Food & Beverage

Chicken al Pastor returns to Chipotle menu

Photo: Chipotle

March 12, 2024

Chipotle Mexican Grill is bringing back Chicken al Pastor to restaurants around the world for a limited time. Prepared fresh daily in small batches, Chicken al Pastor is made with fresh chicken, a marinade of seared morita peppers and ground achiote, balanced with a splash of pineapple, finished with lime and hand-chopped cilantro.

The offering, which debuted in March 2023 as Chipotle's first global menu innovation, captured the taste buds of guests who have flooded Chipotle's social media comments petitioning for the return of the protein since it left menus last August. There have been three times more requests to "bring back Chicken al Pastor" on social media than any other limited-time offering in the brand's history, said Chris Brandt, Chipotle's chief brand officer.

"About one in five transactions included Chicken al Pastor when it was featured on our menu last year," he said in a company press release. "Given the performance and the fans wanting its return so enthusiastically, we are thrilled to make this the fastest item to ever come back to Chipotle."

Chipotle also revealed that the most ordered Chicken al Pastor burrito bowl among fans in 2023 featured white rice, black beans, tomato salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa, cheese and guacamole.

"The rich flavor of our Chicken al Pastor shines in the fan-favorite bowl," Vice President of Culinary Nevielle Panthaky said in the release. "Each ingredient layers for the perfectly balanced bite with the right level of sweetness, acidity, and heat. It is simple, flavorful, unbelievably delicious, and has everything you crave."