Copycat Taco Bell Black Bean Crunch Wrap Recipe

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Taco Bell's black bean Crunchwrap features a tortilla loaded with flavorful black beans, nacho cheese sauce, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and — for the signature crunch — a tostada in the center of the filling. While the classic Crunchwrap Supreme features beef, plant-based eaters are well aware of the black bean version, which is a completely vegetarian option on Taco Bell's menu (and one that hits the spot each and every time).

Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a copycat recipe for the Taco Bell's black bean Crunchwrap that's warm, rich, crunchy, and full of a mixture of fresh and cooked flavors. Black beans are simmered with spices for a flavor boost before they're arranged in flour tortillas and covered with warm, creamy nacho cheese. A tostada provides the crunch, and romaine lettuce, tomato, and low-fat sour cream add freshness and additional creaminess. Folding and toasting the Crunchwrap are the final steps before you can enjoy your delicious creation.

If all of this layering and folding sounds complicated, note that it's possible to recreate the black bean Crunchwrap at home in the same time it would take to cook any other 30-minute meal. So, to all the Taco Bell fans (and vegetarians) out there, don't hesitate to try this tasty black bean Crunchwrap recipe, one that requires no drive-thru.

For this recipe, you will first need extra-large tortillas — ones that are at least 12-inches in diameter, so they're large enough to completely cover the filling. If you can't find them, you can use burrito-sized tortillas, but you'll have to either purchase separate smaller fajita-sized tortillas to close the gap or have extra tortillas on hand from your original package to use to cover the gap.

For the seasoned black beans you'll need canned black beans, olive oil, onion, garlic, a green chile, paprika, ground cumin, salt, pepper, and water or vegetable broth. Have nacho cheese sauce on hand, either store-bought or homemade (scroll down for tips on making it yourself), tostadas, and butter. Finally, grab some romaine lettuce, tomato, and reduced fat sour cream, and you'll be ready to start this recipe.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, until softened.

Add the garlic, chile, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

Place the beans in the pan, pour in the water (or broth), and raise the heat until the liquid comes to a low boil.

Immediately lower the heat and let the beans simmer for about 5 minutes until most of the liquid evaporates. Remove from the heat, transfer to a dish, and set aside.

Warm the nacho cheese sauce in the microwave or in a small saucepan. Set aside.

Warm one of the tortillas in a large pan for about 30 seconds to allow it to fold more easily.

Place the warmed tortilla on a work surface and arrange ½ of the beans in a 4 to 5-inch diameter circle (the size of a tostada) in the center. Don't overfill or you won't be able to close the wrap without a gap.

Top with 2 tablespoons of nacho cheese sauce.

Place a tostada over the cheese and press down slightly to adhere.

Arrange ½ of the lettuce and tomato on top of the tostada and top with ½ of the sour cream.

Fold up the outer edges of the tortilla to cover the filling and create a hexagonal shape. Position the wrap seam side-down to it stays closed. Repeat the process to fill and fold the other tortilla.

Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a clean skillet over medium heat.

Place the wrap in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottom is crispy and lightly browned. Flip and cook the other side an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Repeat the process of melting butter and browning the other wrap in the pan.

Serve the Crunchwraps right away.

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You can always grab a jar of store-bought nacho cheese sauce for convenience, but it's actually pretty easy to whip up nacho cheese right at home. And, of course, you can control what ingredients go into your homemade version.

The process starts with making a cheese roux. A cheese roux is a variation on a classic French roux, which is made by melting butter and whisking an equal amount of flour into it. This technique takes advantage of flour's excellent thickening properties to thicken and flavor the recipes it's incorporated into. After whisking the roux, you simply add milk and cheese until you've got a creamy sauce. It's similar to making a creamy, cheesy French Mornay sauce, but the type of cheese and the spices used make it suitable for nachos.

While the quantities will vary according to your exact recipe, you can make nacho cheese sauce by melting butter in a saucepan on medium low, adding the flour when the butter is very hot, and whisking for about 45 seconds until the flour cooks. Then add the milk and whisk for about 5 minutes until bubbly and thickened and stir in cheddar cheese until it's melted and smooth. Make sure the cheese is shredded or diced small for the best results. The last step is to stir in spices like salt and cayenne pepper. Get creative with ingredients to spice up nacho cheese sauce according to your preferences, like hot sauce, jalapeño peppers, or chipotle peppers.

The first tip for making crunch wraps is to look for extra large (12-inch diameter) tortillas. These aren't sold everywhere. The smaller, burrito-sized ones are more common, but they won't close completely over the filling. If you can't find extra large tortillas, you can close the hole with a smaller fajita sized tortilla before folding up the sides of the original tortilla. To avoid spending money on a second package of tortillas, you can tear a suitably-sized piece from another tortilla in your original package.

Avoid overfilling the wraps. This recipe provides the right amount of filling for four crunch wraps. If you're overly generous with the filling, you won't be able to close even an extra large tortilla. The filling should be spread in a circle about the same size as a tostada. If tostadas aren't available, you can use tortilla chips. Just arranged them in a circle over the filling, breaking them if necessary.

Make sure to warm the tortillas to facilitate folding them without cracking. Watch the recipe video to see how to fold the six-sided wrap, but don't sweat it because it doesn't have to look perfect to be delicious. Finally, don't skip toasting the wraps in melted butter in a hot pan. This not only gives the wraps a crispy, golden exterior, but it glues the folded tortilla flaps in place so it stays together when you eat it.

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