We Tried 3 Taco Bell Crunchwraps Customized By Pro Chefs. Here's How You Can Hack Your Own

For years, Taco Bell secret menu items were created by devotees of the chain who hack the regular menu — and now Taco Bell management is also getting in on the fun by introducing creatively reinterpreted Crunchwrap Supremes. In early 2024, Taco Bell recruited talent for its new culinary collaboration program, TBX, and at a preview event on October 15 in New York City, the chain put its newest menu items on display. Three chefs from the inaugural TBX program — Lawrence Smith, Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, and Reuben Asaram — hacked the original Crunchwrap Supreme and presented attendees with their brand-new versions of the Taco Bell fan favorite: Southwest Hot Chx, Thai Crispy Noodle, and Indian Buffet.

As of now, these new specialty items are only available for Taco Bell fans at selected sites in New York City for a couple days. Anyone can get a free taste of these new Crunchwraps at the TBX pop-up truck in Williamsburg from noon to 7pm on October 16 (160 N 6th St, between Berry St and Bedford Ave) and during the same hours on October 17 in Washington Square Park, while supplies last. Additionally, Taco Bell rewards members nationwide will now have the opportunity to create their own individualized Crunchwrap Supremes via the Taco Bell app, receiving up to $3 worth of customizations for free through October 21. 

Tasting Table had an early opportunity to try the new chef-devised Crunchwrap Supreme remixes, and definitely felt a certain way about them. Read on to learn more about this latest Taco Bell innovation. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

If you're unfamiliar with the traditional Crunchwrap Supreme from Taco Bell, strap in. A large soft tortilla is filled with ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, nacho cheese sauce, and a crunchy corn tostada. The soft tortilla is then wrapped around everything into a hexagonal shape and sealed on its flat top with searing heat.

With so much room for innovation in this handheld meal, it's no surprise that the Crunchwrap Supreme is one of the most hacked menu items from Taco Bell. A Reddit thread dedicated to the topic includes suggestions for Crunchwrap Supreme lovers to add spicy ranch sauce, jalapeño sauce, Fritos, onions, black beans, and even potatoes to enhance the multi-layered treat. After an extensive search for chefs around the country that fit the mold to be the next Crunchwrap hackers, three chefs and their inspired creations came out on top.

The Indian Buffet from Chef Reuben Asaram is made with slow-roasted chicken tossed in a creamy tomato curry, Mexican-spiced rice, a cucumber mint sauce, a crunchy corn tostada, lettuce, and pico de gallo. Chef Lawrence Smith offers the Southwest Hot Chx, made with chicken nuggets tossed in spicy salsa macha, Oaxaca-style mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheeses, purple cabbage slaw, cilantro, apricot hot sauce, and reduced-fat sour cream. And last but certainly not least is the Thai Crispy Noodle from Chef Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, which is made with marinated grilled chicken tossed with a khao soi aioli, a wheat noodle nest, reduced-fat sour cream, onions, cilantro, and avocado basil ranch. 

Taco Bell has gone out of its way to operate a little outside the norm when it comes to competing in the fast-food industry. With a constant influx of new menu items, combined with a spicy social media presence, it's hard not to have Taco Bell front of mind when considering where to pop in for your fourth meal of the day. And it's in that realm that Taco Bell has decided to push forward with innovation in the back of house with their TBX program, a "new program that supports emerging culinary talent and opens the door to co-create the future of tacos with Taco Bell," according to the company's website.

This open test kitchen program will give emerging chefs around the country the opportunity to come into Taco Bell with as many taco-centric ideas as possible, and see them come to life. Chefs need to apply and be accepted to be part of TBX by filling out an online application. As of now, because the program is only just starting, those who are chosen to join TBX will receive free food and merch from the brand. However, as the program begins to grow, it will give chefs a chance to work with the menu creators at Taco Bell to co-create new menu items. 

"The inspiration for my Crunchwrap came from my childhood and going to the Indian buffets in Queens," said Chef Reuben Asaram, a native of the New York borough's Jackson Heights neighborhood, who is now a well-known culinary luminary in Philadelphia. "Each ingredient makes sense when you take a bite. It's nostalgic to me." 

As both a fan of Taco Bell and Indian cuisine, I couldn't agree more with this sentiment — all the flavors of an Indian buffet are present and accounted for in this Crunchwrap. The chicken is tender and the mint sauce is a cool, refreshing kick in the midst of all the richness. The rice is also an incredible touch, making this a really hearty bite with plenty of spice and interesting texture. Chef Asaram also offered a vegetarian version as a shoutout to his Desi roots, swapping out the chicken for crispy potatoes. 

Despite the incredible mélange of flavor happening inside this soft tortilla, the crunch element does get a bit overwhelmed by the sauce and the pico de gallo. While each bite had incredible depth of flavor, I wanted that crispy, crunchy tostada to balance out all of the soft ingredients within. That said, amid the absolute playground of flavors happening here, the missing crunch ended up being an afterthought following a few bites. All in all, this is an inspired Crunchwrap, and I could really taste the influence of Chef Asaram's culinary upbringing.

"A big point of this was my dad's fried chicken at all the family cookouts," said Chef Lawrence Smith, the former NFL football player behind the Phoenix-based Chilte eatery. "I took that and mixed it from where I'm at now in the Southwest, and from my wife who's Mexican ... that's where my inspiration comes from." 

Going into this one, I was most concerned about the texture of it all — a Crunchwrap Supreme is essentially a steamer in a taco, softening up each ingredient the longer it sits within that soft tortilla. That said, the chicken had incredible crunchiness, the salsa macha was bright and laced with heat, and the Oaxaca-style cheese (and resulting cheese pull) added an extra-creamy element and layer of richness.

The highlight in this Crunchwrap is undoubtedly the apricot hot sauce. Sweet and spicy, this elevates each bite to another level entirely. There's a lot of heat happening within, but nothing is too overpowering, so I never felt the need to squeeze on any extra Taco Bell hot sauce — a major feat. Each flavor element complements one another, making for an extremely well-rounded bite with all the right textures and flavors chiming in throughout. 

"I was inspired by trying to figure out something that was a comfort food and had a crunch element, [so] that I could put it all into a Crunchwrap," said Chef Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, the owner of San Antonio's Best Quality Daughter restaurant. "I went for a khao soi curry, which is always topped with a crunchy noodle. So instead of the crunchy tostada, I went with a crunchy noodle nest and a khao soi aioli for the chicken." 

There's really no other way to say this — this is a Crunchwrap revelation. Coconut milk, fish sauce, lemongrass, and cardamom are instantly present from the khao soi aioli, bringing an unbelievable amount of deeply familiar Thai flavors that I never, ever would have expected from Taco Bell. 

Each element of this Crunchwrap works in perfect harmony. The chicken is rich and tender, and the crunchy noodle nest provides an unbelievable texture contrast, crunchier than even the freshest of corn tostadas. The avocado ranch, cool and creamy, harkens back to Dobbertin's Texas roots. There's just the right amount of heat, with each bite a little more different and exciting than the last. 

Given that the Crunchwrap Supreme is Taco Bell's menu item most open to interpretation, it's no surprise that the chain chose to recruit pro chefs to dream up their own versions. And while comparing the original Crunchwrap with these remixed creations may seem like an unfair shake, it's safe to say that without the first iteration, these inspired takes on the classic wouldn't exist.

The biggest difference between the original Crunchwrap and the new creations is in the proteins. While the original uses ground beef, each of the TBX chefs used chicken — or went meatless — in their versions. As a result, other flavors are able to shine. The seasoned ground beef in the original Crunchwrap delivers all of the rich, fatty flavor within that soft tortilla, whereas in the new versions it was every other ingredient that brought the excitement.

One thing each and every Crunchwrap has in common is the texture within. No matter how crisp the crunchy element is when it goes in, it has just a few minutes of crunchiness before it starts to soften inside the steam room that is a Crunchwrap. However, with any version of the Crunchwrap, old and new, I'm not entirely sure that matters. The Crunchwrap is the most fun and funky item from Taco Bell, and these new versions are just an example of how Taco Bell has and will continue to bring innovation to the menu. 

Bad news first: these remixed crunchwraps, while incredible, are only available on October 16 and 17 for New Yorkers who are willing to wait in line at the aforementioned free tasting events. If you're local to New York City and have an hour or two to spare, each Crunchwrap is undoubtedly in the "worth it" column. The good news? Taco Bell enthusiasts should see this preview event and the entire TBX program as a jumping off point to use their own creativity when ordering a Crunchwrap Supreme, thanks to the newly expanded option for rewards members to customize this menu item by using the chain's app.

While the purpose of the TBX program is for Taco Bell to find chefs around the country and nurture their creativity and spirit, it's also a way to inspire those who simply want their hearty drive-thru snack to have a little more spunk. And in that respect, not only are the remixed Crunchwraps worth it, but the entire TBX program is worth it, too. It's a shame that these new flavors aren't going to be regular staples on the Taco Bell menu (although, according to a Taco Bell spokesperson, "never say never"), but it's exciting to think about all the fun that Taco Bell lovers can now have with this menu item. I look forward to future innovation not just from Taco Bell, but from its loyal fanbase, too.