Copycat Black Bean Quesarito Recipe
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This copycat Quesarito Recipe combines everything you love about the Taco Bell™ menu in one, easy-to-eat meal! Spicy black beans and rice wrapped in a blanket of gooey melted nacho cheese and chipotle sauce, all tucked in a grilled soft tortilla. This fast food favorite is outrageously delicious!!
Table of Contents
Quesarito Recipe
There is just so much to love about this meal! The ingredients are inexpensive and easy to find, and black beans are packed full of fiber and nutrients.
Honestly, I think this Taco Bell-inspired quesarito recipe is even tastier than my version of the Beef Quesarito, and it’s vegetarian-friendly. Don’t believe me? Make one of each and decide for yourself.
Allow me to show you how to make a perfect black bean quesarito at home. It’s so simple, and you’ll save some money too!
Looking for some meat with your meal? Check out my copycat Taco Bell recipes for Mexican pizza and a steak power bowl instead.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Flour Tortillas – Grab the big burrito-sized ones — you’ll thank me later!
Getting a tightly packed, well-proportioned bean quesarito is way easier with large tortillas. - Velveeta & Evaporated Milk – The two secret ingredients in the cheesy, smoky Taco Bell nacho cheese!
If you aren’t a fan of Velveeta, using American cheese, cheddar cheese, or some combo of the two is a fine substitute. - Black Beans – Drain and rinse them well. Some people prefer to cook dried black beans. You could do that and go through the whole soaking and cooking process.
But it takes much more time, so I recommend just going with canned to get as close to the original Taco Bell black beans as possible. - Chipotles in Adobo Sauce – These chiles come in a thick, tangy, and equally spicy sauce.
Personally, I’d never make Mexican red rice without them! But if you don’t want that much heat in your bean quesarito, swap in smoked paprika or chipotle powder. - Mexican Seasoning – Super smoky, slightly spicy, and sure to level up any dish it’s in!
Sure, you could grab a pre-made blend at the store — but why not make your own for a fresher flavor and less money?
Tips and Tricks to Make the Perfect Taco Bell Quesarito Recipe
- Warm the tortillas before getting started.
I usually pop them in the microwave in 20-second bursts until warm! It makes them much more pliable and easy to roll.
- Go easy with the sauces.
This copycat quesarito recipe is stuffed to the brim (literally) with sauces and fillings, so it’s important to add each component carefully and evenly.
You’ll start with the first layer of nacho cheese. Spread it all over the tortilla evenly, almost all the way to the edges before adding the shredded cheese before microwaving.
If you get this first part just right, the rest of the bean quesarito will be much easier to assemble.
- Reheat the fillings if needed.
When you’re ready to put everything together, the black beans, rice, and nacho cheese may have cooled down at this point.
You should definitely warm them up if you want your quesarito to be ooey and gooey just like at Taco Bell!
Your microwave will work just fine.
- You will have leftover cheese sauce and red rice.
There’s no denying it! Though, feel free to adjust the amounts of the fillings to suit your taste.
Chad and I like ours tightly stuffed with fillings, but using fewer beans and rice will give you a closer match to a true Taco Bell quesarito!
Prep Ahead
- Make the creamy chipotle sauce
- Prepare the Mexican red rice
- Heat the nacho cheese sauce
- Warm the tortillas
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Mixing Bowls – I like to have a variety of sizes on hand, and this set has them all.
- Skillet – This is my go-to pan that I’ve had for over a decade! It heats evenly and cleans up beautifully with a little baking soda so it still looks brand new.
- Wood Turner – My most used spoon or spatula in my kitchen! It’s amazing for sauteing vegetables and browning meat.
- Medium Saucepan – Heats evenly and is easy to clean too.
- A sturdy Silicone Spatula can be used for scraping, stirring, and smoothing and is easy to clean too!
Easy Recipe Variations
There are a few different ways you can make this Taco Bell quesarito recipe your own!
Start by controlling the spice level. Each component has a bit of spice, from the sauce to the cheese and the beans.
You can tone all of it down by leaving the jalapenos or cayenne out of the cheese sauce, eliminating the chipotles and/or the adobo sauce, or excluding the jalapenos from the rice.
You can also add some protein — and the good news is that truly any protein would taste amazing!
Pulled pork, shredded chicken, or ground beef will fit right in when seasoned with my Mexican spice blend.
Storing and Reheating a Black Bean Quesarito
Store the extra cheese sauce and Mexican red rice in separate containers so you can make even more the next day! Aim to enjoy any assembled qusaritos within 1-2 days for the best texture.
Microwave everything separately too. To get the best rice the next day, microwave in a bowl with a damp paper towel over the top.
Or, use the ingredients to create something entirely different, like fajitas, nachos, or even in a fun breakfast scramble. The rice and cheese will keep for 3-4 days, respectively.
Quesarito Recipe FAQ
A quesarito is a one-of-a-kind creation! It’s essentially a burrito wrapped in a quesadilla. You get everything you love about a burrito wrapped in a fluffy, grilled tortilla — with a layer of melted cheese between the two!
No, and this Taco Bell quesarito recipe isn’t actually vegetarian-friendly either. There’s chicken stock in the Mexican red rice, and a ton of dairy products are used as well.
That said, you can easily replace them with dairy-free cheese and sour cream! As for the chicken stock, simply swap in a veggie or mushroom stock instead.
No — as mentioned, you can use any meltable cheese like cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend. You may also want to add a little extra milk or cream to smooth it out.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Copycat Black Bean Quesarito Recipe
Ingredients
Quesarito Ingredients
- 8 flour tortillas, (see Note #1)
- 1 cup nacho cheese sauce, recipe below
- 15 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups grated colby jack cheese, or Mexican cheese blend
- 2 cups Mexican red rice, recipe below
- 1/2 cup sour cream, or to taste
- 1/2 cup creamy chipotle sauce, recipe below
Creamy Chipotle Sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon Mexican seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
Nacho Cheese Sauce
- 16 ounces Velveeta
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeno juice, (brine from can of pickled jalapenos)
Mexican Red Rice
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 medium white onion, diced
- 1-3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups long-grain jasmine rice
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
- 1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons Mexican Seasoning Blend, link recipe
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Creamy Chipotle Sauce
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Mexican Red Rice
- Warm the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Once you can feel the heat when you hold your hand 6 inches above the skillet, add the onion and jalapeños to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir to combine. Continue cooking for 30 seconds.
- Add the rice and stir until it is well coated in the oil. Cook until the rice starts to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, seasoning blend and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Cover the pot, decrease the heat to a simmer and cook until the rice is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the nacho cheese sauce. and warm the black beans.
Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Cut Velveeta into cubes and place in a medium saucepan.
- Add cayenne pepper, evaporated milk and pickled jalapeno juice.
- Heat over medium-low, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until the cheese melts completely and is smooth.
- Taste for flavor and adjust with additional cayenne pepper and/or jalapeno brine.
- Use while hot; sauce thickens as it cools.
Quesarito Assembly
- If necessary, rewarm black beans, rice and nacho cheese sauce in the microwave.
- Place one flour tortilla on a microwave-safe plate. Spread ¼ cup nacho cheese sauce over the flour tortilla. Sprinkle with ½ cup of grated cheese.
- Microwave in 45-second bursts, until the cheese melts.
- Place a second flour tortilla on top of melted cheese and cheese sauce.
- Mound ½ cup black beans and ½ cup red rice in the center of the tortilla.
- Drizzle more nacho cheese sauce, creamy chipotle sauce, and sour cream over the meat.
- Add ½ cup Mexican red rice on top of the sauces.
- Fold in the sides and roll up the quesarito like a burrito. Enjoy!
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published September 2022, updated and republished May 2025
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Weโre Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
My son loves taco bell but I really don’t like their prices, lol. So this came at the perfect time. HE LOVED it and said it was even better than taco bell with so much more flavor! I will making this often I am sure.
This Black Bean Quesarito recipe from Donna and Chad’s The Slow Roasted Italian is a total game-changer! So easy to make and unbelievably delicious. 5 stars!
Hi Mia!
We’re so glad you enjoyed.
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
I can’t believe I made this Black Bean Quesarito at home, and it’s as good as (if not better than) the restaurant version. Donna and Chad’s recipes never disappoint. 5 stars!
Hi Samuel!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn