Copycat Taco Bell Bacon Club Chalupa Recipe

If you've ever ordered Taco Bell, then you know just how delicious many of the menu items are. From basic tacos to burritos to Crunchwraps, Taco Bell is an obvious go-to for people when they're craving something a little indulgent. Many people are very familiar with what's arguably the most delicious item on Taco Bell's menu: the bacon club chalupa, which showcases chicken, bacon, tomatoes, cheese, ranch, and guacamole, all wrapped up in a delicious chalupa shell. While it is easy and convenient to get one straight from Taco Bell, what if there were a way to elevate the recipe and make it right in your own home?

Thanks to recipe developer and registered dietician Kristen Carli's copycat Taco Bell bacon club chalupa recipe, all of your bacon club chalupa dreams can come true in a homemade version. "This is exactly like the Taco Bell recipe," Carli says of her copycat version. "You can make this at home whenever you want and it is more customizable." With a few simple ingredients and a little effort, you can easily make your own bacon club chalupas and enjoy the Taco Bell classic whenever the craving hits!

To get started on your copycat bacon club chalupas, you'll need chalupas, chicken breasts, bacon strips, a tomato, shredded lettuce, ranch dressing, guacamole, and shredded Mexican cheese. 

Of course, the best part of making this recipe at home is that you can also customize it to your flavor preferences—you can add hot sauce, onion, cilantro, or whatever else you think would go well with a bacon club chalupa! "I love these with the Taco Bell quesadilla sauce," Carli notes.

While it might be tempting to opt for store-bought chalupa shells, it'll really amp up the recipe if you make the shells at home. And, luckily, they're super easy to make. This chalupa recipe has all the information you need to make the perfect chalupa shell. All you need for the dough is flour, salt, baking powder, shortening, and milk, plus oil for frying. 

"Homemade chalupas are so worth the extra work!" Carli explains. "They are delicious and really elevate this recipe." Once you've made your chalupa shells, you can get started on preparing the filling for your bacon club chalupas.

To prepare the filling for your bacon club chalupas, you'll want to start with the chicken. Go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 F, then put a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, and then add your chicken breasts once the pan is hot. 

Cook the chicken breasts for about five minutes on each side, until you have a nice golden brown crust. Then, transfer the cast-iron to your preheated oven to allow them to finish cooking. It should take about 10 to 20 minutes for them cook all the way through.

As your chicken finishes up cooking, you can fulfill a simple step by combining your ranch and guacamole to make a copycat version of Taco Bell's avocado ranch sauce. Anyone who's had Taco Bell knows that the sauce is one of the best parts. And, fortunately, the sauce is simple to recreate. You can use whatever type of ranch dressing and guacamole you have on hand. 

Store-bought options work fine, though you can absolutely make homemade versions of each one and then combine them. 

It wouldn't be a bacon club chalupa without the bacon, so go ahead and get started on that next. In a small skillet over medium heat, add your bacon slices. Cook them for a few minutes, until they get nice and crispy. From there, you can remove the bacon slices from the heat and remove any excess oil. Then, go ahead and chop your bacon slices into smaller bits. 

Your chicken should also be done cooking by this point, so you can pull the breasts out of the oven and chop them into bite-sized pieces as well.

Once you've made your chalupas, cooked the meat, and prepared any toppings, you're ready to assemble everything. 

Start with the chalupa shell, and then fill it with all the goodies: chicken, bacon, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, avocado ranch sauce, shredded cheese, and anything else that you want! From there, you can enjoy your copycat Taco Bell bacon club chalupa right in the comfort of your own home—no drive-thru necessary! 

These chalupas are a great lunch or dinner option and are sure to please the whole family. If you're a fan of Taco Bell, you should definitely give this copycat chalupas recipe a try.