The Easiest Fast Food Chain To Copy, According To Kristen Kish - Exclusive
From fine dining to fast food, Kristen Kish has done it all in the kitchen. The chef first came to public attention by creating swoon-worthy plates that crowned her the winner of "Top Chef " Season 10. She's gone on to appear in a range of television shows, including as the co-host of Netflix's "Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend," and, more recently, as a guest on the newest season of HBO Max's "Selena + Chef" with Selena Gomez. In the meantime, she's whipping up drive-thru inspired dishes on the TruTV series, "Fast Foodies."
After two seasons of "Fast Foodies," and probably too many servings of grease, Kish is a bona fide expert in making fast food into an art. If you've watched the show, then you've seen just how easy Kish and her co-hosts make it look to bring menu items from McDonald's, Domino's, Chipotle, and more come to life in the kitchen.
In an exclusive interview, we asked Kish what fast-food copycats she recommends people try at home. Her response may inspire you ... or induce a drive-thru craving.
Kristen Kish says you can't go wrong with Taco Bell
When it comes to replicating fast-food items at home, Kristen Kish says you really can't go wrong with Taco Bell. "I feel like Taco Bell's a great place to start," says Kish. This is not necessarily because it's the tastiest food, but because it's the simplest to master. If you ask Kish, that's because there's not much to it. "Taco Bell to me — and some might come for me in the comments — but Taco Bell to me is the same ingredients just maneuvered into different shapes and different textures."
You may disagree with her hot take, but whether you like burritos, a Cheesy Gordita Crunch, the beloved Mexican Pizza, a heaping pile of Nachos Del Grande, or something else off the menu, it all starts from the same point, says Kish. "It's the same spice. It's the same meat blend that can go from the pizza to the taco, to the nachos, to the chalupas. You just keep moving it down the line on different forms of the wrap or garnishes," she says. Basically, master the spice and meat blend, and you'll never need to hit the Taco Bell drive-thru again.
New episodes of "Selena + Chef" Season 4 are now available to stream on HBO Max.