You have to try the Copycat Taco Bell Crunchy Taco with homemade seasoning. Skip the drive-thru with this easy recipe for the whole family!
Homemade Taco Bell Ground Beef is great for burritos and nachos, but nothing is quite as good as serving this favorite fast-food Copycat Recipe in a crispy corn taco shell! If you are looking to expand your homemade Taco Bell menu, I’ve also used my copycat Taco Bell Copycat Taco Seasoning to recreate Taco Bell Nachos Bell Grande (Copycat) and Taco Bell Quesarito (Copycat) and more! Check out my full collection here: Taco Bell Recipes.
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Sabrina’s Taco Bell Crunchy Taco (Copycat) Recipe
Since Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos only have a few ingredients, it’s important to get each one right for that spot-on copycat taste! From the type of taco shell to buy to the homemade Taco Bell Seasoning (skip the store-bought packets), I’ve got the tips you need to make the perfect Copycat Taco Bell Crunchy Taco.
You can treat yourself to a homemade Taco Supreme without breaking the bank by adding some sour cream you have on hand. Go all out and serve Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos topped with Restaurant Style Salsa and Chipotle Guacamole. Or maybe you prefer a soft taco? Simply swap out the crunchy corn taco shells with small flour soft taco tortillas.
Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos get instantly upgraded to restaurant status with a side of Spanish Rice and Refried Beans. You can even bake these tacos like my Baked Beef Tacos for an easy family-friendly dinner that doesn’t have a lot of cleanup. The possibilities are endless for my spot-on Taco Bell Taco Meat recipe!
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Ingredients
I recreated Taco Bell Original Taco Seasoning without any anti-caking additives or preservatives. It’s the absolute best (and best for you) recreation! Check it out!
- 1 tablespoon Onion Powder: This adds a nice onion flavor to the seasoning without adding texture from diced onions.
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch: Cornstarch is needed to help thicken the seasoning in the meat.
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Salt: This adds critical garlic flavor and saltiness at the same time. You can also make your own by mixing 1/3rd teaspoon garlic powder with 2/3 teaspoons of your preferred salt if you don’t have premade garlic salt.
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin: Cumin has a deep earthy flavor that is found in many Central American-style dishes.
- 1 teaspoon Paprika: Paprika adds a nice red color and smoky flavor to the mixture. You can use smoked paprika or chipotle powder if you’d like a more intense smoky taste in your meat.
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder: Chili powder is the pulverized powder of dried red chilis of various kinds, depending on the brand. Chili powder usually has a mild smokiness and peppery taste that is needed in the mixture.
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper: Cayenne pepper provides a little kick of heat to the seasoning mix. You can omit it altogether if hot and spicy isn’t your thing, or add more if it is!
- ¼ teaspoon Sugar: The little bit of sugar in the mix helps to balance out the flavors and any bitterness.
- 1 pound Ground Beef: I’m using lean ground beef, but you can use whatever you have on hand!
- 8 Taco Shells: You want to use the boxed taco shells that you find in the Mexican food section. Some stores carry the Taco Bell brand, but any crunchy corn taco shell will taste the same. If you want to bake these tacos, get the flat-bottomed shells. You can also make these with the flat tostada shells too!
- 1 cup Cheese: Use mild cheddar cheese and shred it yourself. The bagged cheese is going to be too thick and won’t get that slightly melty cheese effect. Use the fine side of your grater for those signature thin shreds! If you have a Mexican cheese blend already on hand, feel free to use that too!
- 1 cup Lettuce: This is the only ingredient that was changed from the Original Taco Bell Taco. Taco Bell uses shredded iceberg lettuce, like the kind they sell in bags. I just like the greener, slightly more flavorful romaine lettuce. Since you are making these tacos at home, you can upgrade the lettuce as you prefer.
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How to Make Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos
Time needed: 25 minutes.
In your prep time, be sure you have all the spices ready to go!
- Mix Seasoning
Pour the onion powder, cornstarch, garlic salt, ground cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and sugar into a bowl and mix well.
- Prepare the Ground Beef
In a large pot on medium heat to medium-high heat, cook ground beef with water, breaking it apart with a potato masher until fully cooked. Drain excess water, leaving a small amount. Add the taco spice mix and stir, cooking until the liquid reduces.
- Assemble Tacos
Fill each of the crunch taco shells with your beef mixture then top with shredded lettuce, cheddar cheese, and any other favorite toppings, like sour cream and hot sauce! Enjoy!
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Can This Be Made Ahead
Yes, you can prepare the meat mixture and keep it in the fridge a day or two in advance. The crunchy shells should not be stored with the meat mixture or they will get soggy. Assemble everything just before serving.
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Nutritional Facts
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How to Store
- Store: Assembled Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos are best served right away. You can keep the ground beef filling at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Store meat and toppings for Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos separately, and don’t store tacos assembled. Keep ground beef in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheating Tips: Reheat the meat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Freeze: Freeze Taco Bell Crunchy Taco beef filling in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw meat overnight in the refrigerator before reheating it in a saucepan with beef broth if it is too thick. Prepare toppings and taco shells when ready to serve.
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Serving Ideas
Just because Taco Bell isn’t traditional Mexican cuisine, doesn’t mean you can’t serve these Crunchy Taco Bell Tacos with homemade Mexican side dishes. Besides, Taco Tuesday wouldn’t be complete without more incredible flavors from Latin America! You’ll want to start off with some classic Easy Guacamole. Try a few easy sides, like Latin Yellow Rice and black beans or my Easy Refried Beans which are easy to make in bulk.
You’ll need some salsas on the side, especially if it’s a full on party! Try some fresh Pico de Gallo, my version of Taco Bell Creamy Jalapeno Quesadilla Sauce (Copycat) for dipping, and, of course, the incredible Chipotle Corn Salsa (Copycat) with corn tortilla chips!
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Frequent Questions
Technically, you can switch out the hard shell for soft-shell tortillas for a different flavor and texture. Similar in flavor to a Crunchwrap Supreme, you can even mix soft and hard shells by heating a soft shell over the stovetop and melting some shreded cheese on it. Then wrap a stuffed hardshell taco for an incredible taco you won’t easily forget.
Hard shells are made of corn flour and, depending on the brand, may be mixed with some wheat flour. Be sure to check the packaging if you’re specifically looking for a gluten-free option.
Depending on how it’s stored, your taco seasoning can last in an airtight container for up to 6 months in the pantry!
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Recipe Card
Ingredients
Taco Bell Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
Taco Bell Ground Beef:
- 1 pound ground beef , (80/20)
- 4 cups water
To Finish:
- 8 taco shells
- 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
- 1 cup cheddar cheese , finely shredded
Instructions
Taco Bell Seasoning:
- Whisk onion powder, cornstarch, garlic salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and sugar together in a bowl.
Taco Bell Ground Beef:
- Add ground beef to a large pot with the water.
- Bring to a boil and using a potato masher, mash the ground beef until completely broken apart.
- Add in the Taco Bell Taco Seasoning mix and stir well.
- Cook until the liquid is reduced. Use in tacos, burritos and quesadillas as desired.
To Finish:
- Top taco shells with beef, then lettuce and cheese.
Notes
- Change Serving Size: Click on the yield amount to slide and change the number of servings and the recipe will automatically update!
- Conversion: To convert measurements to grams, click on the Metric option next to Ingredients in the recipe card.
- Kitchen Timer: Click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.
Nutrition
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Variations
- Crunchy Taco Supreme: Layer ground beef in the bottom of your shell then spoon sour cream on top. Toss diced tomatoes (seeds removed) and lettuce together and top sour cream with lettuce mixture. Finish with finely shredded cheese.
- Double-Stacked Taco: Spread a thin layer of Nacho Cheese outside the crunchy taco shell then place in a soft taco-sized flour tortilla. Fill with ground beef, cheese, and lettuce. Add red tortilla strips with your cheese and lettuce for an extra authentic Double Stacked Taco!
- Doritos Locos: For an easy Doritos Locos coating, mix a packet of boxed macaroni cheese powder with 1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning, 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika, and ¼ teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, and MSG (optional). Spray outsides of taco shells with cooking spray and press into the cheese mixture on both sides. Bake for 3-5 minutes at 350 to crisp, and cool before filling.
- Ranch Doritos Locos: Follow the same instructions as above but add 2 tablespoons Ranch Dressing Mix to the powdered cheese mixture instead of the Taco Seasoning and paprika.
- Taco Bowl: Trying to watch the carbs and calories? Just make the ingredients according to the recipe a serve in a bowl! So good!
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