Most Tex-Mex food lovers knew that October 4th as National Taco Day. But for me, it was the glorious day that Chipotle finally unveiled its newest meat: chorizo. Years ago, I heard rumors of this meat finally popping up at Chipotle, and my excitement quickly built. After such a long wait, I could not wait to get my hands on this new menu item. So, I decided to celebrate National Taco Day with my favorite chain’s newest product.
Chipotle offers four menu items: a bowl, burrito, taco and salad. For the sake of getting a wholesome experience, I ordered each one except the salad (since it’s basically a bowl with extra lettuce). Each one had double chorizo but varied in toppings.
Burrito
Ingredients: White Rice, Raw Fajita Veggies, Double Chorizo, Mild Salsa, Corn Salsa and Cheese
The first of my three options that I decided to try was the burrito. I avoided getting anything too saucy because I really wanted the flavor of the chorizo. Although after tasting it, I definitely did not need to do that. The chorizo was incredibly flavorful, much more than any of the other meats Chipotle offers. Packed with spice, salted perfectly, and encapsulating chargrilled flavor, the meat tasted very bold. The flavor is also addictive, so pulling away from the burrito to try the other menu items was quite difficult.
Bowl
Ingredients: Brown Rice, Double Chorizo, Mild Salsa, Corn Salsa, Sour Cream and Cheese
Already knowing how strong and tasty the chorizo tasted, I was excited to see how it was going to taste with some more sauce. So, I added some sour cream into the mix when I got my bowl. Thankfully, the chorizo is so intense that the sour cream does not overcloud it at all. It actually mixes in well, as the sour cream calms the spice down. If you are not a fan of spice, unlike me, you will definitely like it that way. It’s a great mix, and the chorizo fits perfectly into the meal. It is honestly the best bowl I’ve had at Chipotle yet.
Taco
Ingredients: White Rice, Double Chorizo, Extra Cilantro and Cheese
Being National Taco Day, this was the entrée I looked forward to the most. Personally, I believe in a minimalist approach to tacos, so I try to put very little on them. With just the four ingredients listed above, these tacos hit hard with flavor. Surprisingly, they packed much more flavor than the other two menu items I tried.
The extra cilantro increased the intensity of the chorizo. To experiment with the tacos though, I ordered some side sauces, such as guacamole, honey vinaigrette and lemons. Adding the lemons gave the tacos a beautiful flavor, as it gave the meat some extra zest. The honey vinaigrette cooled down the meat, similar to the sour cream in the bowl, but gave a little extra tang to it. And finally, the guac gave the tacos a unique texture that accented the crispy chorizo very well. Every single bite of these tacos was phenomenal, and while the chorizo was incredible in every menu item, the tacos by far blew the rest out of the water.
Thank goodness Chipotle has finally unveiled chorizo because it is leaps and bounds more flavorful, bold and tasty than any other meat the restaurant offers. It’s an excellent choice in any of Chipotle’s menu items and can satisfy your tastebuds whether you stack your entrée up or keep it nice and simple. Bold, crispy and spicy, chorizo never fails to disappoint.