National Burrito Day 2025: Holy guacamole, the freebies are fire this year

LOS ANGELES - National Burrito Day returns on Thursday, April 3, bringing with it a nationwide wave of burrito deals, freebies, and flavorful perks from your favorite fast-casual chains. From Chipotle's online game to Qdoba’s "burrito insurance," restaurants are getting creative with how they serve up the savings.

The annual celebration falls on the first Thursday of April, and while the burrito may trace its name back to humble origins involving donkeys and rolled bedrolls, the 2025 edition of this food holiday is anything but modest. 

With high-value offers from brands like Moe’s Southwest Grill, Del Taco, and Chronic Tacos, burrito fans are in for a treat—if they’re ready to click, roll, or redeem.

Where to find the best burrito deals on April 3

The backstory:

The term "burrito" is believed to have come from street vendors in Mexico who sold food from baskets carried by donkeys—or "burros." Over time, these tightly wrapped, portable meals took on the nickname "burritos," or "little donkeys," according to several reports.  

Today, the burrito has become a beloved staple across the U.S., inspiring this yearly celebration with deals from coast to coast.

By the numbers:

Here’s a breakdown of the major deals available on April 3, 2025:

• Chipotle is bringing back its Burrito Vault digital game, giving away more than 150,000 BOGO entrée codes. Starting March 31 at 9 a.m. ET, Chipotle Rewards members can play at UnlockBurritoDay.com. The first 2,500 players to guess the vault code each hour win a BOGO deal. Everyone else receives 25 bonus points. Chipotle is also offering $0 delivery with code DELIVER.
• Qdoba is offering "burrito insurance" with a free entrée when you buy any entrée and a drink on April 3. The deal is open to Qdoba Rewards members and excludes quesadillas.

FILE - A chicken burrito, guacamole, bag of tortilla chips, and a drink are arranged for a photograph at a Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. restaurant in El Segundo, California, U.S., on Wednesday, July 25, 2018.  (Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

• Moe’s Southwest Grill is serving up BOGO burritos or bowls for all customers, though online redemptions require Moe Rewards membership.
• El Pollo Loco is offering a buy one, get one free burrito deal through its rewards app.
• Taco Bell has a free $2 burrito for customers who spend $15 or more via the app or online—though some have noted the offer isn’t quite as spicy as the competition.Del Taco is offering a free burrito with any purchase for members of its Del Yeah! Rewards program.
• Baja Fresh has a BOGO burrito offer from April 3–6 using promo code BURRITO during online checkout. Rewards membership is required.
• Chronic Tacos is offering BOGO burritos for loyalty members, though the deal excludes Cali and Surf & Turf burritos and requires signing up before April 3.
• Bubbakoo’s Burritos is offering a buy one burrito, get $5 off the next order promo, available at all locations nationwide. To be eligible for the deal, customers must be loyalty members. Once they purchase a regular burrito at full price, a $5 reward will automatically be added to their loyalty account for future use.

What you can do:

If you’re planning to make the most of National Burrito Day, here are a few quick tips:

• Join the rewards programs early. Most deals require app-based membership to redeem offers.Check location participation. Not all franchises may offer the deals, so double-check your local store online.
• Plan ahead. With some deals limited by time or inventory, early participation boosts your chance of scoring freebies.