Taco Bell has been serving up Mexican-inspired fast food since 1962, and their tacos remain the cornerstone of their menu. From basic crunchy shells to innovative creations with Doritos, there’s something for every taco lover. I’ve tried them all and ranked the 14 Taco Bell tacos from worst to best, so you know exactly what to order on your next visit.
14. Spicy Potato Soft Taco
Budget-friendly but bland, the Spicy Potato Soft Taco fails to deliver the excitement promised by its name. The seasoned potatoes provide a decent texture, but often arrive lukewarm and mushy rather than crisp and flavorful.
The lettuce adds some freshness, while the chipotle sauce brings a mild heat that rarely satisfies true spice enthusiasts. Vegetarians might appreciate having an option at Taco Bell, but even they deserve something more inspired than this afterthought menu item.
For the same price, you could add potatoes to another menu item and create something more interesting. This taco feels like it was designed to check the vegetarian box rather than to actually impress anyone’s taste buds.
13. Soft Taco
The Soft Taco represents Taco Bell at its most basic—a warm flour tortilla wrapped around seasoned beef, shredded lettuce, and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s the taco equivalent of a plain vanilla ice cream cone.
First-time Taco Bell visitors often start here, which is unfortunate because it hardly showcases what makes the chain special. The beef provides a familiar savory flavor with the signature Taco Bell spice blend, but the minimal toppings leave much to be desired.
While reliable and inoffensive, this taco lacks the creativity and flavor punch that makes fast food exciting. It’s what parents order for picky children or what you get when you can’t decide what else to try.
12. Crunchy Taco
The audible crunch of this taco shell announces itself with every bite, creating a textural experience the soft taco simply can’t match. That satisfying shatter of corn shell gives way to the warm, seasoned beef inside, creating a perfect contrast that’s been Taco Bell’s signature since the beginning.
Unfortunately, timing is everything with this menu staple. Wait too long to eat it, and the juices from the meat and lettuce transform that once-crisp shell into a soggy disappointment. The minimal ingredient list—just beef, lettuce, and cheese—means there’s nothing to hide behind when things go wrong.
Still, when fresh, there’s something nostalgic and comforting about this simple creation. It’s fast food archeology, a fossil record of what American tacos were before we knew better.
11. Soft Taco Supreme
Adding sour cream and diced tomatoes might seem like a small upgrade, but these two ingredients transform the basic Soft Taco into something noticeably more enjoyable. The cool, tangy sour cream balances the seasoned beef, while the tomatoes add a fresh, slightly acidic note that brightens each bite.
The “Supreme” moniker might be a bit of an overstatement—we’re still dealing with fast food basics here. However, the additional ingredients create a more complete flavor profile that better represents what a taco should be, even by American fast food standards.
The price increase is minimal for the upgrade, making this a better value proposition than its simpler counterpart. If you’re going to order a soft taco at Taco Bell, spending the extra change for the Supreme version is always worth it.
10. Crunchy Taco Supreme
The crispy corn shell creates a perfect delivery system for the upgraded Supreme fillings. Each bite provides a satisfying crunch followed by the medley of seasoned beef, cool sour cream, fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese that makes this taco a standout option.
What elevates this above its soft-shelled sibling is the textural interplay between the brittle shell and creamy fillings. The sour cream particularly shines here, as it helps mitigate the dryness that sometimes plagues the standard Crunchy Taco.
Timing remains crucial—eat it too slowly and you’ll end up with a soggy mess. However, when enjoyed fresh, the Crunchy Taco Supreme represents the perfect middle ground of Taco Bell’s menu: traditional enough to satisfy purists but enhanced enough to keep things interesting.
9. Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco
Born from a stroke of fast-food genius, this collaboration between two snack giants created something truly special. The neon-orange shell doesn’t just look different—it delivers that unmistakable Doritos nacho cheese flavor with every bite, completely transforming the taco experience.
The standard fillings of seasoned beef, lettuce, and cheese remain unchanged, but they don’t need to be when the shell does such heavy lifting. The corn-chip crunch provides a more substantial bite than the regular crunchy shell, while the nacho cheese dust adds an extra layer of flavor that complements the beef perfectly.
This taco represents Taco Bell at its most innovative—taking familiar elements and recombining them in ways that feel both novel and inevitable. It’s the kind of creation that makes you wonder why no one thought of it sooner.
8. Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco Supreme
The Supreme version of the Doritos Locos Taco takes an already brilliant concept and elevates it further. The addition of cool sour cream and diced tomatoes creates a more complex flavor profile that perfectly balances the bold nacho cheese shell.
Those extra toppings serve a practical purpose too—they help temper the intensity of the Doritos dust and provide moisture that prevents the taco from becoming too dry. The result is a more balanced eating experience where no single element overpowers the others.
While slightly more expensive than its standard counterpart, the Supreme upgrade is money well spent. The additional ingredients transform this from a novelty item into a legitimately satisfying meal component that showcases what makes Taco Bell special: familiar ingredients combined in unexpected ways that somehow work perfectly together.
7. Black Bean Chalupa Supreme
Vegetarians rejoice! This meatless marvel proves that plant-based options needn’t be an afterthought. The fried chalupa shell—thicker and chewier than a regular taco shell—creates a substantial base that holds up well to the hearty black bean filling.
Each bite delivers a satisfying contrast between the slightly crisp exterior and soft interior of the shell, while the beans provide a creamy texture and earthy flavor. The standard Supreme toppings—lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream—bring freshness and tang that elevate the entire creation.
What’s remarkable is how complete this chalupa feels without meat. Unlike the Spicy Potato Soft Taco, which seems designed merely to appease vegetarians, the Black Bean Chalupa Supreme stands confidently on its own merits. Even dedicated meat-eaters might find themselves surprised by how satisfying this option can be.
6. Chalupa Supreme
The standard bearer of Taco Bell’s chalupa line delivers a textural experience unlike anything else on the menu. The shell—a flatbread fried until puffy and golden—creates a perfect contrast between crisp exterior and chewy interior that regular tacos simply can’t match.
Seasoned beef anchors the filling, providing a savory base that pairs beautifully with the rich fried shell. The Supreme toppings bring necessary freshness, with the cool sour cream and crisp lettuce preventing the chalupa from feeling too heavy despite its indulgent nature.
What makes the Chalupa Supreme special is how it bridges the gap between taco and sandwich. The substantial shell makes it more filling than standard tacos, while the familiar Mexican-inspired flavors keep it firmly in Taco Bell territory. It’s the perfect option when you’re craving something more substantial than regular tacos.
5. Cheesy Gordita Crunch
Innovation shines in this hybrid creation that solves the eternal taco dilemma: soft shell or hard shell? The answer: both! A soft flatbread coated with melted three-cheese blend lovingly embraces a traditional crunchy taco shell, creating a handheld masterpiece that delivers multiple textures in every bite.
The spicy ranch sauce adds a creamy kick that regular tacos lack, while the standard filling of seasoned beef, lettuce, and shredded cheese ensures the flavor profile remains firmly in familiar territory. The genius lies in how the soft outer layer prevents the crunchy shell from shattering while adding another dimension of cheesy goodness.
This taco represents Taco Bell at its creative best—taking familiar elements and combining them in ways that improve the overall experience. It’s like getting two different tacos in one, with neither component compromised in the process.
4. Doritos Cheesy Gordita Crunch – Nacho Cheese
Fast food engineering reaches its peak with this magnificent creation. By replacing the standard crunchy shell with a Nacho Cheese Doritos shell, Taco Bell transforms an already excellent item into something truly extraordinary.
The flavor layering is masterful—cheesy flatbread surrounds a cheesy Doritos shell, which contains seasoned beef and more cheese. Yet somehow, it never feels excessive. The spicy ranch sauce cuts through the richness, while the lettuce provides necessary freshness and crunch.
What makes this taco special is how each element enhances the others. The Doritos shell adds another dimension of flavor without overpowering the other ingredients, while the soft gordita layer ensures the shell stays intact until the last bite. It’s a technical achievement as much as a culinary one—a perfect marriage of gimmick and genuine quality.
3. Volcano Taco
Heat seekers have mourned the discontinuation of this legendary taco since it left the menu. With its striking red shell and infamous Lava Sauce, the Volcano Taco wasn’t just about novelty—it delivered genuine, face-flushing spice that most fast food chains are too timid to attempt.
The Lava Sauce combined creamy texture with serious heat, creating a slow burn that built with each bite rather than overwhelming upfront. Standard beef, lettuce, and cheese fillings provided familiar flavors as a canvas for the sauce to shine.
What made the Volcano Taco special wasn’t just its heat level but its balanced approach to spice. Unlike many fast food “spicy” options that prioritize flavor over actual heat, this taco delivered both. Its cult following has led to periodic demands for its return, proving that sometimes absence really does make the taste buds grow fonder.
2. Shredded Beef Grilled Cheese Dipping Taco
A relatively new addition to the Taco Bell lineup, this innovative creation proves the chain hasn’t lost its touch for reinvention. The taco features tender shredded beef rather than the standard ground beef, already elevating it above most menu options.
The real magic happens with the shell—a corn tortilla with grilled cheese melted directly onto the exterior, creating a crispy, cheesy crust that adds incredible flavor and texture. Served with a side of savory dipping sauce, this taco transforms the typical eating experience into something more interactive and indulgent.
What makes this taco special is its attention to detail. The shredded beef provides a more premium protein experience, while the grilled cheese exterior shows Taco Bell at its experimental best. It’s the kind of item that reminds customers why Taco Bell remains a fast food innovator decades after its founding.
1. Doritos Locos Tacos Supreme
The crown jewel of Taco Bell’s menu combines everything that makes the chain special into one perfect package. The iconic Doritos shell—with its unmistakable neon orange hue and bold nacho cheese flavor—provides the foundation for this masterpiece.
Inside, the full Supreme treatment awaits: seasoned beef, crisp lettuce, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, and cool sour cream create a perfect balance of flavors and textures. Each ingredient plays its part without overwhelming the others, demonstrating Taco Bell’s understanding of fast food harmony.
What elevates this taco to the top spot is how it represents the perfect evolution of the Taco Bell experience. It honors tradition while embracing innovation, delivers substance beyond gimmickry, and provides genuine value despite its premium price point. When someone asks what makes Taco Bell special, this taco provides the definitive answer.
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