How to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck at Chipotle

Bonus: there's a way to get free guac on this list!

Chipotle is one of the most popular fast casual chain restaurants, with over 3,000 locations in North America. Plus, the mobile app is highly useful, and can help you plan how to spend your Chipotle money wisely. As life gets more expensive, and we all have to make our money stretch even further, Chipotle is a great place to try out some ways to save money on dining out. Check out these ideas to keep more of your hard-earned money while still eating well.

Go meatless

Skipping the meat on your next Chipotle run can be better for your wallet. I checked the price through my local store via the Chipotle app, and a veggie burrito is under $10, and even comes with free guacamole. Guacamole added to another burrito would run me almost $3 extra. Sofritas (plant-based protein) is a less-expensive "meat" choice, but it doesn't come with free guac. So choose based on your love for free avocado as well as your wallet.

Opt for chicken

If you've gotta have meat in your burrito, I totally get it. And in this case, opt for the chicken. It's tasty, and it's the least-expensive meat option on the Chipotle menu.

Mix up your meats

A little trick you could try to save a few bucks while also getting more and varied meat is to ask for half and half. If you get half chicken and half steak, it's unlikely that the friendly Chipotle employee will precisely measure out exactly half of each, and you'll often end up with a little more meat than if you had chosen just one.

Hack your bowl

The Chipotle burrito bowl is a very versatile menu option. Save half of it to serve over tortilla chips (instant nachos) or salad greens (instant taco salad) for a second meal.

Tack on a few freebies

Another bonus of the burrito bowl is how easy it is to add on some free stuff. Yes, you can technically add extra rice or beans (which are free) to your burrito, but then you might experience the tragedy of a burrito explosion if it becomes too big to properly wrap with a tortilla. You can expand your meal a bit more with the bowl.

Add a tortilla

The once-lauded free extra tortilla trick went away a few years ago, but since it only costs a small fee now ($0.40 per extra tortilla at my local store, per the Chipotle app), it still might be worth it to you to add a tortilla to your bowl order. After all, it's definitely a money saver to be able to wrap your own burrito for a future second meal.

Save half of your burrito

This is my usual go-to for Chipotle and other burrito joints. I'll spend an extra $4-$5 for an extra portion of meat (depending on the meat), and often add free extra beans or rice, although it can be a problem for burrito structural integrity. Then I'll cut it in half and immediately put half in the fridge for another meal. Getting two meals for just a few dollars more than the cost of one? Yes please.

Go right before closing time

This one can be a gamble because you're not going to get the freshest ingredients in your meal. But it could mean that you end up with extra meat or other tasty bits, because otherwise the staff would just have to throw them out. Also, be friendly and quick with your order if you visit near closing time. Staff are definitely ready to clean up and go home by then.

Don't be a pain to staff to save money

Now a caveat: There are a lot of "restaurant hacks" floating around on the internet. Many of them don't work, and even if they technically do work (by saving you some money), I would wager that most of them will make you extremely unpopular with the staff at your local Chipotle.

Earlier this year, a trick went around TikTok that advised Chipotle patrons to try ordering a burrito with just beans and cheese, which would only cost $2. An enterprising journalist at food blog The Takeout tried this trick, and was charged full price for a veggie burrito, even though he ended up with a rather bland and boring final product. There may be a way to make this hack work, but it would likely involve bothering hard-working employees to ring your meal up a certain way, or to package your ingredients as "side dishes," which takes extra time and wastes takeout containers.

In short, it's a great idea to save money, but some "hacks" aren't worth it, and are in reality just a great way to make Chipotle employees dislike you. Use at your own risk.

I love takeout and eating in restaurants, and I'm always glad when I can find ways to save money in the course of enjoying my life. Give these tips a shot, and watch your Chipotle dollars go further.