NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. — After testing in 2020, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is now serving Smoked Brisket at all participating US and Canada restaurants for a limited time.

The new protein is made from responsibly raised beef that is smoked, charred on the grill and seasoned with Mexican spices, including fire-roasted jalapeños and chipotle chili peppers. The meat is chopped and finished with a new brisket sauce made with smoky chili peppers.

Chipotle’s Smoked Brisket recipe is an offering two years in the making. Brisket has been among customers’ top requested menu items, the company said, so Chipotle’s culinary team spent two years developing a “reimagined brisket recipe that is uniquely Chipotle.”

“This isn’t your standard brisket experience,” said Chris Brandt, chief marketing officer for Chipotle. “We’ve created a differentiated Smoked Brisket recipe that is authentic to our menu and pairs flawlessly with our real ingredients.”

Chipotle first tested Smoked Brisket in Cincinnati and Sacramento, Calif., in November 2020. The company leveraged its stage-gate process, which allows it to listen, test and learn from customer feedback and iterate before determining a national launch strategy.

Brisket marks the third new menu item that Chipotle has launched on a national scale in 2021. Previously, Chipotle offered Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice for a limited time in January and debuted the Hand-Crafted Quesadilla in March. Chipotle previously used its stage-gate process to introduce Carne Asada, Supergreens Salad Mix and Queso Blanco in 2019 and 2020.