Fast-casual food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill is kicking off the new year with a new item on its menu - a plant-based chorizo dish. The company's new meatless chorizo is its first new vegan option since it launched its tofu-based sofritas in 2014.
The new plant-based meat alternative will be available at all of the company's outlets across the U.S. starting this week. The company said the new menu item would only be available for a limited time.
Chipotle's meatless chorizo is made with pea protein, tomato paste, garlic, chipotle pepper, olive oil, and smoked paprika. The company said the new option had been certified as a fully vegan dish.
The company said it had been testing the new dish at some of its outlets in Denver and Indianapolis since August. Since former Taco Bell head, Brian Niccol, took over as the CEO of Chipotle, the company has been gradually adding new menu items under his "stage-gate testing" strategy.
Under the plan, Chipotle has been releasing new menu items, often through limited-time offers to increase customer demand at its restaurants. By offering new items for a limited time, the company can keep its menu from becoming too bloated while also being able to determine which products customers are actually buying.
Chipotle sold 7.5 million pounds of sofritas, the company's first formidable vegan protein, in 2018 alone. Customers with special dietary needs have been targeted by the chain's current menu items, which it has been using since then.
With Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice, one of five items that made it through Chipotle's stage-gate process from 2019 to 2021, Chipotle leaned further into the keto and vegan trends last year. The low-carb rice is made from grilled and riced cauliflower and is completed with hand-chopped cilantro, lime, and salt.
So far, the burrito company has had mixed results with chorizo. It began selling the food item in 2016 but discontinued it in favor of queso, claiming that chorizo accounted for only 3% of protein sales at the time. In late 2018, it revived the meat as a limited-time deal.
During its latest testing, however, Chipotle said the plant-based chorizo received positive feedback from customers. It's being marketed as a complement to the Whole30 meal choice, as well as vegan and vegetarian bowls, which are aimed at those who follow particular diets. The lifestyle bowls are only available to order through the company app and website.
Chipotle currently offers a variety of vegan toppings and fillings, including vegetables, beans, salsas, rice, and guacamole. With the new addition, customers can now purchase entrees with the Plant-Based Chorizo starting at $8.50. For the first three days of the launch, Chipotle will give free delivery on all Plant-Based Chorizo orders placed on the Chipotle app and Chipotle.com.
