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Taco Bell vs Del Taco: which is better for your macros?
The top protein play at Taco Bell is the Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito (40g protein, 910 cal); Del Taco answers with the Epic Cali Bacon Burrito (Carne Asada) (51g, 1060 cal). Below, all 29 meals we track at both chains go head-to-head on protein, calories, low-carb and vegetarian options — from each brand's official nutrition data, not AI guesses — with a verdict for cutting, bulking and keto.
The tale of the tape
Taco Bell vs Del Taco, by the numbers
| Head-to-head | Taco Bell | Del Taco |
|---|---|---|
| Highest-protein meal | 40g Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito | 51g Epic Cali Bacon Burrito (Carne Asada) |
| Leanest meal | 280 cal Cantina Chicken Bowl (No Rice/Beans) & Diet Pepsi | 220 cal 2 Chicken Street Tacos & Diet Pepsi |
| Avg protein per meal | 22g | 30g |
| Avg calories per meal | 452 cal | 564 cal |
| Meals at 425 cal or less | 7 | 5 |
| Low-carb / keto meals | 3 | 3 |
| Vegetarian meals | 4 | 2 |
| Meals tracked | 15 | 14 |
✓ marks the stronger number for that row (more protein, fewer calories, or more options). Computed from the 29 meals we track — not the chains' full menus.
Top 5, ranked by protein
The highest-protein meals, side by side
🌮 Taco Bell
| # | Meal | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito As served | 40g | 910 |
| 2 | Cantina Chicken Rolled Quesadilla As served | 33g | 570 |
| 3 | Cantina Chicken Quesadilla As served (slow-roasted shredded chicken, avocado ranch, chipotle sauce, three-cheese blend, crispy flatbread quesadilla) | 29g | 570 |
| 4 | Cantina Chicken Bowl (No Rice/Beans) + Crunchy Taco Supreme & Diet Pepsi Cantina Chicken Bowl ordered without rice and beans (slow-roasted chicken, guac, pico, avocado ranch, sour cream, lettuce, cheddar) + one Crunchy Taco Supreme + Diet Pepsi (0 cal). Macros = food only (bowl ~280/20/5/18 + Crunchy Taco Supreme 190/8/15/11). | 28g | 470 |
| 5 | Power Menu Bowl - Chicken As served (grilled chicken, rice, beans, guac, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, pico) | 26g | 460 |
🌮 Del Taco
| # | Meal | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Epic Cali Bacon Burrito (Carne Asada) Oversized flour tortilla filled with carne asada steak, crinkle-cut fries, bacon strips, cheddar cheese, and chipotle sauce | 51g | 1060 |
| 2 | Epic Grilled Chicken Loaded Queso Burrito Oversized flour tortilla with grilled chicken, crinkle-cut fries, creamy queso blanco, cheddar cheese, and pico de gallo | 45g | 880 |
| 3 | Epic Combo Beef & Bean Burrito Oversized flour tortilla packed with seasoned beef, slow-cooked pinto beans, cheddar cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, and red and green sauces | 43g | 900 |
| 4 | Epic Grilled Chicken Fresh Guacamole Burrito Oversized flour tortilla with grilled chicken, slow-cooked beans, cilantro lime rice, house-made guacamole, and pico de gallo | 37g | 720 |
| 5 | Chicken Quesadilla (Cheddar) Grilled chicken and melted cheddar cheese folded in a flour tortilla, served with sour cream | 34g | 550 |
MacroBite scores these against your daily protein & calorie targets and logs them in one tap. Get the app →
The verdict
Which is better for your goal?
Cutting
Del Taco takes it. Its leanest high-protein pick, the 3 Carne Asada Street Tacos & Diet Pepsi, packs 30g of protein into 360 calories — 8.3g per 100 cal, ahead of Taco Bell's best (Cantina Chicken Bowl (No Rice/Beans) + Crunchy Taco Supreme & Diet Pepsi, 28g for 470 cal, 6.0g per 100 cal). Del Taco lists 5 meals at 425 calories or less; Taco Bell has 7.
Bulking
Del Taco wins on raw protein. The Epic Cali Bacon Burrito (Carne Asada) tops out at 51g (1060 cal), beating Taco Bell's biggest hitter, the Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito, at 40g. For repeat trips, Del Taco has 8 meals with 30g+ protein vs 2 at Taco Bell.
Keto
Even on options: both chains have 3 low-carb meals. Head-to-head on the best pick, Taco Bell's Cantina Chicken Bowl (No Rice/Beans) + Crunchy Taco Supreme & Diet Pepsi brings 28g protein at 20g carbs, while Del Taco's Double Del Taco (Crunchy) & Diet Pepsi brings 34g at 28g carbs.
How we score it: cutting = most protein per calorie (25g protein floor) · bulking = highest absolute protein · keto = low-carb meals (20g carbs or less, or flagged low-carb in the official data). General nutrition info, not medical advice.
Dig deeper: full Taco Bell menu → · full Del Taco menu → · all chains ranked →
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Settle Taco Bell vs Del Taco with your own macros.
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