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This Grilled Cheese Burrito, a Taco Bell Copycat recipe, is packed with seasoned beef, melty cheese, creamy sauces, and in a crispy golden crust. This homemade version is a perfect way to skip the drive through and enjoy your favorite fast food at home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Two-in-one comfort food – Brings together the taste of a grilled cheese sandwich and a burrito in one crave-worthy dish.
- Budget-friendly alternative – All the Taco Bell flavor at a fraction of the cost.
- Skip the drive-thru – Satisfy fast-food cravings without leaving home.
- Easy to customize – Wrap your favorite toppings or sauces into the warm flour tortilla.
Ingredients Notes
- Ground beef – Swap with ground turkey or chicken, steak, black beans, or tofu for a lighter or vegetarian option.
- Taco seasoning – Use a store-bought packet or make your own homemade taco seasoning blend with cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Water – Helps mix and simmer the taco seasoning into the meat for full flavor.
- Nacho cheese sauce – Use any brand you like, or make your own for extra flavor.
- Flour tortillas – Use burrito-size (10-inch) tortillas for easy rolling and wrapping.
- Mexican or Spanish rice – Cilantro lime rice or plain white rice also work well as substitutes.
- Taco Bell Creamy Chipotle Sauce – Substitute with chipotle mayo by blending mayonnaise, chipotle peppers in adobo, and lime juice.
- Sour cream – Adds a cool, creamy contrast to the spicy, cheesy filling.
- Tortilla strips – Optional, but they add a fun crunch and texture. Taco Bell uses crunchy red strips, but regular tortilla strips or even broken tortilla chips work just as well.
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese – Or mix cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese for extra flavor and spice.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make a Taco Bell Grilled Cheese Burrito
- Cook the meat: Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, drain the fat, then stir in taco seasoning and water. Simmer until the liquid has thickened.
- Assemble the burritos: Spread nacho cheese on each tortilla. Top with beef, rice, chipotle sauce, sour cream, and tortilla strips.
- Roll: Fold the bottom edge and sides of the tortilla tightly, keeping the seam side down to seal.
- Grill with cheese: Sprinkle shredded cheese directly onto a non-stick skillet. Place burrito seam-side down on top and cook until golden and crisp.
- Flip and repeat: Add more cheese to the skillet, flip the burrito, and grill the other side until melted and crispy.
- Serve: Slice, serve hot, and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- Mix up the mixture: Add jalapeños, diced tomatoes, pico de gallo, guacamole, or black beans for extra flavor and texture.
- Make ahead: Cook the rice and taco meat in advance and store separately for quick burrito assembly.
- Serve it spicy: Swap in pepper jack cheese or drizzle with your favorite hot sauce for a spicy kick.
- Swap with steak: Want a heartier twist? Use thinly sliced steak instead of ground beef to make a copycat Grilled Cheese Steak Burrito Taco Bell-style version right at home.
- Cut the calories: Curious about Grilled Cheese Burrito Taco Bell calories? The fast-food version packs over 700 calories! Lighten it up at home by using lean ground turkey, reduced-fat sour cream, and less cheese.
Storage, Reheating and Make-Ahead Instructions
- Make-Ahead: Assemble the burritos without grilling the cheese crust. Wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Grill just before serving for the best texture.
- Store: Wrap leftovers tightly in foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Warm leftovers in a non-stick skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes per side, or bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 10–12 minutes. Avoid the microwave, as it can make the burrito soggy.
- Freeze: Freeze ungrilled burritos tightly wrapped in foil. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then grill with cheese when ready to serve.
More Cheesy Tex-Mex Recipes You’ll Love
- Walking Tacos – A fun, portable twist on classic tacos with all your favorite toppings.
- Taco Casserole – Layers of seasoned beef, cheese, and tortillas baked to bubbly perfection.
- Cheesy Taco Pasta – A one-pot meal that takes taco night and pasta night to the next level.
- Mexican Street Corn Dip – Creamy, cheesy, and packed with bold elote flavor.
- Rotel Dip – A crowd-pleasing classic made with melty cheese, Rotel tomatoes, and seasoned meat.
If you’ve tried this Grilled Cheese Burrito Recipe (Taco Bell Copycat) or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
Grilled Cheese Burrito (Taco Bell Copycat Recipe)
Serves — 4
This Grilled Cheese Burrito Taco Bell copycat is loaded with seasoned beef, nacho cheese, and rice, then grilled to golden, crispy perfection. Your favorite fast-food menu item, made right at home!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 ounce packet taco seasoning
- ⅔ cup water
- 15 ounce can nacho cheese sauce
- 4 burrito size flour tortillas
- 2 cups mexican or spanish rice
- 4 tablespoons store bought Taco Bell Creamy Chipotle Sauce
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 cup tortilla strips
- 2 cups mexican blend cheese shredded
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the ground beef until browned, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Drain off the excess fat.1 pound ground beef
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the taco seasoning and water to the beef, and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the liquid has thickened. Set aside.1 ounce packet taco seasoning, ⅔ cup water
- Lay out each tortilla. Spread a layer of nacho cheese sauce in the center, top with 1/4 of the taco meat, 1/4 of the rice, drizzle 1 tablespoon of chipotle sauce, 1 tablespoon of sour cream, and a handful of tortilla strips.15 ounce can nacho cheese sauce, 4 burrito, 2 cups mexican or spanish rice, 4 tablespoons store bought Taco Bell Creamy Chipotle Sauce, 4 tablespoons sour cream, 1 cup tortilla strips
- Fold the burrito by bringing up the bottom edge, folding in the sides, and rolling tightly. Make sure the seam is on the bottom to keep it secure.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of shredded cheese directly onto the skillet. Place one burrito, seam-side down, on the cheese. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted, browned, and stuck to the burrito.2 cups mexican blend cheese
- Carefully lift the burrito with a spatula, sprinkle another ¼ cup of cheese on the skillet, and flip the burrito over to repeat the process on the other side. Once both sides are golden and crispy, remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Repeat with the remaining burritos. Serve hot and enjoy!
Jenn’s Notes
Storage :
- Make-Ahead: Assemble burritos without grilling the cheese crust and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Grill just before serving for the best texture.
- Store: Wrap leftovers in foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days
- Reheat: Warm in a skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes per side or bake at 375°F for 10–12 minutes
- Freeze: Freeze ungrilled burritos in foil. Thaw overnight and grill with cheese when ready to serve
- Customize with jalapeños, diced tomatoes, or black beans
- Cook rice and taco meat in advance and store separately for easy assembly
- Use pepper jack or hot sauce for a spicy upgrade
Nutrition Info
Calories: 1219kcal | Carbohydrates: 112g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 3399mg | Potassium: 875mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2072IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 584mg | Iron: 8mg
