There are five ways to reheat tacos: using an oven, a microwave, a skillet, a stove, or an air fryer. You can reheat the taco shell and the filling separately or together, depending on the method. You should always remove the cold ingredients from the tacos before reheating and add them back after.
Like any fast food, Taco Bell tacos are most excellent when freshly prepared. Every reheating attempt simply never fully restores the old glory of fast food no matter what the food is.
But if you have cold taco bell burrito remnants, it’s pretty pointless to throw them away. With a little effort, you can achieve pretty good results.
Unlike our other reheating tips, you must heat each ingredient separately to make it tastier. Therefore, our instructions will also be divided according to this principle.
Separation of Taco Bell Components
Before you even start to reheat the taco bell leftovers, the most important thing is to separate the whole into parts. If you try to warm up the whole Taco Bell, it will turn out all soggy and not at all delicious as in the beginning. So do the following.
Step 1: Remove all Cold Ingredients from the Tacos
Separate all the ingredients that need to be cold, that is, they would have a rather bland taste to reheat them.
These are all the salads you have in tacos, like tomatoes, cucumbers, or any other vegetables. Likewise with the other ingredients like sour cream and possible different fillings that need to be cold, grated cheese, or something similar.
Set all these ingredients aside and do not reheat them.
Step 2: Remove the Meat Filling from the Tacos Shell
Now, separate the meat stuffing you have in the tacos. You should heat it separately from the tacos shell. Doing this will result in a much tastier dish.
The point is that the meat stuffing will be well heated, and the tacos shell will still be crispy.
Reheating Taco Bell Shell To Be Perfectly Crispy
Now is the time to reheat the tacos shell. In fact, what you need to do is dry it out because it has certainly been moistened overnight from its meat and other fillings.
So now, you need to restore texture and crunchiness. There are several ways you can do this.
Method 1: Reheating Taco Shell in an Oven
The best way is to preheat the tacos shell in the oven. This is ideal because you get to heat the meat part during that time separately, so everything will be almost just in time to stack your tacos together.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Please wait until it is thoroughly heated.
Place the taco shell on the baking tray. Do not place on top of each other if you have more than one.
Bake for about 10 minutes or a few minutes more until fully heated.
Method 2: Reheating Taco Shell in a Microwave
You can also heat the taco shell in the microwave. Simply place them on a plate that is usable in the microwave and set for 30 seconds to warm up.
Method 3: Reheating Taco Bell Shell in a Skillet
Another way to reheat a taco shell is in a frying pan. Just make sure your tacos don’t burn as you heat.
Put the skillet on medium heat. Sprinkle a little oil on the pan’s bottom so that the tacos do not stick to it.
Put the tacos in the skillet and heat for about 2 minutes on each side.
Warming The Main Filling From The Tacos
Now, it’s time to reheat the main tacos filling made from the meat, beans, and other ingredients you have in it.
It is important to remember that you are heating the meat stuffing and not cooking it from scratch.
Although it should be well heated, it is necessary to be careful not to overdo it as the meat will dry out. Here’s how you can do it.
Method 1: Reheating the Filling on a Stove
The best way to reheat meat stuffing is to do it on the stove. You need to take a few very simple steps, and it will be over in a few minutes.
Put a little oil in a non-stick pan and set on medium heat.
Put the meat stuffing in a pan and stir occasionally.
Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until the filling is completely warm.
Method 2: Reheating the Filling in a Microwave
Another way which is a little faster than the previous one is to reheat the meat stuffing in the microwave.
Put the filling in a microwave safe dish.
Set in the microwave for 20 seconds to warm up.
Remove and stir to heat the whole filling evenly.
Nuke for another 15 seconds or so.
Reassembling The Taco Into A Perfect Meal
Once you’ve reheated all the ingredients that need to be reheated, it’s time to put your perfect tacos back together.
Simply take the taco shell and place it in the filling position. Then, add the central part, or the meat stuffing.
Add cold ingredients to complete the flavor. It will be best if you can replace the raw components with fresh ones. So put fresh tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and the rest. This way, the taste will be undoubtedly and significantly better.
Reheating Taco Bell Tacos In An Air Fryer
Ok, you have a wonderful device called an air fryer at home, and you are certainly used to quickly reheating almost all dishes in it, so why would leftover Taco Bell be an exception?
The good news is that the air fryer will dry the moistened cover very well and heat the filling simultaneously. However, we would advise some steps for a better result.
Step 1: Take Out the Cold Ingredients
Although you can put the whole taco in the air fryer and heat it up, we would advise you to take the cold ingredients out anyway.
This includes salad, cucumbers, other vegetables that should remain cold, and sour cream or other sauces you want to avoid heating.
Vegetables do tend to become rubbery and taste worse when heated. So open up a taco bell and dish out whatever you want to keep cold.
Step 2: Place in a Basket and Heat
When you have removed the cold parts, place the taco in the air fryer basket. You can stack several of them at once, just don’t overcrowd them.
Turn on to heat up well for about 4 to 5 minutes. Check that the inner filling is evenly heated.
Step 3: Add Back the Cold Elements
Now it’s time to put your taco bell back together and enjoy. We suggest replacing the old cold ingredients with fresh ones to get the best taste of your delicious dish.
You can add some other ingredients as you wish and enjoy the reheated taco bell.
FAQs
Can I reheat Taco Bell tacos as a whole?
You can reheat taco bell burrito as a whole, but taco will be soft. You still need to separate all the cold ingredients before heating. Preheat it in the oven, but be sure to wrap the tacos in foil before heating to keep everything evenly heated.
How long can Taco Bell last in a fridge?
We would advise you to keep it in the fridge for a maximum of one day. The shell will draw moisture from other ingredients for sure. Altogether, it won’t taste the best if you keep it too cold in the fridge.
Can you eat taco shells without heating?
The shell will certainly be moist and a little soggy if you leave it in the fridge one day along with other fillings. Reheating serves to restore its crunchiness and make it tastier to eat. So we warmly recommend that you do so. It won’t take you that long, anyway.
How do you reheat leftover tacos?
To reheat leftover tacos, remove any cold toppings or sauces and separate the components. Reheat the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for a minute on each side, and warm the filling in a separate skillet until it’s heated through. Then, reassemble the tacos with the warmed components and add the cold toppings and sauces before serving.
Conclusion
Although Taco Bell tacos, when reheated, will never be a hundred percent like the one freshly prepared, if you put in a little effort, you can get quite close to that flavor. Give yourself some time and separate the ingredients and reheat them separately. Trust us, and you will not regret the time and effort you spent. Check these taco sides that you can serve too.
Tanja is great lover of healthy eating and lifestyle, she has been editing TV series about nutrition and health for years. She also engaged in food production in the family business, mainly focused on fruit processing without destroying vitamins and minerals. She believes that quality nutrition is one of the key ingredients of a happy and healthy life.
