We’re big fans of the stoner and drunkard paradise that is Taco Bell. From a survey of all of their tacos to in-depth reviews on the Mexican Pizza, Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme, Chicken Wings (that’s a thing Taco Bell tried this year!), the very weird Crispy Plant Based Chalupa, and more — we love the chain. We’ve even taught you how to make your own Mexi-Melt and it’s way better than the original.
Over the course of this journey, we’ve formed many opinions on the Taco Bell menu. But we’ve never stopped to check in on what the masses are buzzing about. Taco Bell’s menu changes multiple times per year (they’ve dropped and brought back Nacho Fries more times than we can count, and they’re planning to bring them back again this month) so keeping up with it is a near-impossible task. So we looked to Ranker to find out what people are currently digging into when hitting the Bell. We did this three years ago and, to no surprise, the current ranking on Ranker has shifted a lot.
Below, we’re listing the 10 best Taco Bell menu items according to the masses, plus our take on each. Did the masses get it right or are there major menu additions that people are sleeping on? Let’s dive in!
10. Crunchy Taco
Our Thoughts:
The masses got this one wrong! Tenth? How? Why?! Look, we get it, the Crunchy Taco isn’t the most exciting Taco Bell option out there, it’s frustratingly simple: fairly seasoned ground beef, a crunchy corn shell, some shredded lettuce, and a handful of cheddar cheese that never melts, even if you nuke it. But simplicity is its strength. This is the sort of menu item you add to your meal no matter what you’re ordering, it’s the quintessential Taco Bell menu choice.
It is to Taco Bell what fries are to McDonald’s!
As we mentioned in the lede, Taco Bell is stoner food, but the Crunchy Taco is probably the only item on the menu that you can eat stone-cold sober and still enjoy. It pairs well with each of Taco Bell’s sauce packets but truly doesn’t need any additional ingredients to taste great.
The Bottom Line:
It should be number 1. Honestly, this is Taco Bell’s single best menu item, it has no faults.
9. Doritos Cheesy Gordita Crunch
Our Thoughts:
Snagging the ninth spot amongst the masses feels pretty fair, though if it were up to us this would be a bit higher in the ranking. The strength of this dish is that quintuple dose of cheese melding the flour tortilla to the shell. You get mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and cheddar, forming a range of flavors that are alternately salty, nutty, and sharp, plus a dose of that iconic Doritos’ Nacho Cheese via the crunchy shell. Combine that with some spicy ranch sauce, and Taco Bell’s ground beef and you get a cheesy mouthful of flavors with a spicy kick of heat at the aftertaste.
Truly one of Taco Bell’s best creations.
The Bottom Line:
9th feels a bit too low in our book but it’s hard to be mad at this one. The Doritos Cheesy Gordita Crunch is a must-order if you’ve never had it.
8. Soft Taco
Our Thoughts:
Again, this one is ranked way too low. It’s just a soft-shell version of the crunchy taco, so a lot of what makes the crunchy taco great is present here as well. That simple combination of ground beef, lettuce, and shredder cheddar never gets old and its lack of ingredients makes it easier to focus in on the savory meaty flavors of the ground beef while coming across as a lot more filling and satisfying than its crunchy cousin.
Simply add your favorite hot sauce (we suggest asking for the hot red sauce they have under the counter rather than a packet) and you have a near-perfect fast-food taco.
The Bottom Line:
It shouldn’t be ranked number 1 but this is way too low. The masses are sleeping on the simplicity of soft and crunchy tacos.
7. Beefy Five-Layer Burrito
Our Thoughts:
For a while, the Beefy Five-Layer Burrito has been a fan-favorite at Taco Bell and it’s easy to see why. The strength is in the simplicity, it’s just a burrito loaded with beef, beans, sour cream, and shredded cheddar with a layer of nacho cheese sauce smeared across the tortilla.
It’s hard to hate that, but Taco Bell has since dropped a lot of burritos that are a bit more interesting than this, including the Spicy Double Steak Grilled Cheese, The Beefy Melt Burrito, and later this month, the 7-Layer Nacho Fries burrito. So how do we make the ‘ol Beefy Five-Layer delicious? Simply ditch the beans (Taco Bell’s beans are horrible) and order it grilled.
That’ll give you more room for beef, and a crunchy texture that’ll provide a better mouthfeel.
The Bottom Line:
The Beefy Five-Layer is good but with a few tweaks you can easily make it something great.
6. Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco
Our Thoughts:
The masses got it wrong again, not only is the Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos ranked way too high, it doesn’t even deserve to be in the top 10 of Taco Bell menu items. This taco is a great idea, combining the flavors of Taco Bell with Doritos is the sort of genius move that is born in college dorms but, like many ideas that are formed while heavily stoned, just because they seem good, doesn’t mean they actually translate. The Doritos Locos Taco is frustratingly redundant. Doritos has 14 different flavors, so why did Taco Bell choose Nacho Cheese over something that could’ve added some contrast to the mix of ground beef and cheddar cheese, like I don’t know, Cool Ranch or Salsa Verde?
By going with Nacho Cheese for the shell, Taco Bell is doubling down on the cheesy and salty flavor profile. The cheddar and beef are already cheesy and salty, adding a shell with the same qualities makes this taste like too much of a good thing. There is no balance. There is a form of this taco that works, and it’s on this list, but the Doritos Locos stock taco, is straight-up garbage.
The Bottom Line:
Taco Bell’s most overrated taco ever. It doesn’t even deserve to be on this list. The masses must be stoned.
5. Chalupa Supreme
Our Thoughts:
I’m not mad at this one, Taco Bell’s Chalupa Supreme is one of Taco Bell’s best chalupas (the Chipotle Cheddar Chalupa is slightly better, but it’s absent from this list) on the menu. It takes that classic Taco Bell salty beefy cheesy flavor combination and adds some sour cream for a bit of tang, tomato for a burst of freshness, and a sweet chalupa wrap.
A touch of spice would go a long way into making this a better dish, so we suggest you substitute that sour cream for chipotle sauce, but as is, it’s not bad.
The Bottom Line:
The classic Taco Bell flavors with a touch of sweetness at the aftertaste.
4. Quesarito
Our Thoughts:
Remember what I said about Taco Bell being a stoner’s paradise?
Dishes like the Quesarito prove that. Like its name suggests, this combines everything great about a burrito with a quesadilla, it’s the sort of menu item that exists for indecisive people who can’t choose between the two. Why not have both in one? The burrito build includes ground beef, rice, and sour cream, wrapped in a flour tortilla and then wrapped again in another tortilla smeared with melted cheddar cheese and nacho cheese sauce.
It’s beefy, cheesy, salty, and has a whole lot of texture. The idea of a burrito without beans sounds, well, like not a burrito, but considering Taco Bell’s beans are so terrible, this works surprisingly well. Don’t be tempted to add the beans.
The Bottom Line:
One of Taco Bell’s finest dishes. Does it deserve the number 4 spot? Definitely, if anything this should be ranked even higher.
3. Chicken Quesadilla
Our Thoughts:
This is ranked way too high, in fact, it shouldn’t even be on the list. Taco Bell’s chicken is awful, it’s dry, chewy, and almost completely flavorless. It’s more texture than anything else, and that texture isn’t anything good. The strength of this dish is everything else in it, the creamy jalapeno sauce is vegetal, spicy, and delicious, and the three-cheese blend combines cheddar, Monterey Jack, and mozzarella — it’s satisfyingly cheesy with a grilled flour tortilla that is crispy and has a whole lot of texture. But that chicken? Skip it. You’ll be saving a dollar and saving room in your stomach to just pick up a crunchy taco on the side.
The Bottom Line:
I don’t know how anything with Taco Bell’s chicken is appealing to the masses. Have ya’ll ever had chicken?
2. Cheesy Gordita Crunch
Our Thoughts:
How do you make Taco Bell’s already delicious crunchy taco even more satisfying? It’s simple, just wrap it in another tortilla with melted cheese melding it together. You get a double dose of cheese here, shredded cheddar on top of the taco, with the three-cheese blend between the crunchy shell and gordita wrap. In addition to that medley of cheesy flavors you’ve got spicy ranch, lettuce, and ground beef, making each bite a mix of complex cheese, and savory beef, with a spicy tangy finish.
But the Cheesy Gordita Crunch can easily be improved by ordering the Doritos Locos version. That’ll give you a triple dose of cheese with the gordita shell adding a sweet component to counterbalance the sometimes overwhelming nacho cheese shell. This is the balance of flavors that the Doritos Locos desperately needed.
The Bottom Line:
Being ranked as the second-best Taco Bell menu item is way too high for this dish, but we won’t deny that this deserves a spot in the top ten.
1. Crunch Wrap Supreme
Our Thoughts:
While the Crunch Wrap Supreme wouldn’t be my number one choice, it feels fitting that this is the favorite of the masses. The Crunchwrap is Taco Bell’s invention, it’s not a spin on a famous Mexican dish, it’s not a combination of famous flavors like the Doritos Locos Taco or a hybrid like the Quesarito, it exists as a pure invention out of the mind of Taco Bell’s flavor scientists.
It consists of a layer of savory beef and salty nacho cheese sauce, a thin layer of fried corn tortilla, and a fresh medley of veggies on top all wrapped in a giant warm grilled tortilla. Each bite is crunchy, salty, savory, fresh, and beautifully textural, it’s hard to hate this, it’s like a greatest hits collection of Taco Bell flavors.
Order a side of red sauce and dip each bite for a spicy lift that makes this already delicious dish even more elevated.
The Bottom Line:
The masses may have got a lot wrong, but giving the Crunchwrap Supreme the number 1 spot feels fitting. If somehow you’ve never had Taco Bell, start here, it’s a reflection of what makes the Bell so beloved.
