As a food editor, it’s literally my job to tell people what tasty newness is at all their favorite chain restaurants. That said, we’re creatures of habit—myself included—and I usually stick to my go-to orders. For instance, at Chipotle, I order half steak, half carnitas without thinking. However, my last bowl from the chain starred a resurrected protein that hits stores on September 2: carne asada. Is it worth mixing up my usual order? I had to find out.
This Beloved Chipotle Protein Is Back (Again)—Here’s a Food Editor’s Review
Raise the steaks
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Published Sep 4, 2025
Chipotle
Taryn Pire
Originally released in 2019, the steak main is coming back to stores for a fourth time after rave reviews from fans. In fact, the carne asada was Chipotle’s most-searched limited-time offer on Google last year, not to mention the second-most searched limited-time offer among all national restaurant brands.
The steak is marinated, seasoned and grilled with a signature spice blend that boasts cumin, coriander, garlic and oregano. Once cooked and rested, it’s sliced into succulent strips and finished with fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro for good measure.
Taryn Pire
I got a sneak-peek taste of the carne asada and thoroughly enjoyed it. The steak was herbaceous and superbly tender, I assume from some acidic ingredient (more lime?) in the marinade, since its flavor was so zingy and bright. It had some chew, but that’s not inherently bad; I thought it made it feel even more like the real deal, rather than fast food steak. I prefer the cut of the standard Chipotle steak because it’s easier to eat when it’s diced into small pieces versus cut into strips (especially for burritos), but this arguably felt more substantial.
I’d recommend straying from your usual to taste it while supplies last, just this once.
P.S.: Order on the Chipotle app or online between September 8 and September 30 to score free delivery. You heard it here first, folks.
