What’s The Best Way to Reheat Taco Bell?

You just can’t beat the deals at Taco Bell sometimes. Getting a cravings box or a combo is a great way to fill up for a relatively cheap amount of money. But sometimes, you just aren’t as hungry as you think, and can’t eat it all. 

You can’t throw it away, because then you aren’t saving money. Plus who would waste a taco? However, cold Taco Bell leaves a nasty film in your mouth. So what is the best way to reheat your leftover Taco Bell?

It depends on what you are reheating. If it is a mix of hot and cold ingredients such as a burrito, or taco, using a mix of the stove and oven is your best option. However, if it is just a quesadilla or crunch wrap, using the oven would work great. 

This will allow your item to retain its texture while warming everything up. No more crunchy soft tacos or soggy hard-shelled tacos for you. 

The Best Way to Reheat Taco Bell

The best way to reheat Taco Bell can be a little tedious. Ideally, you want your cold items cold and your hot items hot. This means that whatever leftovers you have, be it nachos, tacos, or burritos, it is best to separate your fillings so you can add back in the cold items after.  It may be a pain, but it will be worth it when you aren’t eating warm, slimy lettuce. 

  1. Separate your fillings from your carrier (such as the nacho, shell, tortilla, etc).
  2. Separate the cold fillings from the hot.
  3. Set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  4. Use aluminum foil on your carrier. 
  5. Bake for roughly 15 to 20 minutes, or until warm. 
  6. Heat a pan or small pot on medium heat. Add a little oil to the pan when hot. 
  7. Place your hot fillings into the pan and stir until warm.
  8. Put all ingredients back together
  9. Eat

This is the best way to reheat your Taco Bell, as everything stays the temperature it should, the carrier is crunchy or soft like it should be, and the warm fillings are cooked to the right temperature on the stove. It can take a lot of time and be a lot of work though, which may be too much effort for a quick bite.  

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Other Ways to Reheat Taco Bell

With all the methods below, it is still the best option to separate the carrier and hot and cold fillings, but it is not a requirement if in a rush. 

Air Fryer

The air fryer is great to keep items crispy. It is not the best option for softer items, as it can dry them out. One way to prevent this is to wrap it in foil to prevent browning.

  1. Set your air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  2. Separate your hot, cold, and carrier items if desired. 
  3. Place the carrier into the air fryer.
  4. Bake for about three minutes, but watch to make sure nothing burns. 
  5. In the meantime, cook your hot items in a small pot or pan with a little bit of oil,
  6. Stir the items until the desired temperature is reached. 
  7. Reassemble and eat. 

Microwave

The microwave is good for softer items, like soft-shelled tacos and burritos. However, it can make your crispy carriers like hard-shelled tacos too dry or too soggy. To prevent this, cover them with a damp paper towel when heating. 

  1. If desired, separate hot, cold, and carrier items. 
  2. Start by microwaving the carrier on a plate for one minute.
  3. Flip the item over and reheat for another minute.
  4. Continue flipping if needed until warm. 
  5. Place hot items in a bowl or on a plate and microwave for one minute.
  6. Stir and repeat until the desired temperature. 
  7. Reassemble and enjoy!

Toaster Oven

Toasters are great for hard items such as hard-shelled tacos and nachos. 

  1. Separate your carrier, hot, and cold items if desired. 
  2. Place the carrier in the toaster and set to bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  3. Cook until warm, about 15 minutes. 
  4. Meanwhile, cook your hot items in the microwave or on the stove with a little oil. 
  5. Combine your ingredients and eat. 

Stovetop:

This doesn’t work well for nachos, as it gives inconsistent cooking to the individual chips. However, it is still an option if you are going to watch how they cook carefully. It is a great option for soft and hard tacos to get a nice texture on the shells. 

  1. If possible/desired, separate your carrier, hot, and cold items. 
  2. Place a pan large enough to hold your carriers on the stove and heat on a medium temperature.
  3. Add oil to your pan and place the taco shells in when the oil gets hot. 
  4. Place a lid on top. 
  5. When warm on one side, flip and place the lid back on. 
  6. Using a smaller pan, reheat the hot fillings with a little oil in a pan and stir frequently until warm. 
  7. Reassemble your meal and eat. 
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What Are the Best Things to Eat at Taco Bell?

Taco Bell changes its menu often, with new, crazy menu items such as the Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco Supreme or the Mexican Pizza. It’s hard to tell what is the best thing to order. 

It turns out that the classics are the go-to. While that delicious Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco Supreme does reach number three on the popularity poll, the most popular taco bell item is just their basic, soft taco. 

These new menu items might be yummy, but there’s something all around filling about those classic soft tacos from Taco Bell that nothing else can quite live up to. 

How Long Does Taco Bell Last?

In the fridge, Taco Bell is usually good for about two-to-three days before it is recommended you toss it. In the freezer, as long as they are wrapped or secured in a sealed bag, they can last two months. 

How to Tell When Taco Bell is Bad?

There are several ways to tell if food has gone bad. Taco Bell food is no different than any others in how to check. 

Color:

If your food seems to be a different color from when you bought it, that is a good indicator that the food has gone bad. 

Colors to look out for especially are shades of blue, green, and black. Additionally, if there are fuzzy areas that weren’t fuzzy before, that is a sign of mold. 

Smell:

Taco Bell has a distinct smell. When that smell fades or changes, it is time to toss the food. Sour and earthy smells are two to look out for, as they can indicate mold or something starting to rot. 

Length of Time:

Generally, fast food is only good for a few days. If you’ve had it for over a week in your fridge, it is probably time to toss it. Even if there are no distinct colors or smells, the quality of food by that point has gone down enough that it will not have the same taste or texture. At that point, it is time to toss the leftovers and eat something fresher. 

What Can I Do With Leftover Taco Bell Sauce?

There are many options for your Taco Bell sauce, no matter the flavor. Many people keep them to use them on homemade tacos, eggs, or anything that needs a little kick. However, sometimes those packets just pile up. Here are some more interesting uses for your sauce packets – used or unused. 

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Mail the Used Packets Back to Taco Bell

Taco Bell is making efforts to reduce their plastic use. One of the simplest ways is to recycle hot sauce packets. However, many people don’t have the money to pay for recycling, or it simply isn’t available in their area. 

If you want to recycle your packets, you can mail the used packets to Taco Bell, where they say that they will recycle them for you, melting them down to use in another product. 

They don’t even state that you have to clean them first, though that probably wouldn’t be a bad idea. 

Turn It Into Salt

If you want to use your sauce in more items, but don’t want to add the liquid, you can turn your Taco Bell packets into salt. Any of the sauce flavors work, and you can even mix them. It’s an easy process. 

  1. Take any kind of salt
  2. Pour a few packets into the salt
  3. Stir until combined
  4. Dehydrate in the oven
  5. Blend to get a fine texture

Keep the Front of the Taco Bell Packets and Use the Quotes to Add a Little Spice

If you are an artistic person, why not turn your fun and flirty Taco Bell quotes into a design? After using your sauce packet, wash them carefully and cut out that little quote (or keep the whole front, so the Taco Bell label is visible). 

Then, with a little glue or tape, stick it to anything that works. You can make a Taco Bell-themed bullet journal spread, or maybe even a scrapbook page. The possibilities are endless. 

Conclusion:

Taco Bell can be a great meal to get on the road, or when you are in a rush. However, sometimes your eyes are just so much bigger than your stomach. But before you throw away those leftovers, try and spend a little time salvaging them in the oven. 

That way, you get two meals out of Taco Bell for the price of one! And no food has to go to waste. Plus then you can use those Taco Bell sauces you have leftover to do something creative. 

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