Ever the fast-food chameleon, Taco Bell is constantly tinkering with its menu, swapping out beloved items and experimenting with oddly off-brand snacks like wings and pizza. Burritos, though, are forever—even if that means that some burritos are evergreen, others are temporary additions, and certain ones are dramatically better or worse.
After tasting Taco Bell's tacos and Value Menu, it's time for a fresh revisit to sample the 2024 slate of burritos so far. While the brand may boast legions of fans for offbeat originals like Crunchwraps and Nacho Fries, the revolving door of burritos is a surefire way to keep things interesting when it comes to menu classics—as is the case with Taco Bell's recent Cantina Chicken Menu. (More on that later.)
To taste all the rest of the menu staples and newer innovations alike, I visited a local Taco Bell in Oklahoma City and ordered all nine burritos on the menu, and the results were way cheesier than expected. Here's how each burrito ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the overall best.
Beefy 5-Layer Burrito
- Nutrition (Per 1 Burrito)
- Calories: 500
- Fat: 19 g (Saturated Fat: 8 g)
- Sodium: 1,280 mg
- Carbs: 65 g (Fiber: 7 g, Sugar: 5 g)
- Protein: 18 g
Made with seasoned beef, cheese, nacho cheese sauce, beans, and sour cream, the ominously dubbed Beefy 5-Layer Burrito isn't exactly a dainty snack. Unabashed in its excess, I wasn't expecting much from this one, and indeed, the crudest burrito of the bunch landed at the very bottom of the overall tasting. This burrito cost me $3.99.
The look: Admittedly, looks-wise, this wasn't quite the travesty I was expecting. It held together better than most of the other burritos, but I came to find out that was mostly due to an overabundance of seasoned beef and beans congealing together and acting like a savory paste. It looks bulky and, indeed, quite beefy. So kudos for living up to its name. But the kudos pretty much ended there.
The taste: That savory paste I mentioned? It tasted exactly like that. Which is, quite frankly, terrible. Yes, it holds itself together pretty neatly, but everything about this beefy beast just tastes grotesque and gloopy, like an anonymous medley of indistinguishable proteins that disappear into one another. The tortilla is way too much, as well, providing too much chew. And anything that prolongs chewing on something like this is never a good thing.
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Burrito Supreme
- Nutrition: (Per 1 Burrito)
- Calories: 400
- Fat: 14 g (Saturated Fat: 7 g)
- Sodium: 1,160 mg
- Carbs: 51 g (Fiber: 7 g, Sugar: 4 g)
- Protein: 16 g
As someone who doesn't eat Taco Bell hardly ever, I find that anything labeled "supreme" is a little daunting. On the one hand, the Burrito Supreme—made with seasoned beef, refried beans, red sauce, lettuce, cheddar, diced onions, tomatoes, and sour cream—lived up exactly to my expectations. On the down side, those expectations were rock bottom, thus giving the ominously dubbed burrito a well-earned place near the bottom of these rankings. This burrito cost me $5.79.
The look: Anything that elicits an automatic "eww" is never a good sign. Upon slicing into this thing cross-wise, it emitted a sludge-like stew of what can only be described as monochrome brown innards. Everything seems to meld together into a creamy goop, flecked with off-putting pieces of lettuce. The whole thing, in general, was way too sloppy and wet, rendering this thing a mess to eat.
The taste: Granted, it didn't taste quite as horrific as it appeared, but that's not saying much. The lettuce adds a little crunch, albeit a flavorless one, but the meat and beans form a runny mixture that isn't nearly as flavorful as it should be. The beans and red sauce are the primary showcases here, while everything else is too muted and messy.
Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito
- Nutrition: (Per 1 Burrito)
- Calories: 420
- Fat: 17 g (Saturated Fat: 4.5 g)
- Sodium: 940 mg
- Carbs: 55 g (Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 3 g)
- Protein: 9 g
Made with nacho cheese sauce, refried beans, and seasoned rice, the on-the-nose Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito sounds like a straightforward snack that should be reliably tasty. Keyword: should. While not quite the disaster as the Burrito Supreme, this thing was still a largely unfortunate mashup of one-note flavors and textural dismay. At least it was cheap! This burrito cost me just $1.49.
The look: Looks-wise, this was a notable improvement on the Burrito Supreme, in that the Cheesy Bean and Rice isn't nearly as runny and goopy. The ingredients bind together better, it smells good, and it's not as wet (again: eww). That said, my main critique for this one is that it looked boring, and still pretty unsightly, color-wise. Taco Bell really likes the color brown, huh?
The taste: Quite simply, Taco Bell's refried beans just don't do it for me. They taste nothing like actual beans, but rather a mash of mildly seasoned paste. Granted, this one didn't taste terrible, but the texture was a bit of a catastrophe. The beans and the excessive, not-warm-enough tortilla make it altogether too chewy and gummy. The rice, with its promised seasoning, barely comes through, although what little there is at least lends a differentiating note. Ultimately, though, the refried beans are too much.
Bean Burrito
- Nutrition: (Per 1 Burrito)
- Calories: 360
- Fat: 10 g (Saturated Fat: 4.5 g)
- Sodium: 1,080 mg
- Carbs: 54 g (Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 3 g)
- Protein: 13 g
Considering my apparent disdain for Taco Bell's refried beans, I'm a little surprised that the chain's most straightforward burrito—made with refried beans, cheddar, diced onions, and red sauce—didn't outright repulse me, and land at the very bottom of this list. This burrito cost me $2.19.
The look: Essentially, the Bean Burrito has all the trappings of the Burrito Supreme, albeit a bit more dialed in. That means, while it still looks pretty gross and runny, the burrito at least lacks some of the other atrocities that made the Supreme so offensive. The red sauce comes through on the nose, though, and the whole thing looks more harmless than some of Taco Bell's more over-the-top entries.
The taste: It's…fine. Which is frankly glowing praise compared to how this could have gone. The fact that it's not overloaded with extra ingredients, and thus not as sloppy and overstuffed, helps the Bean Burrito to rank a bit higher. The beans still kind of suck, but in this case, that's mostly because they're bland. The tortilla is still excessive and kinda doughy, but the diced onions and red sauce add some interesting elements texturally and flavor-wise.
Black Bean Grilled Cheese Burrito
- Nutrition: (Per 1 Burrito)
- Calories: 700
- Fat: 37 g (Saturated Fat: 15 g)
- Sodium: 1,390 mg
- Carbs: 69 g (Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 5 g)
- Protein: 23 g
Part of me has to commend Taco Bell's commitment to adding more cheese in unnatural ways. Much like Pizza Hut, which seems hell-bent on stuffing cheese into every crevice of its already-cheesy menu items, Taco Bell recently rolled out cheesy new burritos that—while not content with merely filling the tortillas with cheese—add more cheese on top of the burrito. Of the new current iterations, the vegetarian version with black beans, was the inferior. This burrito cost $5.19.
The look: An immense improvement over the previous few burritos on this list, the Grilled Cheese Burritos looked undeniably interesting. Sure, the three-cheese blend on top looks somewhat plastic and unnecessary, but the whole thing still looks toasted, much more robust, and way fresher. The black beans, too, look miles better than their refried counterparts, and I'll award some points for the sheer originality of it all.
The taste: At this point in the tasting, we're veering from "eww" to "mmm," and while the Black Bean Grilled Cheese Burrito certainly isn't a gourmet home run, it's still leaps better than the goop that preceded it. It's made with black beans, nacho cheese sauce, seasoned rice, "red strips," creamy chipotle sauce, sour cream, and a three-cheese blend both inside and out. That sounds like an excessive mouthful, but it (mostly) works. I could have used more spice, or more heft that something like seasoned beef would bring, but the grilled cheese component was a very pleasant surprise that added a unique layer of toothsome texture, aroma, and flavor. The red strips, which are crispy red tortilla strips, lose their crunch amid all the sauce though.
Cantina Chicken Burrito
- Nutrition: (Per 1 Burrito)
- Calories: 540
- Fat: 30 g (Saturated Fat: 9 g)
- Sodium: 1,170 mg
- Carbs: 43 g (Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 4 g)
- Protein: 25 g
Like the grilled cheese innovations, the Cantina Chicken Burrito is way better than some of the menu staples, made with slow-roasted chicken, avocado ranch sauce, creamy chipotle sauce, lettuce, shredded purple cabbage, fresh pico de gallo, and cheddar. This burrito was the most expensive of the bunch at $5.99.
The look: Not that appetizing. The tortilla was at least toasted, but the burrito looked kinda smooshed and messy, with a confusing blend of ingredients that don't appear nearly as good as they sound. It was a little too saucy for my liking, overpowering the chicken itself, and most of the promised veggies and accoutrements get literally lost in the sauce.
The taste: Fortunately, it's much better than it looks. A nice, potent spice permeates every bite, thanks to the chipotle sauce, and the chicken tastes fresh and well-prepared. It's still a tad too runny, though, and I could barely discern any pico de gallo or cabbage whatsoever. The avocado ranch, too, seemed to be missing in action, but that's probably because it was overshadowed by the creamy chipotle. I feel like Taco Bell needs a reminder that less is more, because in this case, had the chain curated things a smidge better, this could have been pretty great.
Chicken Enchilada Burrito
- Nutrition: (Per 1 Burrito)
- Calories: 380
- Fat: 12 g (Saturated Fat: 6 g)
- Sodium: 1,150 mg
- Carbs: 49 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 3 g)
- Protein: 19 g
Made with grilled marinated chicken, seasoned rice, red sauce, sour cream, and a three-cheese blend, the Chicken Enchilada Burrito was both strikingly original and pretty darn great. It's also much more modest than the Cantina Chicken. This burrito cost me $2.49.
The look: Magnitudes better than the Cantina Chicken. The tortilla looks toasted and much fresher, and the filling looks downright wholesome and balanced. It looks and smells like real ingredients, which is really saying something, and the sauce is more delicately applied, which keeps things from devolving into a runny stew.
The taste: Of all the burritos in this survey, this one tasted the most like it looks. And in this case, I mean quite good. The chicken tastes as fresh as it looks, and you can practically sense the grill marks on the tender shreds of meat. The red sauce is wielded effectively, and lends a pleasant, mild smolder, while the sour cream provides an underdone of creaminess. My main criticism is that the seasoned rice is pretty muted, and leaves me wishing for more of it, but all in all, I love how it actually tastes like its namesake chicken enchilada.
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Grilled Cheese Burrito
- Nutrition: (Per 1 Burrito)
- Calories: 720
- Fat: 40 g (Saturated Fat: 16 g)
- Sodium: 1,500 mg
- Carbs: 64 g (Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 5 g)
- Protein: 26 g
All the tempered praise I offered for the Black Bean Grilled Cheese Burrito? The same applies for the Grilled Cheese Burrito, made with seasoned beef, nacho cheese sauce, seasoned rice, "fiesta strips," creamy chipotle sauce, sour cream, and three-cheese blend inside and on top. But in this case, it's all better. This burrito cost $5.19.
The look: It basically looks exactly the same as the Black Bean version, but in this case the beef helps bulk things up (and smell more appetizingly well-seasoned), and the red "fiesta strips" look a lot more vibrant and crunchy.
The taste: Indeed, every aspect of the Grilled Cheese Burrito is an improvement. The seasoned beef is much more flavorful than the black beans, and it binds everything together more effectively. The chipotle adds a nice, heady kick that lingers just right, and again, the cheese on top is a fantastic addition that works way better than it has any right to do. Also, the fiesta strips retain their crunch, and provide a great textural contrast.
Cheesy Double Beef Burrito
- Nutrition: (Per 1 Burrito)
- Calories: 570
- Fat: 26 g (Saturated Fat: 10 g)
- Sodium: 1,330 mg
- Carbs: 63 g (Fiber: 7 g, Sugar: 4 g)
- Protein: 21 g
As someone who advocates for curated modesty, no one is more surprised than me that I not only enjoyed the Cheesy Double Beef Burrito at all, but that it was my favorite. It's clear that, when it comes to Taco Bell burritos, the best ones are those that emphasize cheese and beef. And in this case, with its doubled-up seasoned beef, seasoned rice, nacho cheese sauce, fiesta strips, sour cream, and three-cheese blend, it's clear that sometimes maybe more is more. This burrito cost $2.79.
The look: Funny enough, my praise aside, this didn't look all that amazing. Mostly, it looks fine. It's definitely ample and clearly meaty, but it doesn't wow like the Grilled Cheese burritos. That said, it smells pretty fantastic and thoroughly seasoned, and unlike some of the overly sauced items I tried, all the ingredients appear balanced and cohesive.
The taste: The wow factor here is in the taste. And boy, does it taste shockingly good! The beef is downright great, amply spiced and matched nicely by the most well-seasoned rice of any rice-filled option on the menu. The nacho cheese comes through more here than in any other, as does the sour cream and three-cheese blend. The fiesta strips hold up nicely amidst it all, providing a pleasant crunch, and although this thing isn't reinventing the wheel, it's taking familiar ingredients and preparing them exactly as they should be.
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