Chipotle adds new protein to menu for the first time in a year

Chipotle is adding a new protein to its menu for the first time in a year.

The restaurant is rolling out carne asada, a marinated steak, for a limited time at its more than 2,000 stores in the United States beginning Tuesday. It is Chipotle's first new meat item since it reintroduced chorizo in 2018.

The carne asada option was tested in three American cities over the past year, and the company said it performed "incredibly well."

Chipotle said it approved the steak for three popular diets - ketogenic, Paleo and Whole30. The company has been aggressively marketing its new diet-friendly bowls as it looks to attract health-conscious customers. Earlier this year, the company rolled out "Lifestyle Bowls" that are compliant with several trendy diets.

Members of Chipotle's app-based rewards program were the first to receive notifications about the new menu item.

In addition to new meat menu items, Chipotle recently rolled out new vegan or vegetarian bowls made from existing ingredients.

"The whole idea here is to really emphasize again that Chipotle can be an option for virtually any diet," Sharon Zackfia, an analyst who covers restaurants for the research group of asset manager William Blair, previously told CNN Business.