Flavor Trailblazer: Leslie Serrano

With a background rooted in culinary exploration and cultural authenticity, Leslie Serrano is helping shape the future of fast-casual dining at one of America’s most influential brands. As senior manager of culinary innovation at Chipotle, Serrano sits at the intersection of operational complexity and blue-sky creativity, guiding a cross-functional process that must satisfy a passionate fanbase, meet strict sourcing standards and excite Gen Z’s adventurous palate.

In this conversation, she shares how the brand is rethinking value through new platforms like Build-Your-Own-Chipotle, why flavor innovations like its Adobo Ranch and Chipotle Honey Chicken are driving record engagement, and how inspiration can strike anywhere—from museum visits to street carts in Ensenada.

Katie Ayoub: What’s your role at Chipotle?
Leslie Serrano: I oversee innovation for our domestic business and have been working here for almost four years now. In the U.S., we create all the new ideas—whether that’s limited-time offers or enhancements to our core menu. For core items, we may optimize existing recipes, like dialing back spice levels to broaden appeal.

KA: Chipotle has a massive footprint and an incredibly loyal following. What’s your biggest challenge in innovation?
LS: We operate within clear guardrails, which can actually help focus creativity. I work closely with marketing, and they give us space for “blue sky” ideation—even if it doesn’t always make it to market. I’m very mindful of complexity. Our team members already do intense, fresh prep daily, so I never want to create a recipe that’s too difficult to execute. No freezers, no preservatives, a very clean label—those factors shape every stage of the process. On the guest side, our customers crave spicy, bold, fresh and layered flavor experiences. Meeting all those expectations while keeping it operationally feasible? That’s the real challenge.

KA: Can you give an example of blue-sky innovation that helped shape a successful menu item?
LS: Absolutely! Our Adobo Ranch. Ranch isn’t Mexican, and we’re a Mexican grill, so it was a stretch. But I looked at ingredients we already had in-house and thought: What can we create that’s flavorful, spicy and fresh, but still doable in the back-of-house? That’s how we developed the Adobo Ranch—by using existing components plus one new ingredient. Gen Z loves ranch, and they’re drizzling it all over their burritos on TikTok. It’s performed really well.

Credit: Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle’s Adobo Ranch brings a fresh twist to a fan-favorite flavor profile—blending housemade creamy ranch with smoky adobo for a bold, back-of-house innovation that meets the moment. Designed for dipping and drizzling, this sauce delivers the layered, spicy-sweet experience Gen Z craves.

KA: Chipotle is known for offering strong value. How are you evolving that value equation today?
LS: We approach value from two angles. One is the core value of “layers of deliciousness.” Guests can customize every bowl or burrito with fresh, craveable components—and sometimes it takes two tortillas to wrap it all up. The other is a new program we launched called BYOC—Build-Your-Own-Chipotle. It’s like a mini catering option, designed for small groups. You get a shareable kit with everything you need for a fun, convenient group meal. And it came directly from customer feedback.

Credit: Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle’s new Build-Your-Own-Chipotle (BYOC) offering brings customizable flavor to the group dining space. Delivering shareable value without sacrificing freshness or personalization, it offers flexible components and fan-favorite ingredients.

KA: How do you filter food trends through the Chipotle lens?
LS: We don’t do global mash-ups, but we do reinterpret trends. Our brisket has a Mexican-Californian influence. We’re always asking, “How do we deliver bold flavor with a hint of global influence while staying true to our core?” Our consumer insights team brings constant trend and Gen Z intelligence, and we use that to shape LTOs like Chipotle Honey Chicken. That dish wasn’t based on a traditional recipe—it was something entirely new, built to meet consumer demand for sweet heat. And it became our most successful launch ever.

Credit: Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle’s fan-favorite Carne Asada makes a triumphant, limited-time return—offering bold, craveable flavor with a hint of exclusivity. Its careful rollout and short window of availability underscore its cult status, tapping into consumer desire for both premium protein options and scarcity-driven excitement.

KA: Which items are untouchable on the Chipotle menu?
LS: Our signature adobo-marinated chicken is the star—juicy dark meat, grilled fresh with smoky, spicy marinade. I also love our Cilantro-Lime Rice: fluffy, citrusy, flecked with fresh cilantro. And we’re incredibly proud of our tortillas and chips—those are essential. Carne Asada is also huge with guests, but we’re only bringing it back as an LTO to keep customers excited. It builds anticipation and brings in new guests.

KA: What’s the current cadence of Chipotle LTOs?
LS: Historically, we’d launch one chicken and one beef LTO a year. But this year we launched five: Chipotle Honey Chicken, Adobo Ranch, BYOC, Carne Asada and another item coming at the end of the month. That shift came from customer demand—they want variety, new experiences and reasons to come back. I’m already working on ideas through 2027.

QUICKFIRE

Source of inspiration:
Everywhere. Sometimes I get what I call a “third-eye tickle,” and I follow it. It could be a conversation, a museum exhibit, a memory. Traveling is huge for me—I push myself out of my comfort zone, and that helps me think differently. The more I evolve, the more my creative lens evolves, too.

Something in your fridge that would surprise people:
Gochujang! It’s not Mexican, but I think of it like a fermented salsa. It adds funk and depth when I don’t have time to make a fresh salsa.

Best bite you’ve had recently:
In Ensenada, Mexico, at a street vendor Anthony Bourdain once visited. I had a seafood tostada with freshly caught fish, layered with housemade salsas like salsa negra and habanero. It was complex and absolutely unforgettable.

Flavor or ingredient you’d like to bring to Chipotle someday:
Epazote. It’s one of my favorite herbs—grassy, minty, intense. It’s incredible in a simple Mexico City-style quesadilla with Oaxaca cheese. I’d love to bring that experience to our guests in a way that feels modern and exciting.

Go-to late night snack:
In the summer, half a mini watermelon with chile powder and lime juice, eaten right out of the rind with a spoon. It’s refreshing, clean and nostalgic.