18 Taco Bell Copycat Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the mystery meat at Taco Bell? ›

Taco Bell is revealing what's in its beef, and it turns out it's actually mostly beef. The fast-food chain's recipe contains 88% beef and 12% "signature recipe," according to a new webpage posted by Taco Bell. Also, addressing a widespread rumor, Taco Bell beef is not grade D beef, according to the website.

Taco Bell Beef Ingredients

A little all-purpose flour helps to thicken the mixture so it all sticks together. Spices – Garlic and onion powder are must in just about any savory dish! Cumin, chili powder, and paprika add more flavor and heat without making the meat too spicy.

We use 100 percent USDA premium beef in our seasoned beef. We prepare it much the same way you prepare taco meat at home: after simmering, it is drained of excess fat and pre-seasoned with our signature blend of 7 authentic seasonings and spices.

Lean finely textured beef (also known as Pink slime or LFTB, finely textured beef, or boneless lean beef trimmings or BLBT) is a meat by-product used as a food additive to ground beef and beef-based processed meats, as a filler, or to reduce the overall fat content of ground beef.

If you want to keep your Taco Bell order as healthy as possible, registered dietitian Yelena Wheeler, RDN, says to steer clear of the steak grilled cheese burrito, which she says is the absolute least healthiest item on the menu.

But Taco Bell shouldn't be defensive about the fact that its seasoned beef is only 88 percent beef. It should be proud.

Taco Bell's newest creation is instead filled with a “proprietary” vegan beef (made from pea protein and soy), plus “cool vegan blanco sauce and warm vegan nacho sauce.” The chain has long been known as one of the few big fast-food operations where vegetarians could easily eat, but this is the company's first fully ...

Then they are put through a centrifuge to separate the fat tissue from the muscle tissue. The muscle tissue is sterilized with ammonia (which is commonly used in food production and safe in small amounts) and the resulting product is called “lean finely textured beef,” or pink slime. Or… err… “ground beef.”

Does Taco Bell put fillers in their beef? No, it's 88% beef by volume, then water, salt, spices, oatmeal starches, and an emulsifier to keep the meat from clumping together while cooking. There aren't many things that go into it.

What makes Taco Bell meat different? ›

It then is slow-cooked and simmered with proprietary seasonings and spices to provide Taco Bell's signature taste and texture. Our seasoned beef recipe contains 88% quality USDA-inspected beef and 12% seasonings, spices, water and other ingredients that provide taste, texture and moisture.

Does Taco Bell use filler in their meat, like a little bit of cornmeal? Actually they use a little bit of oatmeal. Just enough hold the crumbles together so that they will stay in the taco a little better.

This implies that customers consistently choose the Crunchwrap Supreme over other food options at the restaurant. The ranking as the number one most ordered item suggests that it is highly favored and enjoyed by a significant portion of Taco Bell's customer base.

I had to look up exactly what a "red strip" is. Similar to Fritos, they're red-colored tortilla strips that add a crunchy texture to Taco Bell's burritos. I had to look up exactly what a "red strip" is. Similar to Fritos, they're red-colored tortilla strips that add a crunchy texture to Taco Bell's burritos.

These so called mystery meats have multiple ingredients that have been linked to chronic diseases such as heart disease and certain cancers. The most common ingredients are nitrites, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs).

The "taco meat filling" as it's written on their containers has only 36 percent real beef; the rest is a combination of chemicals and odd-ball ingredients like 'cocoa powder'. The USDA defines "meat taco filling" as having at least 40 percent fresh meat.

What meat do they use in Jack in the Box tacos? I worked there 5 years ago, so it may have changed, but it's a combination of beef and soy (what is says on the package).