The Best Fast-Food Burritos, Ranked
Updated: Dec. 21, 2022
When a craving for meat, beans, rice and salsa hits, we want the best fast-food burrito that money can buy. Here's what to order—and spoiler, guac is extra.
Finding the Best Fast-Food Burrito
To find the best fast-food burrito, we ordered burritos with chicken at each chain, then filled our tortillas with the works—rice, guac, salsa, cheese, beans and whatever else was on the menu. To rank each one, we analyzed the tortilla, meat and other fillings, as well as value. It was a delicious task, but like finding the best-fast food taco, we were up for the challenge.
We went to these Mexican-inspired chains near Chicago:
- Chipotle
- Moe’s Southwest Grill
- Qdoba
- Taco Bell
- Taco John’s
Let’s see who has the best fast-food burrito!
5. Taco Bell
At $2, the Taco Bell Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito is the least expensive option on our list. Even though it’s smaller than other meal-sized burritos, the price is a great deal. The spicy kick from the chipotle is appealing, and we really liked the lightly grilled tortilla. The ingredients didn’t feel as fresh as the other options, though, so this Taco Bell burrito takes the bottom spot.
Pro: Taco Bell was the only place to offer a grilled tortilla, which added a nice texture to the outside of the burrito. Plus, Nacho Fries are back on the menu.
Con: If you’re super hungry, one burrito might not satisfy your craving.
Bottom line: Taco Bell offers a good value that’s easy to enjoy from the drive-thru.
4. Taco John’s
Taco John’s Boss Burrito is described as “large and in charge,” with the burrito weighing in at over a pound. It’s filled with cilantro-lime rice and black beans in addition to the grilled chicken. While the rice was flavorful, the black beans could have used a bit more seasoning. The burrito lacked crunch, though, so we would have loved some fresh lettuce for texture.
Pro: The cilantro-lime rice in this jumbo-sized burrito was on point.
Con: The burrito would have benefited from additional ingredients to add fresh texture and crunch. And this regional fast-food chain is mostly in the Midwest.
Bottom line: This burrito will fill you up, but the lack of additional fresh ingredients might make you feel like something is missing.
3. Qdoba
The burrito from Qdoba benefited from all kinds of fresh ingredients! We loved the abundance of lettuce here, and you can’t go wrong when guacamole is free! However, the rice was overcooked and underseasoned. The burrito was a bit difficult to eat since the tortilla opened up and fell apart after the first few bites.
Pro: If you love guacamole on your burrito but don’t love the extra upcharge, Qdoba is for you.
Con: The rice fell flat and needed more seasoning to compete with the other burritos on our list.
Bottom line: We loved all the fresh filling options at Qdoba, but the rice needed more oomph when it came to flavor.
2. Moe’s Southwest Grill
It’s all about options when it comes to building a burrito at Moe’s. They offer the typical rice, beans and protein, but then take it a step further with a salsa bar. You can sample everything from mild to medium, even smoky and super spicy salsa. The rice and beans at Moe’s were both well seasoned and very flavorful. We wished the chicken had more of the “fresh off the grill” taste—but that’s all that kept this burrito from taking top honors.
Pro: We loved the salsa bar options to customize the burrito. And even better, chips and salsa come free with every order!
Con: The chicken didn’t taste freshly made.
Bottom line: Moe’s satisfies any fast-food burrito craving with a delicious meal-sized burrito, along with free chips and salsa.
1. Chipotle
When it comes to flavor and quality of ingredients, Chipotle reigns supreme. The beans are well seasoned, the cilantro-lime rice has a bold flavor and the chicken is tender, juicy and fresh from the grill. In the end, all these perfectly crafted ingredients came together to form the absolute best fast-food burrito.
Pro: The freshest and most flavorful burrito of the bunch!
Con: The burritos from Chipotle can end up being more expensive than the competition because of add-ons like guacamole.
Bottom line: Chipotle has mastered the fast-food burrito—AKA one of the most popular food delivery orders—and delivers consistent quality. That’s a wrap!
Originally Published: October 26, 2022
