Taco Bell is known for classics like its Quesarito or Chalupa, but that hasn’t stopped it from trying new things — like its incredibly popular Nacho Fries, which were released in 2018 to much fanfare.
Its latest menu item is trying to make lightning strike twice (spicy lightning at that) with the new Crispy Tortilla Chicken.
Crispy Tortilla Chicken is all-white meat chicken marinated in jalapeno buttermilk-flavored marinade and rolled in a crunchy tortilla chip coating. It’ll be served with Taco Bell’s new signature dipping sauce.
While fried chicken has been something of a battlefield in fast food lately, this is the first time Taco Bell has entered the war. Of course, even something as classic as fried chicken has to have a Taco Bell feel to it, so the Crispy Tortilla Chicken will also be available served inside a taco.
Apparently, the team in Taco Bell’s test kitchen "created 100 iterations" before landing on the perfect recipe, so this is one worth looking forward to trying!
The new menu item will test in Houston and in Dayton, Ohio, and if all goes well, it will be expanded nationwide in 2020. It will sell for $1.99 for a taco, $2.99 for a two-piece and $3.99 for a three-piece; it will also be available in $5 and $7 boxes.
As for why that coating is tortilla chips and not Doritos, already seen on the Taco Bell menu in the Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos, never say never!
“The crispy tortilla combined with jalapeno buttermilk is a Taco Bell twist on the familiar chicken and the team over at Taco Bell will continue to innovate on the classic ahead of the potential nationwide debut,” a representative for the brand said in an email to TODAY.
It'll be interesting to see how this competes against items like Wendy's spicy chicken nuggets. Let the battle continue!
