If your preferred protein at Chipotle is chicken, rejoice — because the brand just added a new chicken option to its menu that it’s calling “Chipotle Honey Chicken.” Yes, it includes the brand’s namesake in its name, so you know Chipotle strongly believes in this one (a wildly successful test run in Nashville and Sacramento last year probably helped boost that confidence). The new meat is available beginning today at all Chipotle restaurants nationwide. We’ve tasted it, and we’ve got thoughts, but before we get into that, let’s take some time to shout out the Smoked Brisket, which is now sadly unavailable.
The Smoked Brisket, which we named the second-best protein option at Chipotle, had to die so the Chipotle Honey Chicken could live. But we’re not mad about that — It only means we’re going to have to revamp our Best Chipotle Protein Ranking and slot this one in where it belongs.
For now, let’s deep dive into the Chipotle Honey Chicken and determine whether it’s worth inspiring a trip to Chipotle this weekend.
Chipotle Honey Chicken
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I sampled the Chipotle Honey Chicken in two different dishes, the burrito and quesadilla. I kept the burrito ingredients to a minimum to better taste the chicken, though after tasting how flavor packed this meat is, I didn’t need to do that. I have no doubt that no matter how complicated your build, the flavor here is going to cut through. My build consisted of pinto beans, white rice, red salsa, cheese, and lettuce — I think we can all agree on that being a pretty bland build, but the Chipotle Honey Chicken really brought in a lot of savory flavor to the mix, which I appreciate.
The Chipotle Honey Chicken has an earthy and herbaceous flavor, I’m tasting some mild zesty heat, floral peppery notes, oregano, and a dry smokiness with a sweet finish. The chicken itself is tender and melts in your mouth. Easily, I think this is Chipotle’s best chicken option ever. It absolutely dunks on the OG, and for those that remember the discontinued Pollo Asado, this tastes similar, but has a stronger emphasis on the smokey and herbaceous notes.
I was surprised by how different the dish tasted in a quesadilla. The quesadilla was pretty bare-bones, just tortilla, a whole lot of melted cheese, and the chicken, which really allowed the flavor of the meat to cut through and further emphasized both the smokey and sweet qualities. I love how savory this chicken is; it’s mouthwatering.
Considering how great it worked in a burrito and quesadilla, I imagine this protein option is going to taste great in a bowl, and as a taco, though the latter would be my last choice as this savory meat deserves a more indulgent build, and that’s tough to do on a small tortilla.
The Bottom Line:
Smokey and herbaceous with a touch of sweetness, Chipotle’s Chipotle Honey Chicken is in the running for the brand’s best protein option ever.