Double duck, fried chicken stuffed, and wagyu beef by way of "The Office's" B.J. Novak. Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme isn't just a fast food favorite anymore.
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00:00Double duck, fried chicken stuffed, and Wagyu beef by the way of The Office's BJ Novak,
00:06Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme isn't just a fast food favorite anymore.
00:10Fast food history was forever changed in the summer of 2005, when Taco Bell first brought
00:15the Crunchwrap Supreme into the world.
00:17To say the new item was a hit is an understatement.
00:20Promoted with the tagline,
00:21"'Taco Bell Classic Taste Made Modern,' these handheld delights were eaten up by customers
00:26literally and figuratively, at an unprecedented level."
00:30It's Crunchwrap Supreme.
00:31All the classic Taco Bell tastes grilled up, so it's good to go."
00:34According to Taco Bell, the Crunchwrap Supreme quickly became the chain's most successful
00:39product introduction ever.
00:41The fun was short-lived, however.
00:42Taco Bell released its newest creation as a limited-time offering, ending sales at the
00:47close of the summer.
00:48But the people had spoken, and Taco Bell listened.
00:51Just a few months later, in January of 2006, the Mexican food chain announced it was adding
00:56the Crunchwrap Supreme as a permanent menu item.
00:58Bill Pierce, the Taco Bell Corporation's chief marketing officer, said at the time,
01:03"...we have always been innovators in taste here at Taco Bell, while also creating breakthroughs
01:08in presentation and portability.
01:10Crunchwrap's combination of taste and convenience connected so strongly with our customers that
01:15there was an outpouring of support for us to bring it back."
01:17At the time of its elevation to permanent menu item status, the Crunchwrap Supreme cost
01:22just $1.89.
01:25Hearing the words Crunchwrap Supreme can elicit a Pavlovian drooling response from any of
01:30us.
01:31But would we have the same reaction to Mexagon?
01:33Because believe it or not, that was one of the menu names Taco Bell considered before
01:37ultimately settling on the Crunchwrap moniker.
01:40Stephanie Perdue, Taco Bell's marketing director, told The Huffington Post,
01:44"...we had to choose what aspect of the dish we wanted to emphasize.
01:47What really stood out for us was the texture, the combination of a crunchy and soft shell.
01:52But the shape was also unusual.
01:54Who's ever eaten a Hexagon?
01:55The end result of that brainstorm was Mexagon, a portmanteau of Mexico and Hexagon.
02:01But that was far from the only name Taco Bell tried on for size for its newest menu item.
02:06Other potential monikers left on the cutting room floor included Crunchwich, Crunchalata,
02:11and Origami Tostada."
02:13During testing, the chain's executives found the texture of the dish resonated more with
02:17customers than its shape.
02:19According to Perdue,
02:20"...consumers were really responding to Crunchwich.
02:22But they told us, you're not about sandwiches, you're Mexican.
02:26So we changed the witch to wrap."
02:27And that, Taco Bell fans, is how the now-iconic Crunchwrap Supreme name came to be.
02:33As beneficial as the Crunchwrap Supreme is to your taste buds, it may be equally as harmful
02:38to another part of your body, your waistline.
02:41The popular menu item has one of Taco Bell's least nutritious items.
02:45A single Crunchwrap Supreme has a whopping 540 calories, according to the Taco Bell Nutrition
02:51Guide.
02:52Only three other dishes in the specialties category have more — the Quesarito, Black
02:56Bean Quesarito, and Nachos Belgrande.
02:59On top of the massive calorie count, the dish also comes packed with 21 grams of fat.
03:04That's roughly one-third of the recommended daily amount, based on a 2,000-calorie diet
03:08from the USDA.
03:09The Crunchwrap Supreme also has roughly 24 percent of your daily recommended intake of
03:14carbohydrates at 73 grams, and about 50 percent of your recommended sodium consumption at
03:201,210 milligrams.
03:22Those looking for a healthier take on the Crunchwrap won't find much in the vegetarian
03:26version.
03:27The Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme comes with just 20 fewer calories, three fewer grams
03:31of fat, 110 fewer milligrams of sodium, and four additional grams of carbohydrates.
03:38Many would agree that the Crunchwrap Supreme tastes equally delicious in the morning as
03:41it does in the afternoon and evening.
03:44But if you find yourself craving something slightly more traditional for the first meal
03:47of the day, Taco Bell has you covered with breakfast versions of the irresistible meal.
03:52The Breakfast Crunch Bacon and Breakfast Crunch Sausage combine the handheld convenience of
03:57the Crunchwrap Supreme with the delectable flavors of a hot breakfast.
04:01Consisting of eggs, cheese, a full hash brown, and choice of meat, all wrapped in a warm
04:05flour tortilla, these menu items are Taco Bell's answer to the breakfast sandwich.
04:10They put the hash browns on the inside?
04:12Yeah, so they can keep their hands free, they can do that tweeter thing they do.
04:16But Taco Bell doesn't stop concocting new versions of the popular Crunchwrap once the
04:20clock strikes noon.
04:22In the chain's vegetarian option, the seasoned beef is swapped out for black beans.
04:27Everything else remains the same.
04:29Taco Bell has never been a company to rest on its laurels.
04:32The chain is always in innovation mode, consistently coming up with bigger and better menu items.
04:37Both of those adjectives could be used to describe the Crunchwrap upgrade Taco Bell
04:41devised a few years ago.
04:42In 2016, the restaurant chain upped the ante by unveiling the Triple Double Crunchwrap.
04:48Take your Crunchwrap love to the next level, literally, with a whole new level of seasoned
04:53beef, nacho cheese sauce, and crunchy tostada.
04:56Along with its two layers of beef, this mammoth meal came with a layer of lettuce, tomato,
05:01and sour cream.
05:02The Triple Double Crunchwrap wasn't a permanent menu item, but Taco Bell has re-released the
05:06offering several times over the past six years, most recently in 2021.
05:11It was during this last reintroduction that the Mexican chain unveiled a slightly less
05:15convoluted moniker, the Grande Crunchwrap.
05:18That name change didn't seem to stick, though, as the menu item is currently referred to
05:22by its original title on Taco Bell's website.
05:26Just when customers thought the Crunchwrap couldn't get any more delicious, Taco Bell
05:30unveiled a cheesier version of the iconic dish with the help of an equally famous snack.
05:35In June 2022, the Mexican chain announced the arrival of the big Cheez-It Crunchwrap
05:40Supreme.
05:41In this new Crunchwrap creation, the tostada shell is replaced by a giant Cheez-It cracker.
05:46Liz Matthews, Taco Bell's chief food innovation officer, said in a statement,
05:50"...there are few things that everyone can agree on, but the iconic flavors from Taco
05:54Bell menu items and Cheez-It snacks appeal to all."
05:58We're thrilled about this new concept with Cheez-It, which gives our fans the chance
06:01to experience the real cheese and crunch they love from both of our brands in a whole
06:05new way.
06:06The Kellogg Company, which produces Cheez-Its, was equally enthusiastic to show their product
06:11in a new light.
06:12Stephanie Miller, president of the Kellogg Company's Away From Home division, said,
06:16"...we're excited to incorporate Cheez-It, made with 100% real cheese, into Taco Bell
06:21favorites and deliver customers a bold, cheesy twist on the iconic chain's go-to menu staples."
06:27Unfortunately for Crunchwrap and Cheez-It fans, the item was only sold for a limited
06:32time at one Taco Bell location in Irvine, California.
06:35According to the chain, both the Cheez-It Crunchwrap and Tostada were so popular that
06:39they sold out less than a week after hitting the menu.
06:43Menu hacks are all the rage these days, and the task of discovering them usually falls
06:47on the shoulders of intrepid, innovative diners.
06:50But not at Taco Bell.
06:52The Mexican food chain has come up with its own menu hacks for its customers to enjoy,
06:56including two ways to elevate the Crunchwrap Supreme.
06:59The first is the Chicken Bacon Ranch Crunchwrap.
07:02Getting your hands on this delectable creation requires little work, just some ingredients
07:06swapping when you place your order.
07:08Simply order a Crunchwrap Supreme and replace the seasoned beef with chicken and the nacho
07:13cheese sauce with avocado ranch sauce.
07:15Then ask for the reduced-fat sour cream to be removed and bacon added, and voila, a Chicken
07:20Bacon Ranch Crunchwrap.
07:22The second menu hack, the Crunchwrap Pizza Supreme, takes a little more work and has
07:26to be done at home.
07:28Take your Crunchwrap Supreme back to your kitchen and assemble the following ingredients.
07:32One half cup of shredded cheese, sliced green bell peppers, sliced red onion, and sliced
07:37black olives.
07:38Spread the cheese across the top of the Crunchwrap, then top it with the bell peppers, onion,
07:43and olives.
07:44Stick the dish in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and enjoy.
07:49The Crunchwrap Supreme is such an ingenious dish.
07:52It has made its way onto high-end eateries' menus across the country.
07:56Portland chef Gabriel Rucker used his French technique in Chinese ingredients to concoct
08:01a Double Duck Crunchwrap Supreme.
08:03This handheld treat featured duck, XO sauce, Oregon mary and berry, hoisin sauce, Japanese
08:09miso paste, ginger-stewed black beans, sausage, and pickled coleslaw with ginger sauce.
08:15Rucker isn't the only Portland chef with a Crunchwrap on their mind.
08:18The city has seen a number of high-end versions appear on the menus recently.
08:22Burreria PDX had a braised beef Crunchwrap, Nacho offers fried chicken-stuffed Crunchwraps,
08:28while Cocktail Lounge Palomar has the Cuban sandwich-inspired Crunchwrap Cubanos.
08:33On the other side of the country in Durham, North Carolina, you can grab yourself a Chicken
08:37Wrap Supremo from ex-photo Cosina Nexta Mall.
08:41This delectable creation includes roasted chicken, chipotle crema, pico de gallo, queso
08:46blanco, and pickled jalapeno slices, all enclosed in a flour tortilla and sealed with
08:52grilled hoop cheese.
08:53In the Central Time Zone, Big Kid's Sandwich Shop in Chicago had a veg Crunchwrap consisting
08:58of Vietnamese pickles, cilantro, jalapeno, Duke's mayo, tostada, and provolone cheese.
09:04Speaking of plant-based food, in Dallas, the food truck Vegan Vibrations makes a vegan
09:09Crunchwrap featuring Beyond Meat, dairy-free chipotle sour cream, vegan cheddar, and mango
09:14pico de gallo.
09:17In November 2022, the digital restaurant chain Man vs. Fries announced that it was partnering
09:22with DJ Khaled on a remix of the classic Crunchwrap.
09:25In this rendition, dubbed the Khaled Crunch, the tortilla is filled with chicken, cheese,
09:30and waffle fries and covered in a Cheetos dust coating.
09:33Bill Bonhorst, the founder of Man vs. Fries, told Eater it took nine tries to perfect his
09:38new take on the Crunchwrap.
09:40But DJ Khaled isn't the only celebrity to put their famous name behind a new take on
09:44the Crunchwrap.
09:45In July 2022, The Office star BJ Novak's pop-up restaurant Chain unveiled an upscale version
09:51of the popular Taco Bell menu item.
09:53Named the Cruncho Perfecto, it featured premium Wagyu beef, cheddar queso, guajillo-spiced
09:59black beans, and a house-made taco sauce.
10:02The dish was also pan-fried in order to achieve an extra level of crunch.
10:06So good was the Cruncho Perfecto, it drew praise from the Crunchwrap's originators.
10:11Taco Bell chef Rene Pasciotti told Food & Wine,
10:14"[Chef Tim Hollingsworth was on point, just left of center enough that it was his own
10:18spin on it.
10:19But ultimately, when you're eating this thing, you're like, this is a Crunchwrap.
10:23It's a pretty magical thing that they've done."
10:25I like it a lot.
10:26It's clear and subtle at the same time.
10:28It's really good.
10:29You have a real talent for this stuff."
10:31We're all happy to suffer through long drive-thru lines if it means getting our hands on a delicious
10:36Crunchwrap.
10:37But what if we didn't have to?
10:38Well, dreams do come true.
10:39You can now enjoy the delectable dish without ever leaving home.
10:43The geniuses at Taco Bell managed to stuff just about everything inside a Crunchwrap
10:47that can fit into a handheld meal.
10:49With that in mind, you will need a fairly long list of ingredients to make your own
10:53— 15 to be precise.
10:55Fortunately, you probably already have most of these at home, like lettuce, tomato, sour
10:59cream, and seasonings.
11:01Once you're ready to get to work, your first step is preparing the beef.
11:05To do so, combine meat, oats, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika,
11:11cocoa powder — yes, cocoa powder — water, and cornstarch in a pan.
11:15Bring this to a boil, then simmer for three minutes.
11:18Once the beef is ready and other ingredients are prepped, it's time for the most important
11:22step, building your Crunchwrap.
11:23To properly assemble a Crunchwrap, add a spoonful of meat to the tostada, top with nacho cheese,
11:29and layer a burrito tortilla on top.
11:31Flip the whole thing over so the tortilla is on the bottom.
11:34Add the sour cream, lettuce, and tomato to the top side of the tostada, then just fold
11:38up the tortilla to enclose the Crunchwrap and dig in.