What's the Best Way to Reheat a Chipotle Burrito?

Chipotle – the restaurant that made Tex-Mex accessible in all forms, and utterly delicious. While it is rare to have leftovers from Chipotle, on some occasions you are left with half of a burrito the size of your face, and no room in your stomach.

Because a cold burrito might not sound all that appetizing, we’ve rounded up the best ways to reheat a Chipotle Burrito. These include using a toaster oven, microwave, conventional oven, and stovetop.

This article will go over each of these methods and help you decide which is the right one for you – all specific to a Chipotle burrito!

Deconstructing the Burrito

Reheating a Chipotle burrito is slightly more complicated than just popping it in the oven.

Chipotle burritos contain many different types of ingredients with different ideal temperatures and textures. You want to warm your protein, rice, and beans, but want your sour cream, lettuce, and (optional) guacamole to stay cold.

The best way to do this is to deconstruct your burrito and remove your cold ingredients. It’s not ideal, but unfortunately, there is no great way to reheat a Chipotle burrito without having to do so.

Once you’ve separated your cold ingredients from warm, it’s quite easy to reheat your Chipotle burrito.

Reheating a Chipotle Burrito in a Toaster Oven

This is one of the best ways to reheat a burrito, as it is designed to create the least amount of mess.

If you don’t want to remove your cold fillings from your burrito, it’s not the end of the world with this method. That said, reheating lettuce is usually not very delicious.

Once you’ve removed your fillings from your burrito, follow these steps to reheat your Chipotle burrito in a toaster oven.

Step 1: Preheat or set your toaster oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: Rewrap your aluminum foil (or just pull it down) so that the foil is only covering the tortilla, but the “top” is left open, with your fillings exposed.

Step 3: Set your burrito upright on your toaster oven tray so that the exposed end is facing upwards. You may need to flatten the bottom of your burrito a bit to allow it to stand.

Step 4: Reheat your Chipotle burrito in your toaster oven for 8-12 minutes. If you want a crispier tortilla, remove the foil for the last few minutes.

Reheating a Chipotle Burrito in the Microwave

This method is definitely one where you’ll want to remove your cold ingredients before beginning. If the thought of warm lettuce doesn’t turn you off, think about curdled sour cream. Yes, definitely remove those cold ingredients.

Once you’ve done that, follow these steps for the perfect reheated Chipotle burrito.

Step 1: Remove the foil from your Chipotle burrito. This is very important – you cannot put aluminum foil in the microwave.

Step 2: Place your reconstructed burrito open-face up on a microwave-safe plate. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the sides of your tortilla, or wrap a slightly damp paper towel around your tortilla. This will keep your tortilla from drying out.

Step 3: Heat your Chipotle burrito on high for 1 minute. Check on the temperature of the burrito (you may need to stick your finger into the inside) and repeat for up to 4 minutes.

You may need to re-dampen your paper towel or sprinkle more water on your tortilla during this process of reheating.

Step 4: Add your cold ingredients back into your Chipotle burrito when your warm ingredients are hot enough. Enjoy!

Reheating a Chipotle Burrito in a Conventional Oven

Reheating your Chipotle burrito in the oven is not the quickest of methods, but it’s a great way to ensure that your ingredients heat evenly and thoroughly.

As with the other methods, you want to remove your cold ingredients from your Chipotle burrito before reheating.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember, this is a “low and slow” method.

Step 2: Loosen the foil around your Chipotle burrito, or if you had discarded it after removing your cold ingredients, rewrap foil around your burrito, leaving a small opening for steam to escape.

Step 3: Place your burrito on a baking tray. It doesn’t have to be standing up, but that does help, because you can just pile your cold ingredients back on top after you’ve reheated.

Reheating a Chipotle Burrito on a Stovetop

This is the quickest way to reheat a Chipotle burrito without risking rubberizing the insides like you might using a microwave.

You’ll definitely need to deconstruct your burrito and remove the cold ingredients for this method. You’re going to deconstruct your burrito anyway, so it should not be too much of a hassle.

There are two ways to do this:

Option 1

Step 1: Remove all of your fillings from your burrito, separating the cold from the warm ingredients. Heat your skillet over medium heat, with a small amount of oil to prevent sticking.

Step 2: Reheat your warm ingredients over the stove, stirring until heated through. Set aside for a moment, as you reheat your tortilla.

Step 3: Place your tortilla face up on your skillet and sprinkle a few drops of water on it. Cover your skillet with a lid, letting your tortilla steam for a minute.

Step 4: After steaming your tortilla, it should be easier to reconstruct with your warm and cold ingredients. Rewrap and enjoy!

Option 2

This is a good option if you like the idea of a grilled burrito!

Step 1: Separate out your cold fillings from your burrito. Heat your skillet over medium heat with a little bit of oil.

Step 2: Place your Chipotle burrito in the pan, long side down. Press down with a spatula. Cover your skillet with a lid and let sit for 3-5 minutes.

Step 3: Flip your Chipotle burrito and repeat Step 2. Reconstruct your burrito and enjoy!

So there you have it! Four (really five) ways to reheat a Chipotle burrito! Just remember that a Chipotle burrito should be kept in an airtight container in your fridge for no more than 1-3 days before reheating. Don’t let it sit in your refrigerator for too many days, otherwise, you’ll have to toss it. Happy eating!