Taco Bell might’ve streamlined their menu, but it’s more hackable than ever. Taco Bell has a pretty die-hard fan base. The fact that Taco Bell is able to spin these ridiculous ideas into fast food that sober people actually want is a testament to the brand’s skill. The commitment taco bell 5 layer burrito vegetarian fare is admirable.
But even the most die-hard Taco Bell fans have to agree, Taco Bell has been slipping. Who even is Taco Bell anymore? We ranked the whole menu last year, and that list is already obsolete! By producing a menu that is more streamlined and focused, Taco Bell has created something a whole lot less fun. Considering the Bell’s menu is completely customizable, it still has a lot of potential to be chopped, screwed, and remixed into uniquely delicious dishes. Here are the best current Taco Bell menu hacks, ranked, plus exactly how to order them. Ever since Taco Bell dropped the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, which features a thick tortilla smothered in melted cheese and wrapped around a taco, this assemble-it-yourself menu hack has felt a little obsolete — which is why it ranks last on our list.
The idea here is a combination of the quesadilla and the taco. It’s not a bad idea, but Taco Bell has this ground covered now with the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, which is superior because the Gordita shell is thicker and more hearty, whereas this hack relies on Taco Bell’s Cheesy Roll-Up which features a thinner tortilla. Plus you have to assemble this yourself, which is always a pain. One Cheesy Roll-up and two hard shell tacos. Open up the cheesy roll-up and wrap it around two crunchy tacos. Skip it, order the Cheesy Gordita Crunch instead.
You don’t get to eat two hard shell tacos at the same time, but you do get a better-tasting, thicker tortilla wrapping your taco. I get it, this looks and sounds really delicious, but trust me it really fails to deliver. The California Sunset tastes like little more than slightly fizzy fruit punch. It has an overly candied flavor that sticks to the tongues and teeth and makes you feel like you should be drinking it out of a box with a bendy straw.
Half G2, which is awful tasting low-sugar Gatorade, one-quarter Mountain Dew, and one-quarter Brisk Mango Iced Tea. It won’t help to make it taste that much better, but at least it’ll taste consistent. Not worth the effort, and if you’re not at a self-serve fountain you’re just asking for the Taco Bell employee who has to make this for you to hate you. So when I first reluctantly dipped a cinnamon twist into a side of sour cream, I winced until it actually hit my palate.
Strangely, the sugary dust that is applied to these twists tamed the more sour notes and made this taste just like a slice of New York cheesecake. Not a good cheesecake mind you, but I have to hand it to Jessica, it does certainly taste like cheesecake. Cinnamon twists with a side of sour cream. They just let you order it, no questions asked. Yes, it tastes like cheesecake, not it isn’t good. Don’t order it, there is something about dipping the cinnamon twist into the sour cream that makes you feel ashamed to be alive.
This is the sort of menu hack that has become so widespread that now it’s been added as a customization option on Taco Bell’s app. Taco Bell diehards have known for years that you can get any burrito on Taco Bell’s menu grilled and on every occasion, you should! My favorite burrito to get grilled is the Cheesy Bean and Rice burrito, which adds a nice bit of crunchy texture to this soft mouthfeel burrito. Order any burrito, and then ask for it grilled! You’re making a good thing better.
You can’t go wrong with this simple hack that works on multiple menu items. Taco Bell has always been incredibly friendly to vegetarians, not only do they have more vegetarian options on their menu than any other fast food chain, you can customize almost every item into something vegetarian friendly. But for whatever reason last year Taco Bell ditched the vegetarian-favorite 7-Layer Burrito. The 7-Layer consists of beans, tomatoes, rice, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and lettuce — all ingredients that Taco Bell still has on hand, so you can still technically order it. Then why take it off the menu?
We can’t say, but as a burrito it’s good, not great. The problem here is that Taco Bell’s beans aren’t very good to begin with and they supply most of the flavor in a 7-layer. The guacamole and sour cream turn each bite into a textureless mushy mess. Luckily we have a hack that’ll take this to the next level. Bean, cheese, and rice burrito add guacamole, lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, jalapeños, red strips, and potatoes.