Colorado’s Own Chipotle Restaurants Add Yummy New Protein to Menu
Ordinarily I'd say a new menu item isn't enough to be 'breaking news' but the fact that you're combining one of my favorite go-to fast casual restaurants with one of my all time favorite spice combinations means it's pretty much breaking news to me. The fact that they're rolling it out across all 3200+ locations at the same time is a big deal too.
I'm no stranger to the menu at Chipotle Mexican Grill and I'm sure you're not either. Somewhere over the years I transitioned from giant burritos and delicious tacos to the simple burrito bowl. I tend to rotate between barbacoa - one of my all time faves - and chicken. I get some chips and salsa on the side and kind of "dip" my way through the bowl with some chips.
It's a guilty pleasure pretty much any time my wife and kids are out of town or I'm on the road somewhere without them.
For years and years, you've been able to start your taco, burrito or bowl with one of several reliably good proteins: steak, barbacoa, chicken or carnitas. They also added a "sofrita" option - a plant based "meat" in recent years as well. But now, well, they're taking things to another level in my opinion.
Chipotle announced in a press release that they're adding a second chicken option to the menu. But not just any chicken option - they're adding "Chicken al Pastor" to the menu, at least for a limited time.
If you've never had Tacos al Pastor before, you're missing out. To me, it's all about that pineapple. As Chipotle says in the press release, "al pastor is one of the fastest growing Mexican dishes. Prepared in small batches throughout the day, Chicken al Pastor is seasoned with a powerful marinade of Chipotle's signature adobo, morita peppers and ground achiote with a splash of pineapple. It's finished with fresh lime, and hand-chopped cilantro to create a well-balanced flavor with just the right amount of heat."
And with that, I'm starving and on the hunt for some of my own.