Taco Bell’s Quesarito is one of my favorite menu items. It’s one of the biggest burritos they serve (since they discontinued my favorite 7 Layer Burrito) and it’s packed with serious flavor and spice. It’s a meaty, cheesy, lime-cilantro rice burrito wrapped up in a cheese-filled quesadilla. Yes, it’s as delicious as it sounds. But now you can skip the Taco Bell drive-through, and make this amazing Quesarito from home with this simple recipe.
The most important thing here is to make sure you’re using large flour tortillas because the regular ones won’t hold all the ingredients very well. The quesadilla is made by sprinkling shredded cheese over a large tortilla and placing a second tortilla over the top. Let it cook on medium-high heat for a few minutes before covering it with the cooked beef and all the filler ingredients. You can add anything you like even if it’s not mentioned here- guacamole, salsa – it’s your masterpiece! Once you cover the quesadilla with all the fun stuff, roll it up, and cook the whole burrito until it’s golden brown. Watch all the cheese oozing out when you cut it in half- that’s when you know it’s good.
Serve hot and enjoy!
Taco Bell Quesarito
Ingredients
For the Beef
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
For Cilantro-Lime Rice
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp finely-chopped cilantro
For Quesarito Assembly
- 8 large flour tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup nacho cheese sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- The first step is to prepare the ground beef. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Then add the beef, chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper and cook until beef is no longer pink- about 6 minutes. Be sure to drain the fat.
- Next, you'll make the cilantro-lime rice. Cook the rice according to the package instructions. Then in a medium bowl, toss together the white rice, lime juice, and cilantro using a fork. Set aside.
- To make the quesadillas, heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add a tortilla and sprinkle cheddar cheese all over it. Top with a second flour tortilla and cook until the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining tortillas and cheddar to make 4 quesadillas.
- Now it's time to build the quesaritos. On a cutting board or plate, top the center of one quesadilla with some rice, meat, nacho cheese sauce, and sour cream. Then roll it up into a burrito. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Reheat the nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add two quesaritos and cook until the outside quesadilla is golden and slightly crispy- about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You could also use a Mexican blend of cheese instead of cheddar.
- If you have a packet Old El Paso taco seasoning mix, you can use that in place of the seasonings. It's quite tasty this way too.
- These giant quesaritos might be more than you need for one sitting. No problem- they freeze well for up to 3 months. Simply freeze them in an airtight container and reheat when you're ready.
If you like grilled quesadillas filled with meat and cheese, check out our Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme recipe.
