Every Chipotle Limited Time Item and What Happened To It
The Chipotle limited time menu changed on 26 October 2026, when Chipotle announced that smoked brisket returns on 5 November. That makes four limited-time proteins in a single year, which is the most Chipotle has ever run, and it raises a question about a rule this page has described for years. Here is every limited-time item from 2019 onward and what is actually happening now.
Smoked brisket returns 5 November 2026 in the US and Canada. Pollo Asado has been the limited-time protein since 31 August, and Chipotle has not said what happens to it. Brisket makes four limited-time proteins in 2026 — al Pastor, honey chicken, Pollo Asado and brisket — which matches the three-to-four Chipotle told investors to expect.
- Smoked brisket returns 5 November 2026, US and Canada.
- Pollo Asado is current — and its end has not been announced.
- Four limited-time proteins in 2026, the most in any year.
- Chipotle guided to three or four for 2026. It delivered four.
- Carne asada did not run at all in 2026.
- Adobo Ranch appears to have stayed since June 2025.
What Is Running Now
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Smoked brisket | Returns 5 November 2026 — US and Canada |
| Pollo Asado | Current, since 31 August 2026. End date not announced |
| Chili lime chips | Launched alongside Pollo Asado |
| Chipotle honey chicken | Ran April to late August 2026 |
| Chicken al Pastor | Ran from February 2026 |
| Carne asada | Did not run in 2026 — last ran September 2025 |
| Adobo Ranch | Appears to have stayed since June 2025 |
Brisket Returns 5 November
Chipotle announced on 26 October 2026 that mesquite-smoked brisket returns on 5 November, across the United States and Canada, in restaurant and digitally.
Chipotle own description of the preparation:
| Step | Chipotle own wording |
|---|---|
| 1 | Mesquite-smoked for hours — a low-and-slow smoking process |
| 2 | Seared on the plancha by restaurant team members |
| 3 | Seasoned with smoked serrano and chipotle chili peppers |
| 4 | Tossed in a savory sauce made with smoky chili peppers |
| 5 | Hand-chopped in small batches, throughout the day |
It is seasoned with smoked serrano and chipotle chili peppers and made with Responsibly Raised beef — and Chipotle added a figure it rarely publishes: it estimates roughly 5 per cent of US beef meets its sourcing standards. That is the clearest explanation yet of why brisket has never gone permanent.
No price was published, and no end date. There are $0 delivery fees on brisket orders from 5 to 18 November through Chipotle own app and website. Full detail on our smoked brisket guide.
The One-At-A-Time Rule Is Now in Question
This page has long said that Chipotle runs one limited-time protein at a time, and that each return blocks the others. The brisket announcement puts that under strain.
What is consistent is the count. Chipotle told investors it expected three to four protein offerings during 2026, up from a previous cadence of two a year. The year delivered:
| 2026 protein | Ran from |
|---|---|
| Chicken al Pastor | 10 February |
| Chipotle Honey Chicken | 28 April, final week announced 27 August |
| Pollo Asado | 31 August |
| Smoked brisket | 5 November |
Four — the top of its own guidance. And note what changed: the first three were all chicken. Brisket is the first beef protein Chipotle has run since carne asada in September 2025, which matters if you have been waiting on a beef return.
The Full Timeline
| Date | Item | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Sept 2019 | Carne Asada | National launch |
| 12 Nov 2019 | Carne Asada | Extended into early 2020 |
| 22 Sept 2020 | Carne Asada | Returned |
| Nov 2020 | Smoked Brisket | Tested in select markets |
| 4 Jan 2021 | Cauliflower Rice | National launch, $2 extra |
| 21 Sept 2021 | Smoked Brisket | National launch, US and Canada |
| 16 Jun 2022 | Mexican Cauliflower Rice | Tested |
| 2 Mar 2023 | Fajita Quesadilla | Launched digital-only |
| 13 Sept 2023 | Carne Asada | Returned, with a Carne Asada Quesadilla |
| 10 Sept 2024 | Smoked Brisket | Returned after three years |
| 17 Jun 2025 | Adobo Ranch | First new dip in five years |
| Sept 2025 | Red Chimichurri | Limited-time sauce |
| 2 Sept 2025 | Carne Asada | Returned — its fourth return |
| 10 Feb 2026 | Chicken al Pastor | Returned |
| Mar 2026 | Cilantro Lime Sauce | Limited-time sauce |
| 28 Apr 2026 | Chipotle Honey Chicken | Returned; final week announced 27 Aug |
| 31 Aug 2026 | Pollo Asado + Chili Lime Chips | All-new recipe |
| 5 Nov 2026 | Smoked Brisket | Returns — third run |
Which Ones Stayed
Most limited-time items end and do not come back. Three exceptions.
Adobo Ranch — the clearest success
Launched 17 June 2025 as Chipotle first new dip in five years. Chipotle never said whether it was permanent, but its product page remains live and was updated as recently as September 2026 — not how a finished limited-time item behaves. Our Adobo Ranch guide covers it.
Smoked brisket — now the repeat performer
Three runs: September 2021, September 2024, and now November 2026. The gap has shortened from three years to two, and the month has moved off September for the first time.
Carne asada — the most requested, and absent all year
Four returns, all in September, and Chipotle has called it its most searched menu item. It did not run at all in 2026. Our carne asada guide has the full history.
And the clear failure
Cauliflower rice. Launched January 2021 at $2 extra, tested again in a different form in June 2022, and neither version stayed. Charging extra for a base — when rice is free and only guacamole and queso carry upcharges — asked customers to pay more for less food. Our cauliflower rice guide covers it.
Announcements are tracked on our news and menu updates page, and the current lineup is on our meat options guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chipotle’s limited time item right now?
Pollo Asado, which returned on 31 August 2026 with an all-new recipe alongside chili lime chips. From 5 November 2026 it is joined, or replaced, by mesquite-smoked brisket — Chipotle announced the brisket return on 26 October and did not say what happens to Pollo Asado.
When does Chipotle smoked brisket come back?
5 November 2026, at restaurants across the United States and Canada, available both in restaurant and digitally through the Chipotle app and website. Chipotle announced it on 26 October 2026 and published no price and no end date. There are also $0 delivery fees on brisket orders from 5 to 18 November.
How many limited time proteins did Chipotle run in 2026?
Four, which is the most it has run in a single year: Chicken al Pastor from February, Chipotle Honey Chicken from April, Pollo Asado from August, and smoked brisket from November. Chipotle told investors it expected to run three to four protein offerings during 2026, so it landed at the top of its own guidance.
Does Chipotle still run one limited-time protein at a time?
That has been the pattern, and it is the reason returns block each other — but the brisket announcement puts it in question. Pollo Asado launched on 31 August and brisket arrives on 5 November, with no mention of Pollo Asado ending. Either it finishes before brisket lands or the rule has loosened, and Chipotle has published neither.
Is carne asada coming back?
It did not run at all in 2026, which is the first full year it has been absent since 2019. It has returned four times historically, always in September, and Chipotle has called it its most searched menu item. Chipotle does not pre-announce return dates, and its 2026 protein slots are now full.
What limited time items has Chipotle had?
Carne asada launched nationally in September 2019 and has returned four times. Smoked brisket was tested in late 2020, launched September 2021, returned September 2024 and returns again in November 2026. Cilantro-lime cauliflower rice ran in January 2021 and a Mexican cauliflower rice was tested in June 2022. The fajita quesadilla launched digital-only in March 2023. Adobo Ranch arrived in June 2025, followed by Red Chimichurri and Cilantro Lime Sauce. 2026 ran four proteins: al Pastor, honey chicken, Pollo Asado and brisket.
Methodology
Every launch date, return date and item description on this page comes from Chipotle own press releases, with the smoked brisket return taken from its announcement of 26 October 2026. Current availability was assessed against Chipotle published nutrition facts guide and its current menu. Where Chipotle has not stated something – in particular what happens to Pollo Asado when brisket arrives – this page says so rather than inferring it. Chipotle does not pre-announce return dates, so nothing here predicts one.