How Spicy Is Volcano Burrito? (Recipe To Made At Home)

A Mexican-style drive-thru? I only think of Taco Bell. And I fell in love with its Volcano Burrito a few years ago.

Don’t worry if you are curious about how spicy Volcano Burrito is; the memories are still fresh. But my heart was left broken when Volcano Burrito was discontinued in late 2012. And by early 2013, I discovered that the Lava Sauce had been eliminated.

Volcano Burrito is famous among spicy food lovers because of its Lava Sauce. This sauce is a little spicier than Taco Bell’s traditional hot sauce but with creaminess. 

What is Volcano Burrito?

Volcano Burrito is made of a seasoned ground beef double portion, Lava Sauce, cool reduced-fat sour cream, a scoop of kicked-up Mexican rice, and shredded cheddar cheese, then wrapped nicely in a warm flour tortilla.

All the ingredients in this burrito blend wonderfully. This delicious Mexican item is heavy on the heat with various textures. In every bite, there’s crunch and chewiness.

Since the ground beef portion is doubled, the meatiness is twice the meat found in Taco Bell’s Burrito Supreme. So, it is not also a fantastic treat for spicy food lovers but also for meat lovers.

Taco Bell used the same 12” flour tortilla in Grilled Stuft Burrito with Volcano Burrito. Since the tortilla is warmed on a grill, the burrito feels toasty and friendly in hand. Indeed, a comfort food.

I like how the burrito brings a lot of action to my mouth. The beef has a flavorful and satisfying taste, and the Mexican rice adds texture. The Lava Sauce is responsible for the heat, while the sour cream and cheese cool me down.

Is Volcano Burrito Spicy?

The big deal about Taco Bell’s Volcano Burrito is its sauce – Lava Sauce.

This intriguing sauce is half hotter than Taco Bell’s Fire Sauce. It is because Volcano Burrito’s sauce is made with extra capsaicin jolt. Capsaicin is usually found in pepper membranes and seeds.

Another source of heat in this sauce is red jalapeno peppers. Taco Bell has advertised Lava Sauce to have 800 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), which is higher than Fire Sauce’s SHU, which is 500. 

I remembered the Volcano menu’s slogan – “get ready for the hurt.” 

Lava Sauce is a little spicier than Taco Bell’s traditional hot sauce. The burrito has an excellent spicy flavor to it but with creaminess and richness. In other words, it was spicy and creamy.

Lava Sauce came with 50% more capsaicin than the restaurant’s traditional hot sauce. When compared with jalapeno peppers, this sauce seems milder. Remember that the pepper contains more than 3,500 SHU. 

Lava Sauce was discontinued in early 2013, but there was a petition to bring it back. On September 2015, Taco Bell tweeted, “You asked for it. Lava Sauce is back. Get it on the volcano taco tomorrow! 

I was one of the customers who added Lava Sauce to different Taco Bell menu items. The sauce was also placed into a small plastic tray for dipping upon request.

In 2016, the sauce was discontinued once again. As of late 2021, Taco Bell in the UK offers a tomato-based sauce, like a salsa, also known as Lava Sauce. 

More About Lava Sauce 

Lava Sauce was a famous spicy nacho cheese sauce included in different Taco Bell menu items, such as Volcano Double Beef Burrito, Volcano Nachos, and Volcano Taco, from 2008 to 2013. In September 2015, the sauce became part of other items, like Steak Burritos and Volcano Quesarito.

This spicy sauce was first introduced in June 1995 as a Congo tie-in. People throughout the country praised the sauce’s design, roll-out, and flavor.

The expansion of the Volcano Menu in May 2009 has included the Volcano Nachos and Volcano Burrito, incorporating Lava sauce. This resulted in attracting more customers.

Volcano Menu’s strong selling point was the Lava Sauce. But after five years of popularity, many Taco Bell enthusiasts were disappointed when Lava Sauce was eliminated from the menu in September 2013. 

Although it was brought back in 2015, it was discontinued in 2016. 

How to Make Lava Sauce at Home 

Taco Bell’s sales erupted after Volcano Burrito with Lava Sauce was introduced. Many Mexican foods or spicy food lovers were happy about the creation of this delicious, meaty, creamy, and spicy food item.

However, the burrito and the Lava Sauce discontinuation was disheartening. Honestly, it is one of the reasons I visit Taco Bells. So, I felt disappointed after hearing that news.

The best thing I can do whenever I miss Volcano Burrito or the heat of Lava Sauce is to recreate the recipes. If you also want to try making Lava Sauce at home, here are the ingredients and procedures:

Ingredients:

• Five teaspoons of powdered cheese 
• ½ cup of mayonnaise 
• ¾ teaspoon of ground cayenne 
• ¼ teaspoon of ground cumin 
• ¼ teaspoon of granulated sugar 
• ¼ cup of smoked paprika 
• One teaspoon of white vinegar 
• One teaspoon of water 
• One pinch of onion powder
• One pinch of garlic powder 

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk white vinegar and water into the powdered cheese until a paste is formed.
2. Get the remaining ingredients and stir them into the paste.
3. Cover and chill for several hours.

How to Make Homemade Taco Bell’s Volcano Burrito 

Volcano Burrito is one of my favorite comfort foods because of its appearance, flavors, and texture. It’s simply delicious! 

Every time I crave Volcano Burrito, I recreate the recipe at home. It’s not exactly what I tasted in Taco Bell, but at least it’s close to the original one.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 ounces beef
• One flour tortilla (12”)
• One tablespoon of Lava Sauce 
• One tablespoon of sour cream 
• One scoop of seasoned rice 
• Cheddar cheese to taste

For seasoned beef:

• One teaspoon of garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon of chili spice mix
• ¼ cup of tomato paste 
• Salt to taste 

Instructions:

1. In a pan, put the ground beef over medium to high heat.
2. Break the meat down into small clumps.
3. Brown the beef for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add garlic powder and chili spice mix.
5. Let the beef cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.
6. Add tomato paste and mix until warm.
7. Season with salt to taste.
8. Warm the tortilla in the microwave for several seconds.
9. Spread the seasoned rice and top with the beef mixture.
10. Add sour cream, Lava Sauce, and cheddar cheese.
11. Add and serve.

Is it your first-time folding a burrito? Don’t worry; here are some tips:

• Place the burrito filling in the middle of the 12” flour tortilla.
• Fold in the side flaps towards to center (1.5” to 2” per side).
• Fold the flap from the bottom until you reach the top using your fingers, shaping the burrito.
• Fold in the small corners towards the middle before the last fold.
• Do the previous fold tucking everything.

When warming up the flour tortilla, you can do it directly in a pan or use a microwave. You can place the tortilla on a plate and put a wet towel on top or use the microwave’s grill option. This technique helps keep the tortilla’s softness. It also helps make the tortilla pliable for folding.