Monterey Jack CheeseVegetarian

What Chipotle says is in it

Chipotle’s ingredient statement for Monterey Jack Cheese names five ingredients: Cheese Cultures, Monterey Jack Cheese, Milk, Vegetable Rennet and Salt. On cheese cultures the ingredients page says: “Cheese cultures are strains of bacteria (the good kind) that are isolated by culture makers (yup, there are such people) so they can keep making the best cheeses. When added to milk, cheese cultures consume the lactose (or milk sugar) and turn it into lactic acid, which helps the vegetable rennet (proteins with coagulating properties) turn the milk into a solid block of cheese. In simpler terms, magic. Magic makes cheese happen.” On vegetable rennet the ingredients page says: “When added to milk, the vegetarian vegetable rennet used by our cheese makers causes the curds (the parts of the milk that curdle and turn solid) and whey (the liquid left behind) to separate. The curds are then pressed back together and aged - thus allowing Miss Muffet to sit on a tuffet, eating her Monterey Jack cheese in a burrito.”

On 25 September 2026 Monterey Jack Cheese was listed at all 368 restaurants read, in 48 states and DC. That makes it a core item, on every open menu read.

The record against a day

Per 1 oz, Monterey Jack Cheese carries 110 calories, 6 g of protein, 190 mg of sodium and 1 g of carbohydrate on its calculator record. That is 6 percent of a 2,000 calorie day and 8 percent of the 2,300 mg sodium daily value. Cholesterol is not in the calculator; the printed sheet’s row for Cheese gives 30 mg for the same portion.

The brand publishes two other portions for it: in a quesadilla, 3 oz at 330 calories; family meal portion, 8 oz at 880 calories (calories only). The build on an entree page sums whichever portion the format serves: a kid’s meal counts the kid’s portion and a quesadilla the 3 oz of cheese.

What it costs

Monterey Jack Cheese carries no price of its own on any of the 368 menus read: it is part of the entree, added on the line at no charge. The priced parts of an order are the protein’s second portion, guacamole, queso blanco and the cilantro lime sauce; everything else on the line is included.

What the chart says

Chipotle’s allergens and special diets chart marks Monterey Jack Cheese as containing dairy and as vegetarian and keto. “If you eat dairy, our shredded Monterey Jack cheese and queso are made with vegetable-based rennet and our sour cream is 100% cultured cream.” The chart’s standing cautions apply to every row: “Individual foods may come into contact with one another during preparation, which is not reflected on this chart.”

Where it turns up on the menu

The reference builds on 51 entree pages name Monterey Jack Cheese, from the Beef Barbacoa Burrito to the Steak Kid’s Quesadilla. It is a part of eleven configured meals: Family Meal - Chicken, Family Meal - Sofritas, Family Meal - Steak, Bardi Bowl with Chili Lime Chips, Pollo Asado Burrito Bowl and Pollo Asado Burrito. On the build it sits at the toppings station (as many as you like, at no charge) on 28 entree pages, so pressing it there adds this record to the bars.

Guides and comparisons that mention it

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