Taco Bell is a popular fast food chain that serves Mexican-inspired foods like tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more. Their menu features a variety of proteins like seasoned beef, grilled chicken, steak, and black beans. While they don’t specifically offer a “ground beef quesadilla” on the menu, there are a few different ways you can customize an order to essentially create one. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Taco Bell’s quesadilla and protein options to determine if you can order a quesadilla filled with ground beef at Taco Bell.
Taco Bell’s Quesadilla Options
Taco Bell offers a few different types of quesadillas on their menu:
- Cheese Quesadilla – A grilled flour tortilla filled with melted cheese.
- Chicken Quesadilla – Grilled flour tortilla with melted cheese, marinated all-white-meat chicken, and creamy chipotle sauce.
- Steak Quesadilla – Grilled flour tortilla with melted cheese, marinated steak, and creamy chipotle sauce.
- XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito – A huge burrito-quesadilla hybrid with cheese, beans, rice, nacho cheese sauce, and your choice of steak or chicken.
As you can see, Taco Bell’s standard quesadilla options all come with melted cheese inside a flour tortilla, paired with chicken, steak or no protein. There is no quesadilla option that specifically comes with Taco Bell’s seasoned ground beef as a protein choice.
Taco Bell’s Ground Beef Options
While they don’t offer ground beef quesadillas on the menu, Taco Bell does use seasoned ground beef in many of their other menu items. Here are some of the ways you can get ground beef at Taco Bell:
- Crunchy Taco – A crunchy corn taco shell filled with ground beef, lettuce, and cheese.
- Soft Taco – A soft flour tortilla with ground beef, lettuce, and cheese.
- Taco Supreme – A crunchy taco filled with ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and cheese.
- Cheesy Gordita Crunch – A soft flour tortilla layered with melted cheese, then stuffed with a crunchy taco filled with ground beef, lettuce, and spicy ranch sauce.
- Nachos BellGrande – Tortilla chips covered with Taco Bell’s seasoned ground beef, refried beans, nacho cheese sauce, sour cream, tomatoes, and jalapeños.
As you can see, many of Taco Bell’s most popular items feature their signature seasoned ground beef as the protein.
Can You Substitute Ground Beef in a Quesadilla?
Since Taco Bell doesn’t offer a standard ground beef quesadilla, the only way to order one would be to customize or substitute the protein in one of their existing quesadillas.
When ordering at the counter, you can ask the cashier if you can substitute ground beef for the chicken or steak in any of the quesadillas. However, the ability to substitute proteins can vary by location. Some Taco Bells may allow protein substitutions upon request, while others may have strict guidelines against it.
There are a few other ordering options that may allow you to create a make-shift ground beef quesadilla:
- Order a Cheese Quesadilla with a side of Ground Beef – Order a cheese quesadilla and a side of seasoned ground beef (e.g. in a crunchy taco), then assemble the quesadilla yourself by adding the ground beef.
- Mobile Ordering Customizations – The Taco Bell mobile app and website sometimes allow you to customize item ingredients. There may be options to add ground beef to a standard chicken or steak quesadilla.
- Special Request – You can ask the cashier to make a special request to add ground beef to a quesadilla, but it may cost extra or not be possible at all locations.
So while Taco Bell does not advertise or list a ground beef quesadilla on their menu, some locations or ordering methods may give you the ability to customize or special request one. But availability can vary.
Copycat Recipes for Ground Beef Quesadillas
If your local Taco Bell won’t customize a quesadilla with ground beef for you, there are some easy copycat recipes you can make at home:
Taco Bell Ground Beef Quesadilla
Ingredients:
- Flour tortillas
- Shredded cheese (like cheddar or Mexican blend)
- Taco Bell ground beef (prepare using packet of seasoning)
- Sour cream
- Tomatoes (optional)
- Taco Bell sauce packets
Instructions:
- Cook ground beef according to Taco Bell packet instructions.
- Place tortilla in skillet and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Top with cooked ground beef.
- Fold tortilla in half and cook until lightly browned on both sides and cheese is melted.
- Top with sliced tomatoes, drizzle of sour cream, and Taco Bell sauce packets like Diablo or Fire.
Crunchwrap Supreme-Style Ground Beef Quesadilla
Ingredients:
- Flour tortillas
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded cheese
- Taco Bell seasoned ground beef
- Nacho cheese sauce
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
Instructions:
- Cook ground beef according to Taco Bell’s packet instructions.
- Place one tortilla flat and sprinkle with lettuce and cheese. Top with ground beef.
- Spread a ring of nacho cheese around the edges of the tortilla. Place second tortilla on top.
- Fold edges over to create a rounded shape sealed with nacho cheese.
- Grill quesadilla on both sides until crispy and cheese is melted.
- Top with sour cream or Greek yogurt.
So while you may not be able to order a straightforward ground beef quesadilla at Taco Bell, there are ways to customize or recreate it at home for the same flavors. With the right hacks and copycat recipes, you can enjoy this tasty fast food mashup.
Nutrition Information for Ground Beef Quesadillas
If you are able to order or recreate a Taco Bell ground beef quesadilla, here is some approximate nutrition information to be aware of:
Taco Bell Ground Beef Quesadilla Nutrition Facts (1 quesadilla)
| Calories | Fat | Carbs | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| 520 | 32g | 37g | 21g |
A Taco Bell ground beef quesadilla made with a standard amount of ingredients piles on the calories, fat, carbs and protein. Some key points:
- High in calories – One quesadilla packs over 500 calories, almost one third of the daily recommended average.
- High in fat – With 32g of fat, this quesadilla delivers half the recommended daily value.
- High in carbs – It also contains 37g of carbs, mainly from the tortilla.
- High in protein – The ground beef adds 21g of protein.
While tasty, consuming these high-calorie quesadillas frequently can quickly add up in your diet. Some tips for lightening them up:
- Use a lower carb tortilla.
- Limit cheese and beef amounts.
- Add veggies like lettuce, tomato, onion.
- Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
- Share with a friend!
Being mindful of portion sizes and extra toppings is key to keeping these indulgent custom quesadillas from derailing your nutrition goals.
Conclusion
Taco Bell does not currently offer a standard ground beef quesadilla on their menu. However, some locations may allow you to substitute or special request ground beef in one of their signature quesadillas. Mobile ordering or copycat recipes also give you the option to DIY Taco Bell-inspired ground beef quesadillas at home. While delicious, these custom quesadillas can pile on the calories, fat, and carbs – so enjoy in moderation as part of an overall balanced diet. With the right hacks and tricks, you can satisfy your cravings for this unique Taco Bell mashup.