Taco Bell Enchirito Copycat

The famous Taco Bell enchirito recipe has been brought back to life with a generous smothering of homemade enchilada sauce and plenty of melty cheese.

Why this recipe works

Taco Bell may have discontinued this saucy cross between an enchilada and a burrito back in 2013, but the enchirito continues to live on in this house. We’ve been lucky enough to see it reappear a couple of times over the years, but there’s really no excuse to not make it at home with how easy it is to prepare.

Taco Bell described it themselves as a “warm, soft flour tortilla wrapped around seasoned ground beef, hearty beans, diced onions, real cheddar cheese, and tangy red sauce”. Little did I know when I first made this copycat recipe back in 2012 that it would be discontinued the following year. But, the silver lining? For those who really want the classic taste, Taco Bell sells a bunch of its sauces in stores nowadays. And their taco seasonings, too.

Looking for more quick weeknight dinners? Head over to my 30 ground beef dinners ready in 30 minutes roundup where you’ll find this and 29 more quick weeknight recipes.

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 – Our instructions state to warm the tortillas in the microwave. This is just to get them pliable enough to fold without tearing. If you store your tortillas in the pantry as opposed to the refrigerator, you may skip this step.

BEEF – Lean ground beef, such as 80-90% lean, is ideal here so you don’t have to drain as much off. Ground chicken or turkey can be used instead of ground beef if desired.

SAUCE – I prefer to use homemade enchilada sauce, but any canned red enchilada sauce will do. Afterall, that’s essentially all Taco Bell’s red sauce was.

SEASONINGS – Because I always have it prepped ahead, I use my homemade taco seasoning mix. But you can easily substitute with Taco Bell’s original taco seasoning mix.

How to Make a Taco Bell Enchirito Copycat

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 the ground beef in a large skillet and drain. Add taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil then turn down to low and simmer 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat enchilada sauce in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. Warm refried beans in the microwave. Warm tortillas in the microwave.
4. Spread refried beans into the middle of each tortilla.
5. Sprinkle diced onion over the beans.
6. Spoon seasoned beef over the onion and refried beans.
7. Fold burrito style and top with warm enchilada sauce.
8. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

We may never know the real answer, but it’s safe to assume they discontinued the enchirito to simply refresh the menu and make way for new items (I’m looking at you, smothered burritos), which is sadly quite common with Taco Bell. We’ll always love you, enchiritos (and caramel apple empanadas).

It’s quite simply a burrito and an enchilada, combined into one. Think of a burrito filled with refried beans and seasoned beef, covered in red enchilada sauce and melty cheese.

Yes! If you didn’t know, the original enchirito was topped with sliced black olives back in the 1970’s. Feel free to add sliced black olives on top after adding the sauce.

Absolutely. However, I would recommend only freezing the filled burritos, without the sauce. Allow the filling to fully cool before wrapping in the tortilla. Once assembled, wrap the enchiritos individually with plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Place them on a baking sheet and flash freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen enchiritos to a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, remove the foil and plastic wrap, place them in a baking dish, and bake at 350F for around 30-35 minutes. Add the sauce and cheese and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

To reheat leftovers, place them in a baking dish covered with foil and heat in an oven set to 350F until warmed through.

Serving Suggestions

That’s it, now you know how to make the best copycat Taco Bell enchirito. It’s really quite simple, isn’t it? Serve while warm from the oven with an optional garnish of sour cream and sliced green onion.

More Related Recipes

• Chicken Enchilada Casserole
• Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme
• Shredded Chicken and Chile Enchiladas

Looking for more ground beef ideas? See our collection of 90 best ground beef recipes here.

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