The Genius Chipotle Bowl Hack That Eliminates Soggy Bottoms
Few fast-casual menu items are as beloved as the famed Chipotle burrito bowl (long known as a great value). Everyone has their favorite ingredients, from cilantro-lime rice and freshly grilled fajita veggies to seasoned steak, chicken, or carnitas and guacamole, the flavor combination options are endless. The last thing you want in your burrito bowl, though, is a soggy bottom. That's why one genius Chipotle bowl hack for leftovers is so clever.
The fast casual restaurant is known for its compostable bowls, but when loaded high with salsa, sour cream, and other menu items that aren't exactly dry, the vessel itself can become soggy. Especially when popped in the fridge overnight in hopes of enjoying the rest tomorrow.
Luckily, there's a simple move you can make that you've probably overlooked: Flip the bowl and store it with the aluminum lid on the bottom. That side is waterproof and you won't have to worry about any of your bowl's contents seeping through.
A hot debate
While many people relish this method and consider it genius (for storage purposes, it works as promised), some TikTok users have poked fun at the hack, insisting that they've never had leftover Chipotle to store in the fridge because they eat it all in one sitting. One commenter also made a good point: How do you warm up your leftover burrito bowl if all the contents are in the aluminum foil lid, which can't go in the microwave?
It's also not the first time the orientation of the Chipotle bowl has gone viral on TikTok and sparked debate. This clip set off a firestorm in the comment section after suggesting that the true intended way to eat a bowl is out of the aluminum lid part.
@s.s.training especially when you're saving some for later @Chipotle #chipotle #mealprep #protein #lifting #gym #gymrat #jim #gymtok #weightlifting #weights #workout
Besides the fact that a few former Chipotle employees, including a manager, debunked the claim in the comments, others pointed out that flipping the bowl after going down the order line and building your meal layer by layer from the bottom up wouldn't make much sense. "No [because] my sour cream would be on the bottom," one person wrote, while another mused that their "$3 Guac is at the bottom of the bowl [though]."
Aluminum leaching concerns
When considering whether to flip the bowl and let the contents rest in the aluminum lid, you may want to do your homework on some of the concerns over potential aluminum leaching. Several studies, including from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, have investigated the potential for aluminum leaching, especially when cooking acidic foods like tomatoes or citrus fruits in aluminum cookware or storing these foods in aluminum foil. Some research suggests that prolonged exposure to high levels of aluminum may be linked to adverse health effects, including neurotoxicity.
The evidence on the health risks associated with aluminum exposure is not conclusive, though, and regulatory agencies like the FDA consider aluminum to be safe for use in food packaging and cookware within certain limits. Most aluminum packaging also has a coating on it that acts as a barrier against any potential corrosion. All that taken into consideration, your Chipotle leftovers are likely fine to sit in the container's lid until you can finish them off.