The Spices Taco Bell Uses To Season Its Signature Beef

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Taco Bell continues to roll out mouthwatering menu items, but you can never go wrong with a classic beef taco. The taco giant's seasoned ground beef has been a staple for decades, and if you've ever tried it, you might know that it's hard to recreate it at home. That's likely because, in addition to typical taco seasoning ingredients, Taco Bell's version includes a few unexpected extras that give it its distinct taste.

According to the Taco Bell website, this seasoned beef is simmered, drained, seasoned, and then packaged with extra water to keep things moist and flavorful. It seems pretty straightforward, but what are those top-secret signature spices? The chain's seasoning blend is described as "signature," and while there are many Taco Bell secrets we know, the company isn't letting us in on this one. The only clue the website provides is that seven spices make up the blend. We can get close to understanding this blend by looking at the ingredients listed on the store-bought Taco Bell Original Taco Seasoning packet (you can also buy single packets on Amazon). 

There, you'll spot chili pepper, tomato powder, onion powder, salt, cocoa, and smoke flavor. None of these ingredients feel too unexpected, although cocoa is kind of a wild card (more on that later). There's also sugar, which notoriously helps balance salt and acidity, and some binding agents and flavor enhancers like maltodextrin. So, how does this mix make the million-dollar taco meat we're willing to wait in drive-thru lines for?

We know Taco Bell's beef contains chili pepper, onion and tomato powders, cocoa, salt, and smoke flavor, but there's more going on under the hood. Most copycat recipes also toss in garlic powder or garlic salt, cumin, paprika, bouillon, or cayenne pepper. A few of those are easy to guess when you taste it: Onion, garlic, and the sweet tang of tomato are all front and center, but where does something like cocoa come in?

You don't really taste cocoa in the way you'd notice chocolate, but it adds a kind of warm roundness to the flavor. It also makes the beef more brown-looking, which could be the actual reason Taco Bell uses it (those tacos have to be billboard-ready!).

Then, there are the non-spice ingredients doing behind-the-scenes texture work. Soy lecithin helps hold everything together so it doesn't separate or get watery. Torula yeast brings an umami flavor, kind of like a meatier version of MSG, and probably helps explain why the meat tastes more savory than what you whip up at home. Moreover, your meat might also feel more watery compared to Taco Bell's meat, which kind of clumps together in a soft, cohesive crumble. This is likely because of the binding agents in that seasoning powder, including oats and modified cornstarch. Interestingly, briefly blending the cooked beef in your food processor can also help you achieve that texture at home — emphasis on briefly, though, as you don't want to completely puree it.