The Costco Dinner That's Just Like Eating Chipotle For A Fraction Of The Price

The money mistake you're making with your Chipotle order may just be that you're not heading to Costco instead. The big box store has brought back its chicken burrito bowl dinner, and dollar for dollar, it's a better deal for a similar meal at Chipotle. Costco's chicken burrito bowl costs $4.99 per pound, with the exact amount varying, and you'll pay somewhere around $16 to $17 for one tray since, in typical Costco fashion, the giant pre-packaged bowl weighs somewhere around 3 pounds. Meanwhile, Chipotle typically costs around $13 for a bowl, depending on what customizations you choose. The difference is Chipotle's bowls usually weigh somewhere around 22 ounces, although the chain has brought back larger portions after skimping backlash. But if you're thinking in terms of truly getting your money's worth, Costco is the better option for "takeout night" for a family, or to get more than one meal's worth of food out of the bowl. 

The ingredients in Costco's chicken burrito bowl and Chipotle's bowl are pretty similar when you break them down, though there are pros and cons for choosing one over the other. Costco's bowl includes chicken, cilantro rice, beans, salsa, guac, lime, and cheese. With Chipotle, of course, the bowls are customizable. You'll get a bigger range of choices not available with the ready-made Costco bowl, such as carnitas or sofritas as protein, different types of rice and beans, and more dressing choices such as various salsa types or adobo ranch.

If you have a Qdoba by you, you can get similar bowls for a comparable price as Chipotle, but Qdoba has the additional option of the mini bowl. It typically costs around $5 to $7, so it's similar in cost to one pound of Costco's larger bowl, so it may be a better deal if you're looking for one smaller meal for one person. The Qdoba bowl also has the addition of free toppings that include two kinds of queso to choose from, multiple types of salsa, and other toppings like pickled jalapeños and onions that aren't available in the Costco bowl.

However, Costco has another option for burrito bowls if you're looking for something to stock up on and keep in your fridge. The Frankly Fresh Chicken Burrito Bowl includes three 12-ounce bowls for around $14. This is a nice option if you want to control your portion size, something harder to do with Chipotle and Costco's chicken burrito bowls. Add Costco's signature organic salsa, a pantry must-have, and you've got a delicious meal.