It's not actually much like a grilled cheese at all — and the original version doesn't
even seem to be available anymore.
But Taco Bell's Grilled Cheese Burrito still remains a sensation.
The Grilled Cheese Burrito is a completely different beast from any grilled cheese you've
ever made in a pan.
For one, every Grilled Cheese Burrito option on the Taco Bell menu contains meat.
Here's how it's made: The original Grilled Cheese Burrito starts out with one of Taco
Bell's signature, Mission-brand flour tortillas.
Next comes a three-cheese blend, which Taco Bell says contains mozzarella cheese, cheddar
cheese, Monterey Jack, and American cheese, along with jalapeño pepper.
Yes, that's four cheeses, but that's what they call it.
Next, Taco Bell adds nacho cheese sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, and creamy chipotle sauce.
Then, it's stuffed with seasoned rice, seasoned beef, and red fiesta strips to turn it into
a heartier and more calorie-laden meal.
Finally, it's grilled with a bit of the three-cheese blend melted on top.
"Who wants cheese?"
"Me, please!"
The Grilled Cheese Burrito contains 710 calories, 39 grams of total fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol,
and a whopping 1,490 milligrams of sodium.
In the Deluxe Box combo, you'll also find the Chalupa Supreme, which itself has 350
calories, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 18 grams of total fat, and 560 milligrams of
sodium.
The box also has a Doritos Locos Taco, which has 170 calories, 9 grams of fat, 25 milligrams
of cholesterol, and 350 milligrams of sodium.
That means the whole thing adds up to 1,230 calories, 66 grams of fat, 125 milligrams
of cholesterol, and an astounding 2,400 milligrams of sodium — and that's not even including
the side of nachos and cheese that also come in the box.
The amount of sodium in the Grilled Cheese Burrito Deluxe Box is so over-the-top that
Taco Bell has posted a sodium warning for it.
If you get the Deluxe Box, it may be best to share it with some friends.
An Insider review calls the Grilled Cheese Burrito "Taco Bell's best dish in years,"
and notes that there is "no shortage" of cheese.
The review points out that the burrito is stuffed with nacho cheese sauce along with
the melted grilled cheese on the outside, and that each bite is warm and fresh.
Others agree that the Taco Bell treat is "buttery" with a nice kick from the chipotle sauce.
Thrillist reviewer Tony Merevick checked to see if the burrito is indeed as cheesy as
Taco Bell promises.
Although he expected to see a bit more cheese on the outside, Merevick described the burrito
as having a "buttery, burnt cheese flavor" to every bite, without being too overwhelming.
But enough about the professional critics.
What do the people think?
"Our voices will be heard!"
Despite the premium versions of the Grilled Cheese Burrito being among the most expensive
items on the Taco Bell menu, one Reddit user said they're, quote, "the best thing they
got going for them right now."
Others on Reddit have complained about the Grilled Cheese Burrito sometimes being greasy,
though — especially if they pick it up in the drive-thru window and then wait until
they get home to eat it.
But fresh off the grill, it seems to be just fine.
Also, ordering it vegetarian with refried beans can result in an extremely dense burrito
that can be difficult to eat if they add too many refried beans, says one Reddit user.
So the experience may depend on how quickly you eat it and what changes you make.
For those who think the Grilled Cheese Burrito needs a little more oomph, Taco Bell has the
answer for you.
They literally beefed it up with strips of grilled steak.
According to the chain, the Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito has twice as much steak as
the regular Steak Quesadilla, ensuring every bite is full of meaty, cheesy flavor.
But with a steeper price tag and a heftier calorie count of 920, is it really worth it?
According to Brand Eating, the Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito seems to suffer from
being "overly familiar."
The review noted that it didn't seem to have the same allure as any other of Taco Bell's
limited-time value items, noting that for considerably less money, you could upgrade
the original Grilled Cheese Burrito with extra beef, which is more satisfying.
If you must have your Grilled Cheese Burrito with steak, then go for the double steak option
— but if it isn't a deal-breaker to get the ground beef, go for the classic if you
can get it.
When Taco Bell first opened in 1962, you could buy a taco for a mere 19 cents.
Prices have understandably gone up since then, but you can still find plenty of $1 and $2
items on the Cravings Value Menu to keep you satisfied.
In fact, the majority of the Taco Bell burrito menu is under 5 bucks, which is extremely
cheap as far as restaurant menus go.
With a price point of around $7.29 as of February 2023, the premium Double Steak Grilled Cheese
Burritos are around twice the cost of a typical Taco Bell menu item.
But people keep buying them because they're filling and tasty.
David Gibbs, CEO of Taco Bell parent company Yum!
Brands, said in a 2022 earnings call transcribed by The Motley Fool that —
"The demand is more for premium value.
That's why you're seeing us do things like the Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito at
Taco Bell, which is at a higher price point than normal, but still a great value and a
big part of our success in Taco Bell."
Various innovations like the return of the Mexican Pizza and the addition of premium
menu items including double-meat Grilled Cheese Burritos have enabled individual stores to
grow their sales by as much as 5% by the end of the third quarter of 2022.
If you have a favorite menu item at Taco Bell, you can almost guarantee it's not going to
stick around unless it's a classic, like a crunchy taco or a soft taco.
Even old standbys, like shredded chicken and Nachos Supreme, were removed from the menu
in 2020.
Taco Bell first unveiled the Grilled Cheese Burrito at a $2.99 price point on July 2,
2020, promising that it would only be around "for a limited time and while supplies last."
Before 2020 was over, the Grilled Cheese Burrito was gone, and there was already a petition
at Change.org to bring it back.
"I want it back!"
In August 2022, the Grilled Cheese Burrito finally showed back up on the menu in three
different flavors, with prices ranging from $4.29 to $7.29.
Unfortunately, once again, it threatened to only be around for a limited time.
For a while, you could get the original Grilled Cheese Burrito, a Double Steak version, and
a Spicy Double Steak version with jalapeños on top.
Eventually, the original version disappeared and was replaced with a Double Chicken version
in some locations.
As of February 2023, the steak versions are still available.
There's no guarantee that the Grilled Cheese Burrito will be available when you next crave
one.
But you can always hack the menu to order one anyway.
Taco Bell's original Grilled Cheese Burrito contains seasoned ground beef, a three-cheese
blend, reduced-fat sour cream, nacho cheese sauce, chipotle sauce, fiesta tortilla strips,
and seasoned rice.
So, all you have to do is to find the closest thing on the menu and start tinkering on a
self-serve kiosk, the online menu, or even at the drive-thru.
For example, you could order a Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito, and swap out the steak
for seasoned beef.
If there aren't any Grilled Cheese Burritos of any kind available, find a burrito with
similar fillings.
For example, the $2.00 Beefy Melt Burrito already comes with most of the same ingredients,
so all you have to do to turn it into a Grilled Cheese Burrito is to add chipotle sauce for
an additional 65 cents and choose the "make it grilled" option.
If you're ordering in person or at the drive-through window, you can even ask for them to throw
some of the three-cheese blend on top during grilling — though they may charge a little
extra for that as well.
There's no vegetarian version of the Grilled Cheese Burrito on the Taco Bell menu, but
that doesn't mean you can't get one, too.
The easiest thing to do is simply order a Grilled Cheese Burrito without meat, if the
regular version is available.
You can also add refried beans, black beans, potatoes, or tomatoes.
Eating at Taco Bell in India is an entirely different experience.
As a Mexican, American, and Indian fusion restaurant, every menu item may look somewhat
familiar, but it's been transformed into something entirely unique.
For one thing, there's no beef in any of the menu items, so the Grilled Cheese Burrito
in India comes completely vegetarian.
Once you start looking at the ingredient list, you'll realize that nothing but the tortilla
and cheese on top is the same.
Instead of orange seasoned rice, the Indian version contains green jalapeño rice.
It also replaces the creamy chipotle sauce with reaper ranch sauce.
There are no fiesta strips, either.
One of the most interesting differences is the type of cheese inside.
The Indian Grilled Cheese Burrito contains cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and "Mexican
paneer."
Sounds like it's worth a try if you're ever in New Delhi.
"Now you know what should be on your bucket list."
After the initial success of the Grilled Cheese Burrito, Taco Bell tested out a closely-related
menu item called the Grilled Cheese Stacker in Houston, Texas, in 2021.
The Stacker looked more like a quesadilla than a burrito, and it simply contained meat,
a three-cheese blend, and nacho cheese.
It also had cheese melted onto the tortilla, but there was no rice, crispy fiesta strips,
sour cream, or chipotle sauce.
Thrillist also notes that the folding method for the Grilled Cheese Stacker was different
from a burrito or quesadilla, with the Grilled Cheese Stacker getting three folds.
But it really just looked like a tri-folded quesadilla.
It does not seem to have made the leap out of test markets — at least, not yet.