homemade crunchwrap supreme;
Pretty much the only thing I get at Taco Bell is a Crunchwrap. No shade to Taco Bell, it’s just never really been one of my go-to fast foods! But now that I figured out to make a damn good homemade crunchwrap supreme at home, I don’t even need to hop in my car!
In case you’re not familiar, a crunchwrap starts with a flour tortilla and then layers seasoned ground beef, a crispy taco shell, cheese sauce, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and sour cream. As a self-proclaimed carb-queen, you can sign me up for taco shells two ways. Plus, the whole thing is folded into a nicely tucked little handheld package, kinda like a handheld super-stuffed quesadilla.
Let’s start with the good stuff—ground beef! The beef mixture is super flavorful, and I have to say, I really think I nailed the Taco Bell flavors and texture—only better. When I’ve made ground beef in the past, even with spices, there was always a little something missing. It’s the beef boullion! This little cube adds so much extra flavor and makes the beef extra extra umami and simply: yum. And of course we still add a buttload of spices but that extra beef base sets the stage for ultimate flavor.
Beef bouillon is the flavor base you never knew you needed!
Secret to success
To get the right texture on your ground beef for your homemade crunchwrap supreme, you want some “saucy” slurry. For that, you’ll need a combination of water and masa harina (a specific type of cornmeal) to do the trick. When I first read this trick I was like—weird? Water and ground beef? I’ve added oil to the pan, I’ve done it dry, but I don’t think I’ve ever used a significant amount of water when cooking ground beef.
I start the ground beef browning in a heated pan, and when some of the fat is rendered, I will use a paper towel to soak it up. We want some of the fat—read, deliciousness—but we can do away with a lot of it too. Sometimes, if I don’t mind washing an extra dish, I’ll just do a quick dump through a strainer or sieve. You do want to make sure the holes are small enough that you don’t lose loose ground bee,f though! Once reasonably strained, I add it back to the pan, and whatever residue still remains and add water.
The beef finishes cooking in the water, and the exact amount of water to use depends on how much slurry you like in your beef. I usually use 1/2-2-3 of a cup of water for one pound of ground beef, but honestly I just eyeball it. Once the water begins to simmer, I add the bouillon and spices and let it cook 2-3 minutes or until the flavors marry up. Once the beef is cooked fully and all the flavors are incorporated, you’ll want to add in a bit of masa harina.
For that perfect beef texture on a homemade crunchwrap supreme, a combination of water and masa harina does the trick.
Secret to success
Masa harina is a ground corn flour, slightly different than cornmeal in that it forms a more pliable dough and can soak up more liquid. In a homemade crunchwrap supreme, it helps create a nice slurry of beef juices and is part of the deliciousness of the ground beef.
Once you have the beef cooked, it’s time to assemble your homemade crunchwrap supreme! I recommend setting out all ingredients to make assembly easy, especially if you want to multitask and toast the crunchwraps on the stovetop at the same time. Make sure all ingredients are prepped, so tomatoes are chopped, lettuce is shredded, and sour cream, shredded cheese, tortillas, and tostadas are available.
Start with an extra-large tortilla, and add a layer of meat to the center. Then follow it up with a tostada, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. While the taco bell menu uses nacho cheese sauce in their crunchwrap, I prefer shredded cheese. This is twofold–one, shredded cheese is tastier in my opinion. Two, it serves as a melty seal for any gaps in your tortilla!
Use cheese to seal up any gaps in your tortilla! We can’t have all the goodness spilling out of your homemade crunchwrap supreme.
secret to success
The extra-large tortilla is required to even attempt to wrap a full round tostada, but I find there’s still an inch gap or so by the time you add all fillings and wrap the thing up. So if you layer cheese on as the last layer and put it seam-side down in the pan, the heat will toast the cheese closed as a nice seal to keep everything inside. I do toast both sides, though.
These are best served hot! The “crunch” part of your homemade crunchwrap supreme will definitely not have the same snap after a stint in the fridge. They still taste good reheated, but it’s not the same experience.
secrets to success;
Want all the best tips and tricks to make this recipe a success? Check out the blog post above to find out more!
more recipes;
Looking for other copycat recipes?
- One of my favorite fall-weather soups is zuppa toscana! An Olive Garden favorite, this soup has potatoes, sausage, and greens with just a little bit of kick–perfect with fresh bread or biscuits!
- When it comes to seasoning, Trader Joe’s umami seasoning is a staple in my kitchen! If you can’t pick one up in stores, you can make it yourself–though it does require a few special ingredients.
- Chicken Bellagio is my absolute go-to at Cheesecake Factory. A warm breaded cutlet, with pesto, arugula and thinly sliced prosciutto for a salty pairing, it’s simply *chef’s kiss*. Besides, who wants to read their novel of a menu when you can make the best item at home in your kitchen?
copycat taco bell crunchwrap supreme;
Equipment
- flat panini press (optional) alternatively, use the stovetop
Ingredients
beef filling;
- 3 Tbsp masa harina or cornmeal
- 4½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cube beef boullion
- 1 small onion diced
- 1⅓ lb 80% ground chuck
crunchwrap;
- 1½ cups tomatoes fresh, diced
- 1½ cups iceberg lettuce shredded
- ½ cup sour cream or greek yogurt
- 6 grande tortillas (I used La banderita, but I believe Mission and other brands also carry them)
- 6 tostadas or crispy taco shells (broken, or need to lay flat)
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
beef filling;
- Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Dice the onion into fine bits and add to the hot pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until aromatic.
- Add 1⅓ lb beef chuck to the pan, breaking up any large chunks. Once beginning to brown but while spots of pink still remain, drain some of the grease from the meat, then return to the pan.
- Add 1 cup of water to the pan, along with all spices, including masa harina, and beef boullion. Simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes until thickening some.
- Once fully cooked through, set aside to cool. The water and juices will remain but be thickened slightly so you're left with a meat slurry.
- (Optional) If you prefer the super-fine texture of taco bell meat, add to a blender or food processor and pulse a few times until desired texture is achieved.
crunchwraps;
- Ensure all ingredients are prepared before starting the cooking process. Shred cheese, dice tomatoes, shred lettuce, and set aside your tortillas, tostadas, and sour cream (or greek yogurt). Prepare your area for assembly.
- Heat a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat and gently spray with non-stick spray, or prepare a flat panini press (no ridges) with non-stick spray and heat.
- Heat up a single grande tortilla (for 5-10 second in microwave, or on the heated pan on the stove) and lay it flat on your assembly surface.
- Layer a large spoonful of meat, then a tostada, then lettuce, diced tomatoes, and another small spoonful of meat. Smear a large dollop of sour cream and then top with a healthy portion of cheddar cheese.
- Fold the soft tortilla around, folding the tortilla in toward the center on one side. Fold a newly formed corner in, and rotate repeating to make 6 total folds so the whole thing is covered. Ideally, there's no open hole, but the cheese is on top to melt and help form a protective seal on top.
- If you have a flat panini press go ahead and lay the crunchwrap between the plates and cook for 3-5 minutes or until toasted on both sides.If using the stovetop, place crunchwrap folded side down onto the hot pan. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side until toasted and browned to desired doneness. Flipping may be messy if there's a hole or the tortilla comes undone!
- Remove to plate and repeat for remaining crunchwraps.
