Chipotle Mexican Grill has announced the global return of Chicken al Pastor to its restaurants for a limited period.

The dish, which features freshly grilled chicken and a blend of seasonings, was first introduced this month in the US, Canada, France, Germany and the UK.

Chicken al Pastor is prepared using grilled chicken marinated with seared morita peppers and ground achiote.

Pineapple then gives it a sweet and tart twist and it is finished with fresh lime and cilantro [coriander].

Chipotle Mexican Grill culinary vice-president Nevielle Panthaky said: “The rich flavour of our Chicken al Pastor shines in the fan favourite bowl.

“Each ingredient layers for the perfectly balanced bite with the right level of sweetness, acidity and heat. It is simple, flavourful, unbelievably delicious and has everything you crave.”

According to Chipotle, the Chicken al Pastor burrito bowl with rice, black beans, tomato salsa, roasted chilli-corn salsa, cheese and guacamole was the most ordered item by its patrons last year.

Chipotle Mexican Grill chief brand officer Chris Brandt said: “About one in five transactions included Chicken al Pastor when it was featured on our menu last year.

“Given the performance and the fans wanting its return so enthusiastically, we are thrilled to make this the fastest item to ever come back to Chipotle.”

To mark the occasion, Chipotle is rolling out a free delivery offer on all Chicken al Pastor orders placed through the Chipotle app, Chipotle.com, and Chipotle.ca from 14 to 24 March 2024 in the US and Canada.

In the UK, customers will have free delivery on Uber Eats for orders over £15 from 14 to 28 March 2024.

A free delivery offer from Deliveroo is available in France on the same dates.

Last month, Chipotle doubled its commitment to its Cultivate Next venture fund to $100m to pursue more start-up partnerships.