How To Recreate Taco Bell's Steak & Poblano Rolled Quesadilla At Home

Taco Bell enthusiasts know that the chain's menu is ever-changing yet somehow always the same. This phenomenon is due to the fact that Taco Bell is almost always rolling out new items, like the short-lived steak and poblano rolled quesadilla. Since these items are often constructed from already-existing ingredients commonly used in other TB favorites, they tend to have short-lived runs on the Taco Bell menu. Luckily, they can at least live on with the help of copycat recipes.

For those who missed the steak and poblano rolled quesadilla run at Taco Bell itself, you can enjoy it in all its glory thanks to recipe developer Julianne De Witt's copycat version. In fact, De Witt's version might be better than the original. She tells us, "... it features juicy steak, charred poblanos, 3-cheese blend, and spicy ranch all wrapped in a soft flour tortilla and grilled until crispy outside and melty inside." De Witt specifically opts for sirloin steak in this recipe as it has a wonderfully tender, lean, and beefy flavor profile. (And you may be better off with a homemade version when it comes to the steak anyway, considering it's the one Taco Bell meat the workers won't eat). Though the steak and poblano rolled quesadilla may have been short-lived in Taco Bell kitchens everywhere, it certainly doesn't have to be in yours — keep reading to learn how to recreate it at home.

As we've already touched on, sirloin steak is the cut of choice for this recipe, and to marinate it, you'll also need salt, pepper, beef stock, lime juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. You'll also need some poblanos, of course, along with a bit of oil for grilling them. Additional ingredients include cooking spray, grated three-cheese blend (cheddar, mozzarella, and pepper Jack), wheat tortillas, ranch dressing, and hot sauce (you'll combine those last two to create an easy and quick sauce). 

Season the sirloin on both sides with salt and pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, combine the beef stock, lime juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.

Pour the marinade over the steak and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Combine the ranch dressing and hot sauce and refrigerate until ready to use.

Brush the poblanos with oil.

Add the poblanos to a grill pan over high heat, turning every 2–3 minutes, until the skins are charred and blistered.

Add the poblanos to a sealable plastic bag and allow them to steam for 10 minutes.

Using the back of a spoon, peel the charred skins from the peppers.

Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and slice them into 1-inch pieces.

Spritz the grill pan with cooking spray and place it over medium-high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and grill it for 3 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 135 F.

Rest the steak for 5 minutes.

Slice the steak thinly into bite-sized pieces.

To assemble the quesadillas, sprinkle cheese over each tortilla, then top with the steak, poblanos, spicy ranch, and additional cheese.

Tuck in the ends on one side of the tortilla, then roll it into a flat quesadilla.

Spritz the grill pan with cooking spray and place it over medium-high heat.

Grill the quesadillas until they're browned on both sides and the cheese is melted.

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If you want to switch up and customize your copycat Taco Bell steak and poblano rolled quesadillas, you've got options. For starters, you can simply opt for a different cut of steak. "Flank steak or skirt steak would work well too," De Witt suggests, though she recommends marinating those for an extra 30 minutes for optimal tenderness. Even if steak isn't your thing, you can opt for entirely different proteins like chicken or tofu, just marinate them in a similar fashion, but opt for chicken stock or veggie stock in place of beef.

Other than the poblanos, there's not a whole lot of veggie goodness going on in these rolled quesadillas, so consider adding a little freshness with roasted corn, mushrooms, or zucchini. There's room for creativity with the sauce, too, as you can opt for something more like a lime crema or smoky salsa. Pico de gallo and guacamole would also be great additions here. Finally, you can wrap the whole thing up in something a little different than a wheat tortilla — De Witt specifically suggests spinach or sun-dried tomato tortillas for a little extra color and flavor complexity. 

Poblano peppers are wonderfully mild, slightly grassy-tasting peppers that are especially good when grilled. De Witt does just that in this recipe, opting to grill and char the peppers for a little added smoky flavor. In case you're unfamiliar with grilling peppers or poblanos specifically, she's provided some tips so you can grill like a pro.

To start, don't slap those poblanos right onto a grill without a bit of oil. Not only does the oil help with charring, but it also keeps the peppers from sticking to the grill or pan. Next, make sure your grill or grill pan is sitting at a high heat so as to really blast the poblanos and get a nice char; just make sure you're rotating them often so the peppers stay relatively firm on the inside. 

The act of transferring the charred peppers to a plastic bag may seem a bit odd, but this process not only helps the peppers steam and soften a bit, but it helps loosen up those skins. Speaking of which, you can easily use your hands to remove the charred skin, but a spoon will make the process that much easier. 

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