18 Taco Bell Copycat Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What does Taco Bell use in their tacos? ›

We use 100 percent USDA premium beef in our seasoned beef. We prepare it much the same way you prepare taco meat at home: after simmering, it is drained of excess fat and pre-seasoned with our signature blend of 7 authentic seasonings and spices.

Outside of the relative dominance of the Crunchwrap Supreme and Quesarito, there was a wide variety among many U.S. states. Eleven states had unique favorite menu items that no other state chose, like Michigan and the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, or Mississippi and Cinnamon Twists.

He took what he had learned and opened a new stand in 1951. The name underwent several changes, from Taco-Tia through El Taco, before settling on Taco Bell. Glen Bell opened the first Taco Bell in 1962 at 7112 Firestone Boulevard in Downey, California.

The largest order in Taco Bell history was 349 Beef Burrito Supremes, 201 Chicken Burrito Supremes, 101 Steak Burrito Supremes, and one Crunchy Taco. While Taco Bell has introduced an array of creative items to its menu, the top-selling item at the chain is the original crunchy taco.

Where do your ingredients come from? We buy many of our ingredients for our restaurants from the same brands that you see in the grocery store and your kitchen: for example, lettuce from Taylor Farms, tortillas from Mission, Hass avocados and poultry from Tyson.

The Least Healthy Menu Items at Taco Bell

If you want to keep your Taco Bell order as healthy as possible, registered dietitian Yelena Wheeler, RDN, says to steer clear of the steak grilled cheese burrito, which she says is the absolute least healthiest item on the menu.

Taco Bell main competitors are Rubio's Restaurants, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Jack in the Box. Competitor Summary. See how Taco Bell compares to its main competitors: KFC has the most employees (820,000).

Pepsi is a brand of soft drink so no, Pepsi did not control Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC. However, the owner of the soft drink called Pepsi, a company called PepsiCo, did own those three restaurant concepts. They were operated as subsidiaries of PepsiCo, just like the Frito-Lay Company is a subsidiary of PepsiCo.

Under our parent company, Yum! Brands Inc. Taco Bell is part of a family of fast food powerhouses which include both KFC and Pizza Hut.

What does Taco Bell stand for? ›

Turns out, Taco Bell received its name from the owner's name, Glen Bell. According to Taco Bell's website, Glen Bell originally created Bell's Drive-In and Taco Tia in San Bernardino, California, in 1954. It wasn't until 1962 when the name was changed to “Taco Bell” after Bell opened a restaurant in Downey, California.

Also, addressing a widespread rumor, Taco Bell beef is not grade D beef, according to the website. "We use the same quality beef used in all ground beef (like you'd find in the grocery store), only USDA-inspected, 100% premium real beef, period," the website says.

In the process, we all learned what is actually in Taco Bell's beef. Which, it turns out, is mostly beef, but not entirely; 12% of the "beef" the chain uses is actually a blend of other ingredients and spices. And that's fine, for the record, especially because the food tastes great.

Getting the Texture Just Right

Mixing the water (or broth) with the ground beef mixture really is the secret to getting the right texture. It makes the meat easy to break down with a spatula.

Oil: High-Oleic Low-Linolenic Canola Oil, TBHQ (To Protect Flavor), Dimethylpolysiloxane (An Antifoaming Agent). Corn, Vegetable Oil (May Contain One Of The Following: Soybean Oil, Corn Oil, Cottonseed Oil), Salt, TBHQ (Used As A Preservative).