Chipotle has been on the receiving end of criticism over the last few years over its portion sizes. Some think the chain skimps on its portions—particularly its meat portions—and have come up with clever hacks to get more food.
For example, one customer seemingly “outsmarted” the chain by paying for a single steak taco but getting a steak bowl out of it. Another customer encouraged customers who order double protein to order a single scoop first before “changing their mind” and asking for double. This way the employee shows their hand with the first scoop and has to match it on the second.
A lot of the criticism is based on speculation. It looks like customers are getting skimped. But one woman is trying to catch Chipotle in the act with proof—by weighing her meat portion.
In a video with more than 440,000 views, Christina (@christinafnp) took out an actual food scale to see whether she actually received a 4-ounce portion of protein in her Chipotle order. The content creator was disappointed to find, however, that she was missing about 1.3 ounces of her side.
In a later video, she went to another Chipotle location and received more than 4 ounces of chicken.
How Big Are The Protein Portions At Chipotle Supposed To Be?
In Christina’s video, she shows her audience the size of protein she received from Chipotle, which is sitting inside the restaurant chain’s iconic brown paper bag. She takes out the side, unpackages it, and places it on a white plate. She zeroes in on her scale and then waits for the result.
The answer as to whether she received a good portion of protein comes in very quickly. The chicken only weighs 2.7 total ounces. According to Christina, she was supposed to receive at least 4 ounces of food.
According to Chipotle’s website, alongside other reports, a serving of chicken—whether that be on the side or in a meal, like a bowl—should be 4 ounces.
Christina found that there may be slight inconsistencies in portion sizes across locations. In her other post, she weighed another cup and received a different result. The portion from another location weighed 4.7 ounces.
“I guess it just depends on which Chipotle you go to,” Christina said.
Did Shrinkflation Hit Chipotle?
In 2024, the then-CEO of Chipotle, Brian Niccol, confirmed that after a company investigation, 10% of Chipotle locations offered too meager of portions. The investigation came after a slew of social media posts that accused the company of shrinking its portions. Niccol placed the blame on poor training at these locations.
Is Getting Large Portions At Chipotle Location Dependent?
Online, many people say that getting good portions from Chipotle depends on the location—a discovery Christina herself may have stumbled upon.
When one Redditor posted a discussion thread saying they haven’t been skimped by the chain, a commenter replied, “It’s bc it varies by location.”
Another commenter said, “Wow it’s almost like every 1 billion chipotles on the planet are going to be different, what a revelation.”
A Wells Fargo analyst named Zachary Fadem ran an experiment. He and his team purchased 75 different Chipotle burrito bowls at eight different locations in New York City. Fadem reported that some locations consistently filled the bowls more than others.
In response to Fadem’s experiment, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs officer, Laurie Schalow, said, “Similar to others in the fast casual industry, our completely customizable meals may have variability in their size or weight depending upon the number of ingredients a guest selects or if they choose to make an ingredient extra or light when ordering from our list of real ingredients in-person or digitally. There have been no changes in our portion sizes, and we aim to provide a great guest experience every time.”
The answer as to whether Chipotle offers relatively consistent meals and larger servings in 2026 is still up for debate. While online critiques of the fast-casual chain’s offerings argue it is shrinkflating, Chipotle hasn’t specifically addressed any new rumors.
BroBible has reached out to Christina via TikTok direct message and Chipotle via email for comment.