One of Taco Bell’s biggest menu items just got smaller.
No, the above photo isn’t an optical illusion. Taco Bell’s latest innovation is the steak and queso Crunchwrap slider — a miniature version of their classic Crunchwrap Supreme to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the delicious hexagonal burrito.
For $5.69, you get two tiny Crunchwraps filled with grilled marinated steak, a mini tostada shell, chipotle sauce, pico de gallo and cheddar cheese. The new creation comes with a side of green chili queso for dipping.
The tiny little tortillas are completely adorable, but are they delicious?
For the uninitiated (or those who simply aren’t obsessed with Taco Bell like yours truly) the Crunchwrap Supreme was introduced by Taco Bell in 2005. It features beef, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, nacho cheese and a tostada folded into a delicious hexagon. Is this a classic example of our Taco Bell overlords taking the same ingredients and putting them in a different shape? Absolutely. Do I care? Absolutely not. Crunchwraps might be my pound-for-pound top menu item at Taco Bell. The design of the dish makes for explosive bites of flavor in every corner, and the tostada adds a delightful crunch.
READ MORE: I ate Taco Bell for 30 days straight. Here’s what I learned. And what I lost.
Take that menu item and make it smaller and more shareable? What’s not to love? When I first saw the promotional images, the Crunchwrap sliders looked more like an AI rendering than a real Taco Bell offering — which frankly peaked my interest even more.
Well, my Taco Bell-loving friends, the Crunchwrap sliders are real. And they’re spectacular.
I was curious to see how well the sliders would be wrapped — a poorly wrap job is an easy way to ruin a Crunchwrap. But the tiny guys looked great and held together nicely as I ate them. The marinated steak was tender and flavorful, the tortilla seared to add some crunch. And the novelty of eating a tiny version of a burrito that usually requires two hands was not at all lost on me.
The only complaints I had about the Crunchwrap sliders were that the tostada crunch feels almost nonexistent, and the accompanying green chili queso was served in a cup that was too small to dip even the tiny Crunchwraps in. The sauce itself was fine — the new caliente cantina sauce was much more impressive, with a spicy yet tangy kick.
The mini Crunchwraps are on the menu for a limited time. I still prefer the classic Crunchwrap Supreme — especially for the price. A full-sized Crunchwrap is only a dollar more, and feels more substantial. But if you want to share an order of Crunchwraps, or just feel like a giant as you eat one, the Crunchwrap sliders are perfect.
Related coverage:
• I tried Taco Bell’s cheesy dipping burritos so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
• I tried Taco Bell’s chicken nuggets so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
• I tried Taco Bell’s cheesy street chalupa so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
• I tried Taco Bell’s Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
• Inside the N.J. bar battling Taco Bell over America’s most controversial taco party
Stories by Jeremy Schneider
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Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com and followed on Twitter at @J_Schneider and on Instagram at @JeremyIsHungryAgain.