Chipotle brought Pollo Asado back with an all-new recipe on August 31, 2026 in the US and Canada, and debuted Chili Lime Chips the same day as a digital exclusive for Chipotle Rewards members. The chips become available to all guests on September 4. Chipotle calls both items limited-time and has not announced an end date or a price for either.
- Status
- Available nowConfirmed by the company
- Brand
- Chipotle Mexican Grill
- Launch
- August 31; Chili Lime Chips to all guests September 4 (Aug 31, 2026)
- Where
- US and Canada, Chili Lime Chips: Rewards members only until September 4
- Run
- Limited time
- What's in it
- adobo-seasoned grilled chicken, garlic, Mexican spices, hand-cut cilantro, citrus and real lime, chili seasoning (chips)
- Pollo Asado returned August 31, 2026 in the US and Canada, with what Chipotle describes as an all-new recipe.
- Chili Lime Chips launched the same day but only through the Chipotle app, Chipotle.com and Chipotle.ca for Rewards members.
- Chili Lime Chips reach all guests, including in restaurants, on September 4.
- Chipotle says this is the first time in its history it has launched two limited-time menu items at the same time.
- Chipotle has not published a price for either item.
- Chipotle has not announced when either item leaves the menu.
- A separate $0 delivery fee offer on Pollo Asado orders runs August 31 through September 13.
What was announced
On August 31, 2026, Chipotle announced the return of Pollo Asado with an all-new recipe and the debut of Chili Lime Chips, launching both limited-time items on the same day for the first time in the company's history. Pollo Asado went on sale in US and Canadian restaurants immediately. Chili Lime Chips launched as a digital exclusive for Chipotle Rewards members through the Chipotle app, Chipotle.com and Chipotle.ca, and become available to all guests on September 4. No prices and no end dates were announced for either item.
Why it matters
The staggered availability is the part that changes what a reader should do: for four days the chips are on the menu but, per Chipotle's own description, reachable only as a digital exclusive through a Rewards account on the app or website. The chips are also a rare case of a chain productising a habit its customers invented — Chipotle says social mentions of pairing seasoned chips with its entrees rose more than 1,500% since 2022 — and Chipotle says it is the first time it has run two limited-time launches at once.
Two items, two different start dates
Chipotle announced both items in a single release dated August 31, 2026 from Newport Beach, California. Pollo Asado went on sale that day at restaurants in the US and Canada.
Chili Lime Chips started the same day, but not in the same place. Chipotle made them a digital exclusive for Chipotle Rewards members, orderable only through the Chipotle app, Chipotle.com and Chipotle.ca. The company says they become available to all guests on September 4.
That four-day gap is the part most worth knowing: for the first stretch of the launch, walking into a restaurant and asking for Chili Lime Chips was not an option Chipotle had made available. Chipotle describes this as a brand first, saying it is "the first time in brand history" it has launched two limited-time menu items simultaneously.
What Chipotle says is different about Pollo Asado
Chipotle describes the returning Pollo Asado as "freshly grilled adobo chicken seasoned with garlic, Mexican spices and hand-cut cilantro, then finished with bright citrus and real lime for a savory, smoky flavor."
The company presents it as a reworked recipe rather than a straight reissue. Nevielle Panthaky, Chipotle's Senior Vice President of Culinary, said: "With this new recipe, we wanted to bring more brightness and dimension to Pollo Asado while preserving its savory, smoky flavor."
On why it came back at all, Chief Brand Officer Fernando Machado said: "Pollo Asado delivered strong results in testing, giving us clear evidence that guests were excited about the new recipe."
The chips came out of a customer habit
Chipotle says Chili Lime Chips were inspired by something customers were already doing: buying packaged seasoned chips separately and eating them with a Chipotle order. The company puts a number on it, saying that since 2022, "mentions of seasoned chips paired with Chipotle entrees have increased more than 1,500% across social platforms."
Chipotle describes the chips as "tossed fresh daily with real lime and a bold chili seasoning for craveable flavor and crunch," and says they are made with "only real ingredients" and "no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives."
Fernando Machado framed the product as a response to that habit, saying: "Chili Lime Chips are our answer—with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives."
What Chipotle has not said
Two things a reader is likely to want are absent from the announcement.
There is no price. Chipotle's release states no price for Pollo Asado or for Chili Lime Chips, and this page does not carry one, because a price the company has not published is not a fact this site will print. Chipotle menu pricing varies by location in any case.
There is no end date. Both items are labelled limited-time, but Chipotle has not said when either one leaves. The only dated window in the release belongs to a promotion, not to the food: Chipotle says a $0 delivery fee offer on Pollo Asado orders runs from August 31 through September 13. That is the delivery deal expiring, not the item.
The release also does not give calorie counts or allergen information for either item. The one nutrition figure Chipotle includes is for a suggested bowl pairing, which it says contains 46g protein and 17g fiber.
Common questions
- When can everyone get Chili Lime Chips?
- September 4, 2026. Chipotle made them available on August 31 only to Chipotle Rewards members ordering through the app, Chipotle.com or Chipotle.ca.
- How much do Chili Lime Chips and Pollo Asado cost?
- Chipotle has not published a price for either item. Its announcement states no pricing, and Chipotle prices vary by location.
- When do they leave the menu?
- Chipotle has not announced an end date. Both items are described as limited-time, but no last day has been stated for either.
- Are they available in Canada?
- Yes. Chipotle says both items are available in the US and Canada, with Chili Lime Chips orderable through Chipotle.ca for Rewards members ahead of the September 4 general release.
- Is Pollo Asado the same as before?
- Chipotle describes it as an all-new recipe rather than a straight return, and its culinary lead says the aim was to add brightness and dimension while keeping the savory, smoky flavour.
Sources
Chipotle Mexican Grill · Press release · checked Sep 1, 2026
- Pollo Asado returned with a new recipe on August 31, 2026 in the US and Canada
- Chili Lime Chips debuted August 31 as a digital exclusive for Chipotle Rewards members and reach all guests on September 4
- Both items are limited-time
- Chipotle's own descriptions of both items
- Quotes from Fernando Machado and Nevielle Panthaky
- Chipotle Marks a Brand First With All-New Pollo Asado and the Debut of Chili Lime Chips (wire copy)Official
Chipotle Mexican Grill · Press release · checked Sep 1, 2026
- Newport Beach, Calif., August 31, 2026 dateline
- This is the first time in brand history Chipotle has launched two limited-time menu items simultaneously
- Mentions of seasoned chips paired with Chipotle entrees have increased more than 1,500% across social platforms since 2022
- A $0 delivery fee offer on Pollo Asado orders runs August 31 through September 13
- No price is stated for either item