Does Taco Bell Use Real Meat? (All You Need to Know)

You may either love or despise fast food joints depending on what they use to prepare their meals. As such, you could be interested to know whether Taco Bell uses real meat in its meals.

If that’s the case, we suggest reading this article, which will teach you all you need to know about the type of meat Taco Bell uses!

Does Taco Bell Use Real Meat In 2024?

Taco Bell utilizes only USDA quality beef pre-seasoned with seven natural seasonings proprietary combination. The meat is not grade D beef, contrary to popular opinion. Regardless of the location you visit, all Taco Bell restaurants prepare meals in the same way in 2024.

Keep scrolling this page to understand more about the meat used at Taco Bell, like if the meat is real, along with other related facts!

What Percent of Taco Bell Meat Is Real?

Taco Bell’s formula includes 88 percent USDA-inspected and certified beef and 12 percent of the corporation’s proprietary recipe.

3-5 percent of the 12% are various natural substances contributing to the product’s quality.

Oats, starch, sugar, yeast, and citric acid are within the 3-5 percent of constituents. Water and spices make up the remainder.

What Was Taco Bell Sued for in the Beef Lawsuit?

Taco Bell was accused of utilizing fillers and additives in its beef combination. The company was sued for using beef that didn’t satisfy the USDA’s basic standards.

According to the charges, Taco Bell’s meat combination had 35 percent beef, and the other 65 percent was made up of water and various fillers.

However, Taco Bell came forward to prove that it uses more than 45% real beef meat in its tacos, more than the USDA’s standard of 40 percent.

Where Does Taco Bell’s Meat Come From?

Tyson Foods Inc. supplies Taco Bell with meat as the primary meat supplier. The meat is regularly examined to make sure it meets the standard set by the USDA.

How Does Taco Bell Cook Meat?

Taco Bell packs its meat in slow-cook bags. These bags are put on a rack resembling a burner, and on top, there is simmering water.

The meat is cooked for a specified time, regulated by an electronic buzzer.

Does Taco Bell Offer Vegan Options?

Taco Bell offers vegan meat substitutes, which are plant-based versions of ground beef.

The original Bean Burrito, Veggie Power Menu Bowl, and Black Bean Crunch wrap Supreme are popular vegan menu options.

Taco Bell also allows vegan customers to customize practically any item by choosing the option to make it vegetarian.

Is Taco Bell Meat Vegetarian-Friendly?

Is Taco Bell Meat Vegetarian-Friendly?

More than 10% of Taco Bell’s menu items are vegetarian-friendly. Taco Bell asserts that its menu has more than 34 vegan items on its website.

Taco Bell also features a plethora of food customization choices.

Below are the vegetarian ingredients on Taco Bell’s menu:

  1. Black beans
  2. Taco shells
  3. Seasoned rice
  4. Onions
  5. Gordita shells
  6. Lettuce
  7. Cinnamon twists
  8. Sour cream
  9. Jalapenos
  10. Salsa
  11. Nacho Chips
  12. Tostada shells
  13. Tortillas
  14. Refried beans
  15. Guacamole
  16. Cheeses
  17. Eggs
  18. Cinnabons
  19. Potatoes
  20. Hashbrowns
  21. Hot sauces

Is Taco Bell Chicken White Meat?

One of two types of all-white meat chicken offered at Taco Bell locations is shredded chicken. Grilled, marinated all-white-meat chicken is the other option.

Does Taco Bell Use Horse Meat?

In the United States, Taco Bell does not use horse meat. Horse slaughter is prohibited in the US.

However, there have been reported incidences of horse meat being found in Taco Bell’s meat in a few countries, such as the United Kingdom.

Which Other Fast-Food Chains Use Real Meat?

Apart from Taco Bell, some fast-food chains that use the highest graded real meat include:

  1. Chipotle
  2. Panera
  3. Shake Shack
  4. BurgerFi
  5. B.Good

Do Fast-Food Places Use Real Meat?

Beef and other products such as fish and chicken at fast-food places aren’t always composed of 100% meat.

In most cases, they contain additional additives such as soy products and textured vegetable protein, making the production a bit cheaper.

Health experts agree that these processed meats are not as healthy as unprocessed meats.

Therefore, if you’re concerned about the meat that’s served at your favorite fast-food joint, it’s important that you check the ingredients from the menu.

To learn more, you can also read our posts on why is Taco Bell so delicious, McDonald’s vs Taco Bellt, and does Taco Bell exist in Mexico.

Conclusion

Taco Bell uses USDA-certified beef as well as natural seasonings. The company is transparent about its ingredients and publishes a list on its website for anybody who wants to attempt the recipe at home.

Like many other fast-food restaurants, Taco Bell cherishes its vegan consumers. The company provides a variety of vegan options as well as customizable options. Taco Bell also has an intelligent pricing approach that keeps its meals low-cost and accessible.

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Marques Thomas

Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com.

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