What could make a burrito filled with seasoned beef, Mexican-style rice, sour cream, and two kinds of cheese better? How about replacing the tortilla with a cheese quesadilla? Say “Hola” to the Taco Bell Beef Quesarito!
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What makes the Taco Bell Quesarito so delicious?
Cheese quesadilla or a beef burrito? Life is full of tough questions, but Taco Bell made things a little easier when it introduced the Beef Quesarito back in 2014. This 2-in-1 dish uses a classic cheese quesadilla to wrap seasoned beef, rice, sour cream, cheese, and plenty of chipotle sauce into an enormous burrito. Customers loved it, and so will you!
Why you will love this recipe
Good things can never last forever, and sadly, Taco Bell took the Quesarito off the menu in 2023. But you can still bring the taste of Quesaritos to your dining room table with this straightforward but rather involved recipe.
To make things easier and save time, you can prepare each of the components separately the day before. Assembling and cooking a Quesarito takes mere minutes.
Taco Bell Quesarito ingredients
For the Chipotle Sauce, you’ll need:
- Mayonnaise
- Chipotle sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce)
- White granulated sugar
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Smoked paprika
Use the sauce from a can of chipotle peppers for this dish and not a prepared chipotle sauce.
For the seasoned rice, you’ll need:
- Long-grain white rice
- Water
- Salt
- White granulated sugar
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Cilantro
For the season ground beef, you’ll need:
- Masa harina
- Chili powder
- Dried minced onion
- Beef bouillon powder
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Seasoning salt
- Smoked paprika
- Ground cumin
- Garlic salt
- White granulated sugar
- Ground beef chuck
- Water
Go with an 85/15 blend or one with a lower fat percentage. Don’t be afraid that the meat will dry out.
For assembling the Taco Bell Beef Quesartos, you’ll need:
- Flour tortillas
- Chipotle Sauce (see above)
- Seasoned beef (see above)
- Seasoned rice (see above)
- Nacho cheese sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- Cheddar cheese, shredded
- Sour cream
- Canola oil
How to make Taco Bell Beef Quesarito
To prepare the Chipotle Sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, chipotle sauce, white granulated sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
- Cover the bowl and chill.
To prepare the seasoned rice:
- Rinse the rice in cold water and drain.
- In a small saucepan, mix together the rice, water, salt, white granulated sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil while stirring occasionally.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover.
- Cook covered until the rice absorbs all the water, about 20 minutes.
- Chop the cilantro and add it to the rice. Fluff the rice with a fork and set it to the side.
To prepare the seasoned beef:
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the masa harina, chili powder, dried minced onion, beef bouillon powder, onion powder, garlic powder, seasoning salt, smoked paprika, ground cumin, garlic salt, and white granulated sugar. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, crumble the beef into it.
- Cook, stirring from time to time, until the beef is brown.
- Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until browned, stirring occasionally.
- Drain the fat from the skillet.
- Dump the taco seasoning mixture over the drained beef. Stir water into the skillet with the meat and spices.
- Simmer uncovered over low until most, but not all, of the water evaporates.
- Remove the skillet from the heat.
Prepare the cheese quesadillas:
- Spread a quarter of the nacho and shredded cheddar cheese on a tortilla. Leave a thin border around the edge free of cheese. Cover with a flour tortilla.
- Repeat the above with the remaining tortillas and save them all for later.
To assemble the Quesaritos:
- Place the assembled quesadilla on your work surface.
- Spread a quarter of prepared rice, seasoned beef, chipotle sauce, and sour cream on the bottom third of the quesadilla.
- Fold in the sides of the quesadilla and roll it to the top to form a burrito. Repeat three more times. Save for later.
To cook a Taco Bell Beef Quesarito:
- Preheat a pan to medium-high. Cast iron works well here.
- When the cooking surface is hot, add some oil and cook the Quesarito seam-side down for minutes. Flip and cook the other side for an additional two minutes.
What to serve with a Taco Bell Beef Quesarito
Why not keep dinner Mexican and Tex-Mex with these great sides?
Frijoles a la Charra. These cowboy-style beans are loaded with veggies and have just enough bacon to bring a hint of smokiness. Pappasito’s Cantina Frijoles a la Charra is a great alternative to black beans or refried beans.
Guacamole. Add Chipotle Mexican Grill Guacamole to your Quesarito, or use it as a dip for chips. Either way, its tangy creaminess combined with a bit of heat will spice up your meal.
Margarita. What’s better for sipping while chowing down on al Quesarito than a Margarita? That’s one drink you’ll never find at any Taco Bell location. But this Chipotle Margarita is easy to mix and so very tasty.
How to store the leftovers
Keep the leftover rice and seasoned beef in separate containers in the refrigerator. Both should last about two days in an airtight container. The Chipotle Sauce will stay fresh for a few days longer in the fridge.
What is the best way to reheat a Quesarito?
Warm up the seasoned beef and rice in a microwave for about 30 seconds, then assemble and cook the Quesarito as above.
More Taco Bell copycat recipes
Favorite Mexican recipes
- Beef and Bean Burrito Casserole
- Beef Tamale Casserole
- Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream
- Chicken Fajita Salad
- Easy Chili Relleno Casserole
- Grilled Chicken Fajitas
- Queso Blanco
Check out more of my recipes for Mexican food and the best copycat Taco Bell recipes here on CopyKat!
Taco Bell Quesarito
Ingredients
Chipotle Sauce
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons chipotle sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Seasoned Rice
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Seasoned Ground Beef
- 1 1/2 tablespoons masa harina
- 4 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/3 pounds ground beef chuck
- 3/4 cup water
Assembly
- 8 flour tortillas
- 1 cup nacho cheese sauce homemade or store bought
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
- To make the chipotle sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- To make the rice, rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. In a small saucepan, combine the rice, water, salt, sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Just before serving, fluff the rice with a fork and mix in the cilantro.
- To make the seasoned ground beef, combine the masa harina, chili powder, dried minced onion, beef bouillon powder, onion powder, garlic powder, seasoning salt, paprika, cumin, garlic salt, and sugar in a small bowl. Mix well. Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the grease. Stir in the spice mixture and water and simmer over medium-low heat until most of the moisture has cooked away, about 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat before the meat is completely dry.
- To assemble the quesaritos, lay 4 tortillas on a clean work surface. Spread 1/4 cup of nacho cheese sauce on each tortilla to within 1 inch of the border. Add 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and top it with a second tortilla. To each cheese-filled tortilla, add a quarter of the prepared rice, seasoned ground beef, chipotle sauce, and sour cream, arranging the fillings down the center of the tortilla. Fold the sides of the tortilla inward and roll the tortilla over the filling starting from the bottom, tucking as you roll to form a tight burrito.
- Preheat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Add the oil and place the rolled quesarito seam-side down. Cook for 2 minutes per side until the quesarito is browned and the cheese is melted.
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