I Tested Chipotle’s Latest Flavor Bomb: The Sweet and Smoky Delight — My Honest Verdict

From time to time, Chipotle experiments with a new protein choice at certain stores before rolling it out nationally for a brief period. In previous years, they have introduced options such as al pastor and smoked brisket. These novel tastes generate excitement and maintain the perception that Chipotle continually offers something new and engaging. However, one might wonder just how thrilling these additions truly are.

Chipotle’s new chipotle honey chicken arrived this month, and depending on how you order it, it can be a revelation or a dud.

It's undeniable that the chipotle honey chicken is prepared excellently. The dish begins with chicken soaked in a mixture of smoked chipotle peppers and adobo spices before being grilled. As the chicken nears completion, it gets topped with honey, causing a delightful caramelization over the searing heat.

It sounds great, doesn’t it? However, will it work well wrapped in a burrito? Could it become too heavy in a bowl? And what about when placed inside a quesadilla? I decided to try all three versions to see for myself.

Review of Chipotle Honey Chicken Quesadilla

An exclusively digital-menu offering from Chipotle, their quesadillas prove consistently dependable when ordered via the app. These quesadillas come packed with cheese along with your pick of either meat, sofritas, or veggies. Additionally, you can add extras such as sour cream, salsa, or pinto beans on the side.

The chipotle honey chicken flavor really stands out within this quesadilla. It offers an experience similar to al Pastor-style preparation but features chicken instead. Each piece of chicken has a glaze that combines sweetness, smoke, and fruitiness. Additionally, there's a delightful char on every chunk of meat, giving it both a saucy and glazed texture filled with intricate flavors.

I discovered that the quesadilla was simply wonderful due to its straightforwardness—a mere combination of marinated chicken, cheese, and a tortilla shell. Its lack of complexity let the tasty chicken shine as the main attraction.

My suggestion: Pair the quesadilla with spicy salsas or just eat it plain. Sour cream only dilutes the flavor. In fact, the more ingredients you add, the less you can taste the spices in the chicken at all.

Review of Chipotle Honey Chicken Bowl

The idea behind Chipotle bowls is straightforward: ditch the tortilla and serve your meal in a bowl with rice, beans, salsa, vegetables, seasonings, and meat. However, the main issue lies in the difficulty of savoring the delicate, smoky-sweet essence of the chipotle honey chicken when it gets overshadowed by an abundance of flavors. The rice tends to overpower the taste of the delicious chicken too. Adding guacamole, sour cream, and beans just adds more distractions instead.

Plates are a better choice as they don’t diminish the quality of the protein. Following two tasting sessions, I strongly prefer the chipotle honey chicken quesadilla. To be honest, I'm even having thoughts about wanting one right now.

Review of Chipotle Honey Chicken Burrito

Any issue present in the dish becomes even more convoluted within the Chipotle honey chicken burrito. The sheer volume of ingredients—rice, salsa, beans, cheese, and vegetables—that fill Chipotle's burritos means that, apart from the smoky flavor, the meat often goes unnoticed. While cramming a burrito full of components until it bulges like an arrow might not be terrible, this approach does make delicate tastes such as al Pastor and chipotle honey chicken less discernible.

Sadly, the chipotle honey chicken burrito at Chipotle lacks uniqueness compared to their usual offerings. A distinct taste present in a straightforward quesadilla fades when combined with typical burrito ingredients such as rice and beans. Ordering this isn't problematic per se, yet it fails to bring something extraordinary to the table.

Chipotle Honey Chicken Ultimate Review

The Chipotle honey chicken offers a great taste, yet to truly savor it as intended at Chipotle, you must grasp this concept: Layering numerous toppings won't allow you to genuinely appreciate the core flavors. Approach the dish akin to classic al pastor from a street taco stand—simply tortilla, meat, perhaps some lime and salsa—and nothing more.

Most impressively, though, is how the restricted-time-only protein seamlessly integrates into a quesadilla. This is the key approach; attempting anything different will probably leave you unimpressed.

Related: I Tested Taco Bell’s Latest Cheese Addition to Their Menu. Here’s My Genuine Feedback