Trying a new formula

2–3 minutes

Reviewing the new menu arrivals and returning items at Taco Bell

Taco Bell is well known as a fast-food restaurant that tries new things and keeps customers on their toes. From its inception, it established differences from its fast-food competitors, serving tacos instead of burgers, and establishing its own drink—Mountain Dew Baja Blast—that was exclusive to its restaurants until January 2024.

Taco Bell’s nacho fries were first introduced in January 2018 as a limited-time item, resulting in massive success. They typically come back every year, and some people often return to Taco Bell just to grab an order of these fries. At the Taco Bell on Fremont Boulevard, the nacho fries were crispy—seasoned to perfection with a salty, savory, and slightly sweet seasoning. Many agreed that dipping them into the nacho cheese sauce they come with helps enhance their flavor.

Before they were introduced at Taco Bell, many people were not expecting a Mexican fast food restaurant to make chicken nuggets. When they appeared on the menu, people were shocked; Taco Bell even released a statement explaining their decision. As Taco Bell explains on its website page, The Lore: Crispy Chicken Nuggets, “Of course, we didn’t want to make it fit into our existing menu but rather work it into the menu in an authentic and inspiring way.” Knowing that the item was a far step from its current consumer base, Taco Bell created new sauces to pair with the crispy chicken nuggets, trying to make them work into their original menu.

The chicken nugget concept was first tested at a Taco Bell in New Caney, Texas. At the restaurant, creative twists like adding nacho cheese sauce and hot sauce to the chicken nuggets helped sell the appeal to customers.

Although the chicken nuggets were indeed crispy, the chicken on the inside was quite dry in comparison with other fast-food chains that specialize in chicken nuggets, like McDonald’s. They seemed to be seasoned only with salt and pepper, and so they were quite bland without the dipping sauce, which could not even completely fix the dryness.

The nuggets were also a bit overcooked, as they were a darker brown than an ideal golden brown color. After taking his first bite of the chicken nugget, Yertegen Karzhaubay (12) said, “It is so dry, and the taste is not very good. It just tastes like salt with minimal seasoning.”