Carnitas vs Barbacoa
Carnitas and Barbacoa are included in the entree at no separate charge; the entree runs $10.55 with Carnitas and $11.80 with Barbacoa at the medians; 210 calories per 4 oz against 170 calories per 4 oz on the records.
CP Menus review deskReviewed 28 September 2026Prices read 25 September 2026 at 368 restaurantsHow every figure gets here
Side by side
Carnitas
Barbacoa| Figure | Carnitas | Barbacoa |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup median | none read | none read |
| Listed at | 368 of 368 | 368 of 368 |
| Calories | 210 | 170 |
| Portion | 4 oz | 4 oz |
| Protein | 23 g | 24 g |
| Sodium | 450 mg | 530 mg |
| Carbs | 0 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 12 g | 7 g |
| Saturated fat | 7 g | 2.5 g |
| Sugar | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fiber | 0 g | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 65 mg | 65 mg |
| Contains | none of the four | none of the four |
| Diets | Keto, Paleo | Keto, Paleo |
| Availability | Core menu | Core menu |
The pork and the beef
Carnitas is priced $1.25 below barbacoa on every adult format at the medians ($10.55 against $11.80 as a burrito). The chart’s note on the pork: “FOR THOSE WHO AVOID PORK: Our carnitas are made with pork.” The brand’s ingredients page: “To make our Carnitas, we season the pork with an aromatic spice blend, then braise and shred it by hand. The result? Meat that’s fall-apart-in-your-burrito tender. We love how it tastes (obviously), but our Responsibly Raised pork has a special place in our hearts for another reason, too: it was Chipotle founder Steve Ells’ quest to find better pork in the early days that sparked Chipotle’s journey to be on the constant lookout for the best ingredients across the board. Guess you could say that without pork, we might not have ingredients to write home (or to the internet) about.”
Price
Neither carries a price of its own: both are included in an entree at no separate charge on every menu read. A second portion is priced: $4.75 at the median for Carnitas and $6.00 at the median for Barbacoa.
Calories, protein and sodium
On the records Barbacoa carries 170 calories and Carnitas carries 210 calories: 40 calories apart. Protein: 23 g for Carnitas and 24 g for Barbacoa, so Barbacoa carries 1 g more. Sodium: 450 mg for Carnitas and 530 mg for Barbacoa, so Barbacoa carries 80 mg more, 23 percent of the daily value against 20 percent. Carbohydrate: 0 g for Carnitas and 2 g for Barbacoa, so Barbacoa carries 2 g more. Fiber: 0 g for Carnitas and 1 g for Barbacoa, so Barbacoa carries 1 g more. Fat: 12 g for Carnitas and 7 g for Barbacoa, so Carnitas carries 5 g more. Per 100 calories the protein is 11 g on Carnitas and 14.1 g on Barbacoa: Barbacoa is the denser.
Allergens and diets on the chart
The chart marks neither as containing any of its four allergens (dairy, soy, wheat and gluten, sulphites). The diet marks: Carnitas keto and paleo and Barbacoa keto and paleo. The chart’s caution applies to both: “Individual foods may come into contact with one another during preparation, which is not reflected on this chart.”
Availability
Carnitas was on every menu read as a part of the entree. Barbacoa was on every menu read as a part of the entree.
Which for what
Each yardstick picks its own line: for fewer calories, Barbacoa; for protein, Barbacoa; for less sodium, Carnitas. The table above has every figure the choice can turn on, and the pages carry the records and the reads in full.
The two on every format
The same build with one part swapped for the other on every format the line serves, so the difference the two make is read in the whole plate and not the part alone.
| Format | Carnitas, median | Barbacoa, median | Carnitas, classic build | Barbacoa, classic build | Carnitas, protein | Barbacoa, protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burrito | $10.55 | $11.80 | 1,120 | 1,080 | 51 g | 52 g |
| Bowl | $10.55 | $11.80 | 800 | 760 | 43 g | 44 g |
| Salad | $10.55 | $11.80 | 710 | 670 | 39 g | 40 g |
| Order of three tacos | $10.55 | $11.80 | 710 | 670 | 38 g | 39 g |
| Quesadilla | $11.10 | $12.35 | 1,075 | 1,035 | 54 g | 55 g |
How this page is read
Every price on this page is a range read from 368 restaurants’ own ordering menus in 48 states and DC on 25 September 2026, printed with the count of restaurants behind it and the brand’s own delivery price beside it; every calorie and nutrient figure is Chipotle’s own record from its nutrition calculator, and every allergen mark is its own chart row or tag. The side by side table above prints every published figure both items carry; a blank cell means the record does not publish it. An entree’s record is its protein alone, which is why the formats compare as builds.
Questions
Which has fewer calories, Carnitas or Barbacoa?
Barbacoa: 210 calories for Carnitas and 170 calories for Barbacoa on the records.
Which has more protein?
Barbacoa: 23 g for Carnitas and 24 g for Barbacoa.
Which has less sodium?
Carnitas: 450 mg for Carnitas and 530 mg for Barbacoa, against a 2,300 mg daily value.
What is the difference between Carnitas and Barbacoa?
By the ingredient statements: Carnitas alone has Juniper Berries, Pork and Thyme and Barbacoa alone has Beef, Chipotle Chili, Cloves, Cumin, Garlic, Oregano and Water; both carry Bay Leaf, Black Pepper, High Oleic Sunflower Oil and Salt.
Is one of them vegetarian?
Neither carries a vegetarian mark on the chart; both are meats.
Where do the figures come from?
The prices are ranges read from 368 restaurants’ own ordering menus on 25 September 2026; the nutrition figures are Chipotle’s own calculator records, each part alone, summed where a build is shown; the allergen marks are its own chart.