✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
This copycat Taco Bell Quesarito wraps a whole burrito in a melty cheese quesadilla, with seasoned beef, rice, nacho cheese and smoky chipotle sauce inside. It's off the menu more often than it's on, so I make my own.
How Do You Make a Taco Bell Quesarito at Home? (Quick Answer)
Melt shredded cheese between two 10-inch flour tortillas in a skillet to make a quesadilla. Layer seasoned beef, seasoned rice, nacho cheese, chipotle sauce and sour cream across the lower third, fold in the sides and roll up tightly, then sear seam side down until golden. Cook the ground beef to 160°F.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Melt the cheese between the two tortillas first and let them cool for a minute before filling. Warm, floppy tortillas roll; a hot, wet stack tears.
Why You'll Love This Quesarito
- A burrito in a quesadilla yes, it's exactly as good as it sounds.
- Smoky chipotle kick a real chipotle in adobo does the heavy lifting.
- Big enough for dinner one of these and you are done.
- Freezer friendly roll a batch and reheat it on a busy night.
- Your rules swap the beef, skip the rice, change the heat.
What Is a Taco Bell Quesarito?
A Quesarito is exactly what the name promises: a burrito that uses a quesadilla as its wrapper. Inside, Taco Bell's site lists beef, chipotle-style sauce, lighter sour cream, nacho cheese and seasoned rice.
Late-night Taco Bell runs were a habit in my Austin years, and this one was built for exactly that mood. Here at home I make it a little bigger, with a real chipotle sauce and rice that tastes like something.
Is the Quesarito Still on the Menu?
When I checked in November 2026, Taco Bell's site showed the Quesarito as not currently available, and it wasn't on the burrito menu. It was set to leave the menu in April 2023, then came back for a limited time in December 2025, with a Volcano Quesarito following in January 2026. Menus change quickly and vary by location, so check the Taco Bell app near you. This is the make-it-at-home version.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef: 80/20 keeps it juicy. Drain before you season.
- Cornstarch: this is what turns the beef saucy instead of crumbly.
- Long-grain rice: toasting it first keeps the grains separate.
- Chipotle in adobo: one pepper gives gentle heat. Add a second if you like it hotter.
- Processed cheese: it melts into a silky sauce with no graininess. Jarred nacho cheese works in a pinch.
- Flour tortillas: you need burrito size. Smaller ones can't hold all of this.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Mash the beef. A potato masher gets you that fine, saucy texture. Chunky crumbles poke through the wrap.
- Warm tortillas only. A cold tortilla cracks at the fold, and the Quesarito has two of them to crack.
- Keep the filling low. Line it up along the lower third, leave room at the sides and it rolls neatly. Overfill and it bursts.
- Let the rice cool a little. Steaming rice makes the wrap soggy. Ten minutes on a plate is plenty.
- Don't forget the sear. Starting seam side down seals the burrito and gives you those golden spots.
- Make it a project. Beef and rice both keep for days, so I cook them one evening and roll the next.
Taco Bell Quesarito
6
servings20
minutes40
minutes1100
kcal1
hourCopycat-style Taco Bell Quesarito: two flour tortillas glued together with melted cheese, then rolled around seasoned beef, seasoned rice, nacho cheese, chipotle sauce and sour cream and seared until golden. Makes 6 big burritos.
Ingredients
- For the Seasoned Beef
1 lb ground beef (80/20)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup water
- For the Seasoned Rice
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- For the Chipotle Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 pepper chipotle in adobo, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- For the Nacho Cheese
8 ounces processed cheese (like Velveeta), cubed
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- To Assemble
12 burrito-size flour tortillas (10 inch)
2 1/4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup sour cream
Directions
- Rice: warm the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and stir the rice for 2 minutes, until it smells toasty. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt and broth. Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low for 18 minutes, then rest off the heat for 5 minutes.
- Beef: brown the beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, mashing it fine with a potato masher, until it reaches 160°F. Drain the fat, stir in the seasonings, cornstarch and water, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until thick and saucy.
- Chipotle sauce: stir the mayonnaise, chipotle, adobo sauce, lime juice, smoked paprika and garlic powder together in a small bowl.
- Nacho cheese: microwave the processed cheese, milk and chili powder in a bowl in 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until smooth.
- Quesadilla wrap: set a tortilla in a dry skillet over medium heat, scatter over 6 tablespoons of cheese, leaving a 1-inch border, and top with a second tortilla. Cook about 1 minute per side, until the cheese glues them together. Repeat to make 6.
- Fill: down the lower third of each quesadilla, layer about 1/3 cup rice, 1/3 cup beef, 3 tablespoons nacho cheese, 1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle sauce and 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream.
- Fold in the sides and roll up tightly. Set seam side down in the skillet over medium heat and sear for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden. Serve hot.
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Variations
Once you have the method, it bends easily.
- Volcano style: stir cayenne and a pinch of smoked paprika into the nacho cheese for extra heat.
- Chicken: use shredded cooked chicken, heated to 165°F, in place of the beef.
- Black bean: mash a can of drained beans with the same seasonings.
- Smaller appetite: use 8-inch tortillas and halve the fillings for snack-size versions.
Storage, Freezing and Reheating
Wrap cooled Quesaritos individually and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen ones overnight in the fridge. Reheat in foil in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F, then give them a minute in a dry skillet to crisp the outside.
More Taco Bell Copycats
Making it a Taco Bell night? Try my copycat 7-Layer Burrito, a Taco Bell Mexican Pizza, the cheesy Taco Bell quesadilla or the old-school Enchirito.
For more lost favorites, see my list of discontinued Taco Bell items and my full copycat recipes collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in a Taco Bell Quesarito?
Taco Bell's site describes beef, chipotle-style sauce, lighter sour cream, nacho cheese and seasoned rice, all wrapped in a quesadilla. My copycat follows the same build.
Is the Quesarito still on the menu?
When I checked in November 2026, Taco Bell's site showed it as not currently available. It has been cut and brought back for limited runs, so check the Taco Bell app near you for the latest.
What's the difference between a Quesarito and a burrito?
A burrito uses one tortilla. A Quesarito uses a whole cheese quesadilla, two tortillas glued together with melted cheese, as the wrap.
Can I make a Quesarito ahead?
Yes. Cook the beef and rice up to 3 days ahead, keep the sauces in the fridge and assemble when you're ready to eat.
Can I freeze a Quesarito?
Yes. Wrap each one tightly, freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a 350°F oven until the center reaches 165°F.
How do I reheat a Quesarito?
Wrap it in foil and warm it in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F. A minute or two in a dry skillet brings the crisp back.
Can I make it without beef?
Yes. Black beans work well; warm a drained can with the same seasonings and a splash of water, and mash them a little.
