Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme

Make a copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme at home with seasoned beef, nacho cheese, and a crunchy tostada. I’ll show you the fold that keeps it sealed and crispy!

Why this recipe works

This copycat Crunchwrap Supreme recipe is built the same way Taco Bell does it. Seasoned beef, warm nacho cheese, a crunchy tostada shell in the middle, then sour cream, lettuce, and tomato stacked on top of that, all folded up into a tortilla and browned in a skillet until the outside is golden. They’re honestly pretty fun to make!

I use my own homemade taco seasoning because I like to control the salt and flavors that go into it, though you can easily use a Taco Bell seasoning packet from the store if you want to. The other thing that matters is the fold. Get it right and your crunchwrap holds together beautifully. Get it wrong, and you are eating a tasty pile of taco filling out of a skillet. I’ll walk you through it!

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

TORTILLAS – I use 12-inch “super burrito” size flour tortillas. The extra few inches are needed for the fold. If you use 12 inch super burrito tortillas, then you won’t need to cut a second tortilla to cap the center, the way a lot of crunchwrap recipes call for. If you cannot find them, the next size down is burrito size, usually 10 inches. A 10-inch tortilla may not fully enclose the filling. If it comes up short, cut a round from a spare tortilla, lay it over the toppings, and fold the edges up over that.

TOSTADA SHELLS – These are flat, crisp corn shells, not the soft corn tortillas that sit next to them in the store. It’s the crunch in Crunchwrap. Yellow or white corn both work fine. If your store does not carry them, a single flat layer of sturdy tortilla chips in the center will also work.

GROUND BEEF – I use regular ground beef and drain it well after browning. If you want more flavor out of every pound, it’s worth reading the right way to brown ground beef first.

TACO SEASONING – Like I mentioned above, I use my homemade taco seasoning mix here. A store-bought packet works if that is what you have on hand.

NACHO CHEESE SAUCE – Any canned nacho cheese sauce will be fine. We used a brand called Ricos. I’ve also heard that Frito’s jalapeño cheddar cheese dip is the closest thing flavor-wise to Taco Bell!

SOUR CREAM – A thin layer spread across the tostada shell, not a dollop. One of my readers, Julie, mentioned years ago that she spreads hers onto the tortilla first, before the tostada goes down, which is great if you want to keep the cold ingredients away from the hot side of the pan!

LETTUCE AND TOMATO – Chop the tomato small and drain off any watery seeds, since excess liquid is what makes the inside of a crunchwrap soggy. Add both right before folding so they stay crisp.

How to Make a Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Brown ground beef in skillet over medium high heat. Drain any excess fat, you can keep a little to keep the meat from drying out. Add taco seasoning and a small amount water if needed.
2. Warm a burrito sized tortilla in the microwave to make it more pliable. Add about 1/2 cup of taco meat to the center of the tortilla.
3. Spread 2 tablespoons of nacho cheese sauce onto a tostada shell. Place the shell, cheese side down, on top of the meat and press down gently.
4. Spread a heaping tablespoon of sour cream onto the tostada shell.
5. Top sour cream with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes.
6. Fold the sides of the tortilla up around the tostada shell. This should encase everything.
7. Repeat the process for the remaining 4 crunchwraps.
8. Preheat skillet (or use an electric griddle to fit all at once) over medium high, a small amount of oil or cooking spray can be used.
9. Place Crunchwraps, folded side down, onto hot skillet and gently press down with spatula. Allow tortilla to brown, anywhere from 1-3 minutes. Flip over and brown the other side.
10. Remove, cut in half, and serve!

How to Fold a Crunchwrap Supreme

A quick note about folding. The step photos below walk through the fold I use. We folded an empty tortilla for those so the technique is easier to see. You may also notice that the finished Crunchwraps in our photos came out with five sections rather than six. They sealed and held together perfectly well, which tells you something useful: what actually locks a Crunchwrap shut is each fold overlapping the one before it and the last flap tucking underneath, not the exact count. Aim for six, but do not stress if yours comes out with five. It will still hold.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

It’s usually one of these three things: the tortilla is too small, the folds were not pressed down, or it went into the pan folded-side up. Use 12-inch “super burrito” size tortillas, press each fold firmly as you go, and always start cooking folded-side down so the heat seals the pleats shut before you flip it.

12-inch “super burrito” size flour tortillas make a huge difference. A 10-inch tortilla is workable, but you spend the whole time fighting for enough coverage to close the folds cleanly. With the 12-inch, there is room to spare and the crunchwrap seals easily. It also means you do not need to cut a second tortilla to cap the center, which a lot of crunchwrap recipes call for.

Start by folding two opposite edges of the tortilla straight up over the filling, one from the top and one from the bottom. You will be left with a rounded flap on either side. From there, work your way around in overlapping diagonal folds. Bring one section up and over the filling, press it down with your thumb, then take the next section right alongside it so it overlaps the one before. Keep going around until the last flap reaches the center, then tuck it underneath the fold beside it. You should end up with a six-sided packet and a small pinwheel where all the folds meet in the middle. If yours closes up with five sections instead of six, as ours did in the photos, it will still seal and hold together just fine. The overlap and the final tuck are what matter, not the count.

Yes. Lay a single flat layer of sturdy chips in the center where the tostada would go. You will not get quite the same clean crunch in every bite, but it works well and saves a trip to the store. Do not pile them up or the crunchwrap will not fold flat.

I would not recommend it simply because of the toppings. Once the lettuce and tomato are in, an assembled crunchwrap has to go in the fridge, which means you are then cooking it from cold. The tortilla will brown and crisp long before the beef in the middle warms back through, so you end up with a crunchy outside wrapped around a lukewarm center.

Cooked shredded chicken, chopped steak, or carne asada all work well in place of the ground beef, and black beans make a good meatless version. If you want more heat, add pickled jalapeños, work in some pepper jack, or stir extra red pepper flakes into the beef while it’s in the pan.

No. A regular nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat is all it takes. That said, if you have an electric griddle it is worth pulling out. We cooked all five at once on ours, which beats working through them one at a time in a skillet.

Storage and Freezing Information

Crunchwraps are at their best straight out of the pan, while the tostada shell is still crisp. If you do end up with leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

When you reheat, use the air fryer or the oven. Both bring the outside back to crisp. Skip the microwave, which steams the tortilla and leaves you with a soft crunchwrap.

I have not tested freezing assembled crunchwraps, so I cannot tell you how they hold up. However, you can freeze the cooked and cooled beef separately. It keeps 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Reheat it before you begin assembling. Starting with cold beef is what causes trouble, since the filling will not warm through in the short time the crunchwrap spends in the pan.

Serving Suggestions

A crunchwrap is pretty filling on its own, but if you are feeding a crowd it is worth building a small spread around it. Set out extra sour cream, salsa, and guacamole for dipping, since the folded edges are made for it. A bowl of taco dip or 7 layer taco dip on the table alongside is an easy way to stretch dinner into something that feels like a party.

For a fuller plate, Mexican rice or seasoned black beans round things out without much extra effort. And if you are cooking for a game day crowd rather than a weeknight, a pot of taco soup makes a good companion since it can sit on the stove while you fry crunchwraps one at a time. That one-at-a-time part is worth planning for, by the way. Unless you have a griddle, you are cooking these in sequence, so keep finished ones loosely covered on a plate while you work through the rest.

More Taco Inspired Recipes

• Taco Pie
• Walking Tacos
• Taco Empanadas
• Taco Casserole
• Taco Pasta Salad

Ground beef is definitely a weeknight workhorse, so if you want more ways to use up a pound, my full collection of 90+ ground beef recipes is a good place to start.

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