Earlier this year, Taco Bell made the egregious mistake of removing all its delicious potato-based items from its menu. The company has since seen the error of its ways, and cheesy potato tacos, et al will soon be available for fourthmeal once again. But you don’t need Taco Bell’s pity, nor do you need to wait—because we already told you how to make your own versions of these starchy foodstuffs at home. That original post follows.
I’m not vegetarian, but my Taco Bell order is. I always get a quesarito (no beef, add beans, add potatoes), a spicy potato soft taco, and a cheesy potato burrito (no beef, add beans). Other items come and go, but these three are forever—well, until August 13, when every single one will be discontinued.
According to a July 17 press release, the pending menu revamp will “leave room for new fan favorites” and “continued progress in categories such as plant-based diets,” both of which are cool, I guess. But Taco Bell’s potatoes are so universally beloved that discontinuing them feels intentionally spiteful—especially for vegans and vegetarians, whose fast food options are severely limited outside of the Bell. Whatever slick new meatless options we have to look forward to, they’ll never replace a bowl of salty, squishy, greasy potatoes doused in liquid cheese and sour cream.
Thankfully, making Taco Bell potatoes at home is easy: All you need are regular russet potatoes, oil, and a simple seasoning blend. While researching this recipe, I learned that the secret to Taco Bell’s seasoning isn’t MSG or cumin—although those are definitely present—but flour. A little bit of all-purpose flour adds a hint of crunch to their fried potatoes, which is desperately needed amongst the squish. (It also helps their ground beef thicken into that signature slurry-like consistency, but we’re not talking about that right now.)
To make your own Live Más Dust, you will need 1 heaped teaspoon (5-6 grams) of each of the following:
Ground cumin
Granulated garlic
Dehydrated onion flakes or onion powder
Smoked paprika
Cayenne or any other red chili powder
Powdered bouillon (I used chicken) or nutritional yeast
White sugar
Mix all of the above with 2 heaped teaspoons (10-12 grams) of adobo seasoning (I like Iberia brand because it has MSG) and 2 heaped tablespoons (about 20 grams) of all-purpose flour. You should have 1/4 cup of seasoning, which is enough for at least 3 batches of potatoes.
Please feel free to experiment wildly with the spices; if you don’t have adobo, garlic salt or any seasoned salt works great. I was out of both onion flakes and onion powder, so I crushed up some French’s fried onions and used those instead. (No regrets on that front, if you can believe it.)
To make the potatoes, heat your oven to 475ºF with a rack in the upper third. Cut 1 pound of unpeeled russet potatoes into 1/2-inch dice and toss them with about a third of the Live Más Dust. Heat a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat, then add enough neutral cooking oil to coat the bottom. Add the seasoned potatoes to the hot oil in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, for 3-5 minutes. Turn them over with a spatula and transfer to the oven. Roast for 10-15 minutes, flipping the potatoes once or twice, until they’re golden brown and crispy.
While they cook, pop open some canned nacho cheese and refried beans, mix your favorite hot sauce with bottled ranch dressing (I swear, ranch is the secret to all their creamy sauces), and throw some Live Más Dust into cooked ground beef—or crispy tofu crumbles. It’s all assembly from here on out.
For the full experience, I recommend checking out the descriptions of your favorite items on the Taco Bell website. You won’t find detailed recipes, but you will find a list of components that go into each item. I recreated my usual order, plus a bowl of fiesta potatoes for good measure. The days of drive-thru Taco Bell potatoes may be numbered, but they live on (and live más) in my kitchen—and now, yours.
This post was originally published in August 2020 and updated Jan. 14, 2021 to add context regarding the return of potato items to Taco Bell’s menu.