The Complete Guide to Making a Crunchwrap Supreme Clone at Home

The first challenge is to recreate meat that tastes like Taco Bell’s mainstay. To start, equip yourself with fatty ground beef (at least 20% fat), a pantry of Mexican spices, and some rolled oats. Taco Bell’s meat isn’t 100% meat—a fact that caused a scandal when it was revealed—so the extra substances serve a purpose: to soak up the fat from the meat so you don’t lose it. To make the beef, brown the ground meat in a little oil. When the fat starts to seep out, add a couple tablespoons of oats that you’ve pulverized in the food processor. Mix those in. You can also add some textured soy protein or textured vegetarian protein, a filler that will make the meat resemble Taco Bell’s.

Spice the meat until it tastes like Taco Bell to you. “It’s any combo of chili powder, cumin, onions and garlic powder, ground oregano, and paprika,” says Scherer. “Generally the more spices, the more Taco Bell it tastes.” Salt extremely well. To authentically resemble the original version, invest in some MSG and throw a lot into the pan.

As for the texture: “Taco Bell beef doesn’t have any chew,” explains Scherer. So you want to go past the point of browning, adding stock (or just water) until the meat is basically like a ragu. “Get it as un-textured as possible,” he says. “It should be safe for a baby to eat.” Once you’ve browned the meat and added your spices and plenty of salt, cover the meat with water or broth and then let it simmer off over low heat. You can repeat this step a couple more times if you’re not in a rush. The longer the meat stews, the softer and more flavorful it will be.

If you’re comfortable with natural flavors, homemade nacho cheese sauce is a legitimate improvement on the fast-food version. It’s easy to make: melt a tablespoon of butter in a small pot. Add a tablespoon of flour and stir to incorporate. Now pour in a cup of whole milk, stir until smooth, and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat under the pan so the milk simmers, and cook until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in a handful of cheese—Scherer recommends some American and some mild cheddar, preferably orange. Finish with a little acid—the juice from pickled jalapenos is the tastiest choice, but a little vinegar or lime juice works. It’s okay if the sauce thickens before you assemble the Crunchwrap, since it’ll liquefy again when you griddle the finished wrap. 

The tortilla shell puts the crunch in Crunchwrap. Stores that carry a range of Mexican and South American ingredients will typically sell piles of tostadas, which look like flattened hard tacos. If you can’t find tostadas, grab a pack of corn tortillas and fry in hot oil, flipping once, until crispy. 

The northern half of the Crunchwrap consists of three classic taco toppings. Chop some iceberg lettuce, scatter some diced tomatoes, and drizzle sour cream over it all. Season with a little salt. That's all the topping you need, really, though you could add a few pickled jalapeños if you like.  

The real trick to assembly is speed. “Anyone who’s gotten the Crunchwrap and then sat in 20 minutes of traffic knows that the crunch disappears immediately,” says Scherer. For maximum crispness, have all your ingredients ready: lukewarm beef, nacho cheese, minced lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, a big burrito-sized flour tortilla, and a tostada.

Start with the tortilla. Zap it in the microwave for about 20 seconds for maximum flexibility, then lay it flat on the counter or a big cutting board. Scoop a half-cup of beef and spread it in a circle in the middle. Dollop some of the nacho cheese. Slam on the tostada, then add the lettuce and the tomato. Sling some sour cream. Don’t be skimpy, but keep quantities in check for easy wrapping. 

What looks like the most skillful part of the operation is actually easier than you’d ever dream. Even if you’re intimidated, remember that this is fairly intuitive. Fold the outer rim of the burrito-sized tortilla over your pile of ingredients, overlapping the edges as you go. “Just try to get a minimal hole at the top,” advises Scherer. You’ll seal it all together during griddling, so don’t worry if a few folds come undone. 

Though Taco Bell makes Crunchwraps in a Panini-style press, the homecook can go another route. Heat up a big, heavy pan (cast iron is good) over medium-high heat for about five minutes. If the pan is really hot, the wrap will cook more quickly, meaning the lettuce won’t wilt. Taco Bell’s cooks keep the pan dry, according to Scherer, so don’t add any oil. Then, just place the hexagon in, pinched side down. “It’ll sear off and stay together,” says Scherer. Cook until golden, then flip and cook the second side. 

Taco Bell offers a slew of add-ins that you could potentially upgrade your wrap with. But Scherer said there are only three outside elements you should even consider. First, for vegetarians: beans, which make a solid substitution for the meat, since both are nice and soft. Second, for dipping, some copycat Volcano Sauce, made by combining chipotles in adobo with mayo. And third: fire sauce. Other than that, keep things simple. “It’s a well-manicured and edited menu item. You don’t need anything else,” he says.