How I Made Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap Supreme at Home

While being stuck inside for most of this year, I’ve had some of my strangest cravings. I lived through a stage of putting sesame oil on everything, spent a week recreating the flavors of a discontinued Jamba Juice smoothie from my childhood, perfected classic movie theatre popcorn in my kitchen, and...attempted making candy corn in summer. I know, quite bizarre…

It’s been a cravings-filled few months, to say the least. I’m sure the one craving we all can relate to is something from our favorite fast-food restaurant. For some, it might be a good old Quarter Pounder and an apple pie from McDonald’s, for others it’s that crispy Chick-Fil-A sandwich, or maybe a Frosty from Wendy’s. We all crave those no matter what time of the year it is, no matter what is happening in the world, or what emotional experience/turmoil we are going through. Turmoil is always better by the way, cause it totally justifies treating yourself to that delicious not-so-healthy meal.

The one craving I always come back to is for the iconic Crunchwrap Supreme from Taco Bell. When this particular craving would strike in the past, I’d hit the drive-thru for one or two of my favorite one-handed snacks. Unfortunately lately it has not always been an option. And the inflated turmoil only exasperated my craving.

I remember a few years back, this craving hit me when there was no Taco Bell within 1000 miles. Oh, the emotional trauma it’s left me with… I started to feel something similar because of the general uncertainty we found ourselves in. When you could never be sure your favorite fast food restaurant was even open at any given moment, I had to take a more hands-on approach.

What could I do? My desire for that not-quite-taco-not-quite-burrito texture and pure, unadulterated pseudo-Mexican flavors was not to be ignored yet again! And so I began a quest to recreate those pockets of happiness in my own kitchen. I set aside an entire Sunday, anticipating this recipe development to be a full-day project that would end in something hopefully resembling the holy Crunchwrap. I was shocked when the time it took me to make a near-perfect copy of my favorite, the handheld pentagon of goodness clocked in at around an hour, (and that included making my own nacho cheese sauce!).

I felt like I had successfully reinvented the wheel - or should I say - the Crunchwrap. I came to the realization that, in the comfort of my own kitchen, I could customize my Crunchwrap Supreme as much as I wanted - and it was glorious. I didn’t want to mess with the flavor too much for fear of upsetting some sort of balance in the universe and angering Taco Bell Gods. What I did do was gleefully double all of the ingredients, marveling at the way the extra-large tortilla effortlessly accommodated them. Suddenly, a single wrap was no longer a small snack, but a full-on meal. These homestyle Crunchwraps are modern-day culinary gold.

Let’s be honest, our favorite fast food snack cravings are at an all-time high and the world could use a little comfort food. So being the noble humanitarian that I am, I am sharing my Homestyle Crunchwrap Supremes with the world. And I call on you, my dear readers, spread the word! Share this recipe with more than just your roommates, do some good!

Behold the glory of filling your Crunchwrap with whatever you please! Shredded Chicken, ground turkey, or tofu crumbles instead of beef? Kale instead of lettuce? Dare we dream of a vegan Crunchwrap (complete with cheeseless cheese sauce)??

The great part about making these at home is that the choice is yours, and the simple equation of extra-large tortilla + stuffings + crunchy middle is the perfect canvas for not only a homage to the original but a space where you can let your culinary creativity run wild.