Taco Bell is returning the Quesarito to its menu Thursday, one of the Mexican fast-food chain’s most requested items ever. The signature is filled with seasoned beef, seasoned rice, chipotle sauce and reduced-fat sour cream, all burrito-wrapped inside a grilled quesadilla packed with melted cheeses and Nacho Cheese sauce.
Fans have kept the iconic mashup alive for more than 10 years through online petitions, Reddit threads and even a dedicated TikTok account.
“We heard our fans loud and clear,” said Luis Restrepo, CMO of Irvine, California-based Taco Bell, in a statement. “Their passion turned the Quesarito into a Taco Bell legend and bringing it back for the holidays felt like the perfect way to celebrate that energy. And as for the moment that helped keep its story alive—Jokić, we hope there are no hard feelings.”
Jokić refers to Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets basketball team, a three-time MVP in the NBA. His 2014 NBA draft selection announcement was aired during Taco Bell’s commercial for the Quesarito, a timing overlap that has since gone down as the “most unexpected draft moment ever.” The clip resurfaces online every season, which prompted Taco Bell to offer a friendly apology, calling on Jokić to finally try the Quesarito that accidentally stole his spotlight, according to a Taco Bell press release.
When asked if he would try the Quesarito, Jokić said “No. It’s nice they’re finally apologizing. But no.”
Taco Bell fans, however, can’t wait to try it. It’s back on menus starting Thursday for $4.99, but there’s a special Tuesday Drop next week at 2 p.m. Pacific Time. That’s when the first 30,000 Taco Bell Rewards Members can score a $1 Quesarito exclusively through the restaurant’s app.
Taco Bell is a leading innovator in the fast-food segment, releasing its packed marketing calendar every year through its Live Mas Live event, orchestrated by parent Yum Brands. In March, RB editor-in-chief Jonathan Maze attended the event in Brooklyn, N.Y., reporting that Taco Bell would be introducing double the number of new products it did in 2024. About 400 fans were there to sample a number of the items coming out of the pipeline in 2025.
But the Mexican QSR also likes to get fans involved in menu decisions at other times, occasionally going so far as to ask them to cast votes for comebacks. In the case of the Quesarito, Taco Bell simply had to pay attention to online petitions and social media feeds to know it was time.
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