-contact.
Is rice bran oil a seed oil?
Yes. Rice bran oil is extracted from the outer layer of rice grains using industrial processing methods including solvent extraction and high-heat refining. It is high in omega-6 linoleic acid, per USDA FoodData Central data.
Where can I find Chipotle's full ingredient list?
Chipotle publishes their ingredient and allergen documentation at chipotle.com/allergens. Their nutrition calculator is at chipotle.com/nutrition. Both are the primary sources used in this guide.
Sources
- Chipotle -- Allergen and Ingredient Information -- Primary source for oil usage per menu item
- Chipotle -- Nutrition Calculator -- Full per-item nutrition data
- USDA FoodData Central -- Rice Bran Oil nutrient profile -- Source for linoleic acid (omega-6) percentage in rice bran oil
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