Smoked brisket has been a top requested menu item for Chipotle Mexican Grill to bring back since it was first introduced three years ago. Starting Tuesday, fans in the U.S. and Canada can once again customize their burritos and bowls with the protein for a limited time.
"We are listening to our guests and bringing this fan-favorite menu innovation out of the vault after three years," Chris Brandt, Chipotle’s chief brand officer, said in a statement. "This premium protein is sure to delight guests looking to taste the difference of brisket prepared the Chipotle way.”
Chipotle’s brisket is “responsibly sourced” and prepared in small batches, seared on the plancha and seasoned with smoked serrano chilies, chipotle chili pepper and other spices. It’s then hand-chopped into bite-size pieces and finished in a brisket sauce enhanced with smoky chili peppers.
For customers trying smoked brisket for the first time, Chipotle’s VP of culinary, Nevielle Panthaky, recommends a Smoked Brisket Burrito Bowl with white rice, black beans, fresh tomato salsa and cheese.
From Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 29, Chipotle is offering a $0 delivery fee on smoked brisket digital orders made through the chain’s app or website. Minimum orders are $10 in the U.S. and $12 in Canada and must include at least one smoked brisket entrée. Catering orders and Burritos by the Box are excluded.
Chipotle first rolled out smoked brisket nationwide in the fall of 2021, after a successful 64-unit test towards the end of 2020. Since then, social media feeds have been buzzing with requests to bring the option back to the menu.
Customers at the fast casual crave beef as a protein choice. Carne asada, Chipotle’s option of marinated, grilled steak, is a best seller every time it returns to the menu.
Both smoked brisket and carne asada can only come back for limited runs due to Chipotle’s strict sourcing standards. The beef must be raised responsibly with a vegetarian diet and no antibiotics or added hormones. The Newport Beach, California-based chain estimates that currently only 5% of U.S. beef supplies meet its standards.
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