How To Reheat A Chipotle Bowl – The Right Way

Chipotle bowls are one of our favorite meals out. You can make them any way you like, and they come loaded to the brim.

We almost always get at least two meals out of them, which is nice and helpful when you need leftovers or a quick solution for a meal. 

But reheating your Chipotle bowl the right way takes a little bit of skill, especially if you put sour cream, guacamole, or lettuce on the top. Some of those toppings can be challenging to reheat without ruining the bowl’s textures and flavor. 

So, how do you reheat a Chipotle bowl? You can easily use the microwave to reheat your Chipotle bowl. You can also reheat it in the oven. But, before you try this, there are some tricks that you should incorporate, such as separating the cold toppings from those you want to reheat.

In this guide, we will share with you a step-by-step guide for how to reheat your Chipotle bowl without sacrificing its quality.

There are a few minor tips and tricks that can really help with the process, and we’ve got all that and more here in this guide. 

How to Reheat a Chipotle Bowl

This isn’t our first time reheating leftover restaurant favorites, but this also isn’t as simple as reheating Olive Garden breadsticks.

Before you reheat your chipotle bowl, you have to keep in mind that it is covered in an array of toppings, possibly including salsas, veggies, lettuce, sour cream, meat, beans, and anything else you prefer to add.

It would certainly be nice to be able to just remove that foil lid and toss it in the microwave, but this is not the best way.

You certainly can do that and eat your bowl safely, but your lettuce, guacamole, or sour cream will probably not reheat very well. Your lettuce will become wilted, your guacamole brown, your sour cream curdled into an unpleasant mess.

So, we have some other processes to help you reheat your bowl the very best way. 

The easiest way to reheat your Chipotle bowl is in the microwave, but you can also reheat it in the oven. You can even use a skillet if you really want to go all out. We will share each of these methods with you. 

No matter which way you choose to reheat your bowl, you need to follow this next section carefully before proceeding to the reheat instructions. 

Preparing for Reheating

First things first, you need to remove some of the toppings before you reheat the bowl. This just helps to keep those fresh ingredients crisp, rather than making them soggy or wilted and ruining the flavor and texture. 

Start by removing any of the following toppings. You can just set them aside in a separate bowl together or apart and add them back once you have reheated the rest of the bowl.

If they are mixed in, they can sometimes be hard to remove. Just do your best to get the majority out of the bowl without also removing the meat or rice and other ingredients. 

These are the ingredients that will probably not reheat so well:

• Sour cream
• Lettuce
• Guacamole
• Salsa

Essentially, your bowl should only have things like meat, rice, queso, grilled veggies, and beans when you are reheating it, in order to get the best results. 

You may even choose to add new, fresh ingredients from your fridge if you find the removed ingredients less appetizing than they were the day before. We recommend this if your lettuce, especially, is looking a little tired.

Reheating Using the Microwave

You can reheat your Chipotle bowl in the take-out bowl it is served in, but don’t use the foil lid provided. Chipotle’s bowls are made from compostable paper, which is not considered to be unsafe for the microwave.

What you should know is that Chipotle bowls are not stamped anywhere as being safe to microwave, so while it has been done without any observable issue, we actually recommend transferring it to a microwave-safe dish, just to be safe.

The microwave is one of the most common reheating methods because it is simple and convenient, especially for leftovers. 

Try these steps below for reheating your Chipotle bowl in the microwave:

1. Start by removing the fresh ingredients as described above. 
2. Place the remaining ingredients into a microwave-safe dish or on a plate.
3. Start by heating the remaining items for about 20 seconds. 
4. Give the plate and ingredients a quick stir to make sure they are heated evenly and then return it to the microwave for another 20 seconds. 
5. Test the temperature of your food and make sure it’s warm enough. You can heat further as needed in 15-20 second intervals but it should be mostly warm. 
6. Add back all of the removed toppings that were not reheated or any new toppings from your fridge.
7. Enjoy your reheated Chipotle bowl! 

It’s a simple and convenient process if you do it right, and you may never even notice that you are consuming a reheated bowl. 

Reheating a Chipotle Bowl in the Oven

The oven also makes a great resource for reheating your Chipotle bowl, if you have time to use this method.

The oven will take more time since you will have to wait for it to preheat and the cooking time is also a bit longer. On the other hand, your meal will be reheated back up to perfection.

1. Remove the toppings as we previously described.
2. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
3. Move the remaining contents into an oven-safe dish or container. 
4. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. 
5. Reheat in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the ingredients are warm to your liking. 
6. Remove from the oven and move to a plate or bowl. 
7. Add your toppings back in and enjoy! 

This is yet another simple process. It just takes a few extra minutes for the overall cooking time, but the flavor is totally worth it if you have the time! 

Reheating a Chipotle Bowl in a Skillet

Finally, you can also use a skillet on the stovetop if you really want to go all out. When you do it this way, you can even make your bowl contents into a burrito if you want to.

Follow these steps to reheat your Chipotle bowl in a skillet:

1. Remove all of the fresh toppings as previously described above. 
2. Heat a skillet on medium heat on the stove. 
3. Add just a tiny amount of butter or cooking spray to the skillet. 
4. Toss in the remaining contents of your Chipotle bowl. 
5. Stir the ingredients in the skillet while they reheat. 
6. Cook for 2-4 minutes like this, stirring throughout the process. 
7. When the ingredients are fully reheated, transfer them to a serving dish. 
8. Add back in your remaining fresh ingredients. 
9. Enjoy! 

Using the skillet is a great way to preserve and revive the flavors of your bowl’s ingredients. It’s a delicious solution, and fairly quick as well.

Related Questions

We hope that you find this guide to be a valuable resource for all of the best ways to reheat your Chipotle burrito bowl.

If you follow these tips and tricks and be sure to separate those fresh ingredients, your bowl should be flavorful and delicious when it is reheated. 

Check out our related questions below for some additional details that just might be helpful for you as well.

Is the Bowl from Chipotle Safe for the Microwave? 

We recommend changing bowls. While you can certainly put the paper bottom of the bowl in the microwave without any immediate hazards, there is no guarantee from the company that it is microwave-safe.

If you do choose to use this bowl, remember to remove the foil lid, as this could be a fire hazard. 

What you should understand is that this particular bowl is not stamped as a microwave-safe bowl. This means that when you are microwaving your food, the products or fibers in the bowl can leech onto your food when it is microwaved. 

Chipotle uses environmentally-friendly materials to make their bowls, but this does not guarantee them as being safe to microwave without potentially affecting your food. 

Can You Refrigerate a Chipotle Bowl?

Yes, absolutely! When you get your bowl, they provide you with a convenient foil lid just for this purpose. You can simply attach the lid to the bowl and toss it in the refrigerator.

If you really want to be prepared for reheating, you can remove your items like lettuce, salsa, fresh veggies, guacamole, and sour cream and separate them before you place everything in the fridge. 

This might just help you when it comes time to reheat the bowl, but it really doesn’t matter that much either way. This is just a good way to avoid making anything in the bowl potentially soggy. 

Can You Eat a Chipotle Bowl Cold?

Sure you can! It is completely safe to eat a cold Chipotle burrito bowl, and some even prefer it cold.

In fact, it may be easier to eat your bowl cold if your ingredients are too mixed up to separate.

If you don’t like eating your meat cold, you may also choose to take the chunks of meat out and heat them separately before adding them back into the cold ingredients.

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