What Is on a 5 Layer Burrito at Taco Bell

copycat beefy 5 layer burrito

Want a healthier and tastier alternative to the Beefy 5 Layer Burrito from Taco Bell? If so, you need to try this beefy five layer burrito copycat recipe! Learn how to make the classic Taco Bell version, as well as soft taco style. In addition, I'll show you how to make healthy twists to the recipe that don't compromise on flavor!

Hi y'all! We're making a fakeaway recipe today for the Taco Bell 5 layer burrito. This one offers up an explosion of delicious flavors; I really think you're going to love it!

First though, I've got to answer an important question. What's in the beefy 5 layer burrito? Here is the line-up, straight from the Taco Bell website:

Seasoned beef
Refried beans
Reduced-fat sour cream
Cheese
Nacho cheese sauce
Flour tortillas

You get two flour tortillas with each Taco Bell beefy 5 layer burrito. The nacho cheese is layered between the tortillas, and then the rest of the ingredients are piled on top.

If you want a sturdy burrito that's not likely to break apart on you, this one's a good choice. It's kind of like a quesadilla has been wrapped around a burrito. I'm not surprised at all that this is such a popular Taco Bell menu item.

That said, I've got some recipe tweaks up my sleeve that I think makes this burrito even better. And if you want a copycat Taco Bell burrito that's a little more authentic? Well, I can help you out there too!

Around these parts, it's all about making food that tastes good AND that supports good health. I love offering up the options that may help you reach your goals. So, let's get to it, shall we?

Jump to:

Nutrition
Ingredients
Equipment
How to Make Beefy 5 Layer Burrito
Beefy 5 Layer Burrito Layers
Customize the Beefy 5 Layer Burrito
Expert Tips from a Dietitian
FAQs
More Beefy Recipes
The Disclaimer…
📖 Recipe
DIY Taco Seasoning

Nutrition

First up, WHY make this beefy burrito Taco Bell copycat? I mean, wouldn't it just be so much easier to just pick up a five-layer burrito from Taco Bell? Hmmm...

It's true that it might be less work to hit the drive-thru. However, then you'd miss out on all of these nutritional benefits:

No added sugar: Believe it or not, the tortillas that Taco Bell uses contain sugar. When you make burritos at home, you can skip the added sugars. Your taste buds will never know!
No refined grains: Taco bell uses tortillas made with "enriched wheat flour," which is just a fancy way of saying "white flour." With DIY burritos, you can use whole grain tortillas.
Unwanted additives not here: Fast food tends to contain a lot of funky additives that are unneeded when you make food at home. For example, the tortillas at Taco Bell contain dough conditioners like fumaric acid and distilled monoglycerides. Their dairy products also contain additives, including potassium sorbate and modified food starch. These things don't add nutritional value to your food.
No ultra-processed foods: Remember my article on ultra-processed foods and how they are not so great for health? Unfortunately, Taco Bell's burrito definitely counts as ultra-processed. In addition to the additives listed above, their beefy burrito also contains hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil. With homemade burritos, you can stick with whole food ingredients.
Protein: Taco Bell's Beefy 5-Layer Burrito offers 18 grams of protein per burrito. My copycat burrito has over twice the protein per burrito (37 grams). I think you'll find it a much more satisfying entrée option!
SCRUMPTIOUS: Is the beefy 5-layer burrito good? We definitely think so! However, this copycat 5 layer burrito might be even better, IMVHO. Try it for yourself and see!

Ingredients

Here's a roundup of the simple ingredients I used for this recipe:

Tortillas
Lean ground beef
Taco seasoning (I used homemade, though you can also use store-bought)
Refried beans (pick a brand without added sugar if you're using store-bought)
Plain, whole milk Greek yogurt (for a version without sour cream)
Shredded cheddar cheese (use orange cheddar cheese if you want your burritos to look more like a Taco Bell burrito)
Butter
Whole wheat flour
Milk
Chili powder
Ghost pepper (just the tiniest sprinkle)
Salt
Fresh chopped cilantro (completely optional garnish that adds a nice pop of color)

A lot of copycat beefy burrito recipes use Velveeta. I'm having us make homemade nacho cheese sauce instead. It's easier than you might think!

Also, you may have noticed that my "burritos" really resemble more of a soft taco. That is because I found pretty much the perfect store-bought tortillas. Like, if I could create a premade tortilla for the stores, these would be it.

These Mi Tierra corn tortillas are made of only corn, water, and lime. It can actually be pretty tough to find tortillas without food additives, so I grabbed these when I came across them!

These small tortillas contain corn that underwent the ancient technique of nixtamalization. That means the corn was cooked with crushed limestone, which helps increase the availability of certain nutrients (such as niacin).

That said, if you want a copycat that is truer to the Taco Bell original recipe, you'll need to use flour tortillas, not corn tortillas. Also, you'll want to use large tortillas, so you can wrap the fillings like a burrito. With the small (6-inch diameter) tortillas I used, my "burritos" are really more like soft tacos. (I have no regrets!)

Equipment

The main pieces of kitchen equipment you'll need are a cast-iron skillet, a small saucepan, and a whisk. You're going to use the skillet to cook the beef. Meanwhile, the saucepan and whisk are used for the cheese sauce.

If you'll be making soft tacos, taco holders are a great thing to have! I love the taco holder set that I picked up on Amazon. They help make the presentation of the food a little nicer.

How to Make Beefy 5 Layer Burrito

There are three main steps to this Taco Bell copycat recipe:

Cook the ground beef with the seasoning
Make the nacho cheese sauce
Assemble your beefy 5 layer burritos and eat!

So first up, brown the beef in the skillet with your taco seasoning and a little water. If you're using a packet of seasoning, the packet will tell you how much water to use. I used ½ cup of water with my homemade taco seasoning.

You're going to cook the beef in the skillet over medium heat until it is dry. Break the beef into crumbles with a metal spatula while it cooks. This step takes 10-15 minutes.

You're only going to use about 75% of this cooked ground beef in your burritos. Save the rest of the seasoned beef for another meal. (It's a great way to add some quick protein to a taco salad!)

Next, it's time to get to work on the nacho cheese sauce. Make a roux by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Quickly stir in the flour to make a paste.

Now, slowly add the milk into the roux, whisking it in bit by bit. It's important to add it slowly to avoid lumpy cheese sauce. I like to whisk in the chili powder, ghost pepper, and salt when I'm about halfway finished with adding the milk.

Let the mixture thicken over the heat, whisking frequently. It will take 3-5 minutes.

Take the saucepan off of the heat. Quickly stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until you have a smooth nacho cheese sauce. You should aim to use it as soon as possible, so it spreads more easily.

Beefy 5 Layer Burrito Layers

I find tortillas (particularly corn and other gluten free tortillas) are easiest to work with when they are heated. To heat corn tortillas, I wrap them in foil and put them in an oven heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Keep the tortillas in the heated oven until you're ready to use them.

I also prefer to heat the refried beans (in the microwave or on the stovetop) before using. I think the heating makes the beans easier to spread.

Start the assembly process by laying six of the heated tortillas out on a clean work surface. Don't worry if they are curling a bit at the edges- they're about to be weighed down with ingredients. (And if you're more of a visual person, don't miss the recipe video beneath the recipe below!)

Divide the nacho cheese sauce evenly between the tortillas. Spread the cheese so it is coating the entire top of each of the six tortillas. (Tip: Substitute guacamole for the nacho cheese to make an Incredible Hulk burrito!)

Top the nacho cheese with another tortilla. Now you essentially have the makings of a quesadilla. But we're not stopping here.

Spread the refried beans in an even layer over the tops of the tortillas. Add the seasoned beef, shredded cheese, and a few dollops of plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream).

Garnish with cilantro if you wish, though that isn't part of an authentic beefy 5 layer.

If you're using small tortillas as I did, simply fold them in half for a double-layered soft taco. If you used large flour tortillas, you can roll them up into burritos. They're ready to eat as soon as they've been rolled up!

Customize the Beefy 5 Layer Burrito

If you order a beefy 5 layer burrito at Taco Bell, you can customize it. However, you will need to pay more for the extra ingredients. In addition, you are limited to whatever ingredients they offer.

Compare that to making burritos at home. There are no rules! You can add whatever the heck you feel like adding.

Here are some ideas that I think would work well in this burrito. The sky is truly the limit though, don't feel limited by what I've included below.

Salsa con queso
Pico de gallo or your favorite salsa
Pinto beans, roasted black beans , or other favorite beans
Keto cheese sauce
Onions
Tomatoes
Avocado or guacamole
Seasoned ground turkey
Smoked tofu
Sliced steak
Shredded chicken
Chorizo Sausage
Shredded lettuce
Roasted red peppers
Pickled jalapeno peppers
Cooked vegetables, such as corn or broccoli (chop them very small)
Brown rice
Quinoa
Shredded pepper jack cheese or other cheeses
Use low-carb wraps, homemade tortillas, or WW-friendly wraps

What are some of your favorite soft taco and burrito toppings? Feel free let me know anything I missed in the comments below!

Expert Tips from a Dietitian

This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). These burritos get an automatic bump to level 3 because they contain flour (from the tortillas). That said, these burritos are far more filling than they might look! Part of the reason for that is that they are packed with protein from the beef, beans, and dairy foods.

The main thing that this entrée is missing is food from the vegetable group. Though beans can count as a veggie, they don't provide the vitamin C you'd get from other veggies. I would add a non-starchy veggie side dish or two to round out this meal.

If you wanted a lighter and lower calorie entrée, you have quite a few options. Here are some changes you could make:

Use low-fat cheese to top the burritos and in the nacho cheese sauce
Use non-fat Greek yogurt instead of whole milk yogurt
Consider using less cheese, cheese sauce, and yogurt in your portion (my husband preferred less yogurt on his burrito)
Make a taco salad by serving the burrito fillings over salad greens, and skip the tortillas all together

One thing I would definitely do if you want a lighter burrito is use small tortillas instead of large ones. Each of my small corn tortillas is 50 calories each. Some large tortillas are 200 calories each or more.

Remember that you need two tortillas to make each beefy 5-layer burrito. That means you could save over 300 calories per serving just by swapping out large tortillas for small ones. That's a HUGE difference!

It's true that the results are more like a soft taco vs a burrito if you use small tortillas. However, the small tortillas give you more tasty filling in each bite. It's a great trade-off in my book!

FAQs

How many calories in the beefy 5 layer burrito?

Taco Bell's Beefy five-Layer Burrito has 490 calories per burrito. My copycat Taco Bell burrito has 585 calories, but offers over twice the protein.

How many carbs in the beefy 5 layer burrito?

Taco Bell's Beefy Five-Layer Burrito has 63 grams of total carbs and 54 grams of net carbs per serving. My burrito has 41.4 grams of carbs and 34.8 grams of net carbs per serving. Though neither is a keto friendly option, my copycat burrito will fit more easily into moderately low carb diets.

Is the beefy 5 layer burrito healthy?

The Taco Bell Beefy 5 Layer Burrito counts as an ultra-processed food, and I would not call it the best option. On the other hand, my beefy 5 layer copycat is packed with nutritious whole foods, and is rich in protein, calcium, and iron. I would say that this beefy 5 layer burrito recipe is healthy because it offers a lot nutrient-wise.

What's the difference between the beefy 5-layer burrito vs quesarito?

Taco Bell's quesarito contains seasoned rice and chipotle sauce, two ingredients not included in the beefy 5-layer burrito. On the flip side, the beefy 5-layer burrito contains refried beans, an ingredient not included in the quesarito. If you want refried beans in your quesarito, you will have to pay a little extra for an add-on.

What's the difference between the beefy 5 layer burrito and 7 layer burrito?

The Taco Bell 7-Layer Burrito was a vegetarian burrito option that is no longer part of their menu. It contained refried beans, sour cream, tomatoes, cheese, seasoned rice, lettuce, and guacamole on a single flour tortilla. There was no beef or nacho cheese sauce like you get with the 5 layer burrito.

More Beefy Recipes

Are you looking to "beef" up your culinary repertoire? (Haha!) If so, you definitely need to check these other recipes using ground beef:

EPIC Bar Copycat Recipe
Cincinnati Chili Recipe
Air Fryer Nachos
Spicy Beef and Black Bean Taco Salad
Baked Protein Oatmeal (A bit weird but strangely good! Lol)

Don't forget to subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter to be kept up-to-date on all of the latest and greatest recipes!

The Disclaimer…

All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.

The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.

For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats with yogurt post. Let's get cooking!

📖 Recipe

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beefy 5 layer burrito

Taco Bell Beefy 5 Layer Burrito Copycat Recipe

Want a healthier and tastier alternative to the Beefy 5 Layer Burrito from Taco Bell? If so, you need to try this beefy five layer burrito copycat recipe!

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6

Calories 585 kcal

1 lb. lean ground beef (454 grams)
1 taco seasoning packet (or use a DIY taco seasoning blend; see notes below)
½ cup water
12 small corn tortillas, 6" diameter (15 cm) (or use large flour tortillas for a more authentic copycat burrito)
15 ounces refried beans (425 grams; canned)
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (113 grams; Taco Bell uses orange cheddar cheese)
1 cup plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt (whole milk variety; can substitute sour cream for a more authentic copycat burrito)
cilantro, finely chopped (optional, for garnish)

Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 cup milk, 2%
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon chili powder
pinch ghost pepper
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (227 grams)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Put a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the ground beef, taco seasoning, and water. Cook, using a spatula to break up the beef while it browns and the moisture evaporates. It will take about 10-15 minutes.
You will use about ¾ of the seasoned beef in the recipe. Refrigerate the rest and use it to add a protein boost to other meals.
Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in an oven heated to 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes.
Warm the refried beans on the stovetop or in the microwave, they'll be easier to spread later.

Make homemade nacho cheese sauce:

Make a roux by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Quickly stir in the flour to make a paste.
Slowly add the milk to the roux, whisking it in bit by bit. It's important to add it slowly to avoid lumpy cheese sauce. Whisk in the chili powder, ghost pepper, and salt when you're about halfway finished with adding the milk. Let the mixture thicken, it will take about 3-5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Quickly stir in the 8 ounces (227 grams) of cheddar cheese. Your nacho cheese sauce should be smooth, with no lumps. Use it in your burrito assembly right away, before the sauce begins to solidify.

Assemble Beefy 5 Layer Burritos:

Lay 6 heated tortillas out on a clean work surface. Divide the nacho cheese sauce evenly between the tortillas. Spread it to entirely cover the tops of all of the tortillas.
Top each cheese sauce-covered tortilla with a second heated tortilla. You've kind of made a tortilla sandwich with cheese sauce filling in the middle!
Spread the heated refried beans in a thin layer over the tops of the tortilla "sandwich." Divide the seasoned ground beef amongst the tortillas, sprinkling the beef on top of the refried beans. (Be sure to watch the recipe video below if you need more visuals of this process!)
Divide the remaining 4 ounces (113 grams) of cheddar cheese between the burritos. Dollop the yogurt (or sour cream) on top of the cheese. Garnish with cilantro (if using).
If you're using small tortillas as I did, simply fold them in half for a soft taco-style entree. Don't forget the taco holders!
Alternatively, if you used large tortillas (10-inch/25 cm diameter or larger), you can roll the tortillas around the fillings to make burritos. Serve and enjoy immediately.

Save this Recipe Saved!

If you wanted a lighter and lower calorie entrée, you have quite a few options. Here are some changes you could make:

Use low-fat cheese to top the burritos and in the nacho cheese sauce
Use non-fat Greek yogurt instead of whole milk yogurt
Consider using less cheese, cheese sauce, and yogurt in your portion (my husband preferred less yogurt on his burrito)
Make a taco salad by serving the burrito fillings over salad greens, and skip the tortillas all together

It's true that the results are more like a soft taco vs a burrito if you use small tortillas. However, the small tortillas give you more tasty filling in each bite. It's a great trade-off in my book!

DIY Taco Seasoning

I usually use this blend instead of store-bought taco seasoning. It makes enough to season 1 lb. of ground beef. (Adapted from AllRecipes .)

1 tablespoon chili powder
1½ teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt (cut in half if your chili powder has salt)
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon dried oregano

Nutrition information is for one serving of the recipe.

Calories: 585 kcal Carbohydrates: 41.1 g Protein: 37 g Fat: 30.5 g Saturated Fat: 15.3 g Sodium: 1161.6 mg Potassium: 399.8 mg Fiber: 6.6 g Vitamin A: 24.1 % DV Vitamin C: 0.4 % DV Calcium: 65.7 % DV Iron: 20.1 % DV

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What Is on a 5 Layer Burrito at Taco Bell

Source: https://summeryule.com/beefy-5-layer-burrito/

Welch Theart1980