Taco Bell fans, here’s some exciting news for you! 👀
Remember the Crispy Chicken Nuggets that were unveiled to make a comeback during the Live Más LIVE? Well, mark your calendars as they’re making a comeback this April 24! This is no surprise after the nuggets sold out in less than a week back in December 2024. The Crispy Chicken Nuggets’ return is the start of Taco Bell’s journey to be one of the fast food spots for crispy chicken. Taco Bell is making crispy chicken a permanent part of the menu by 2026. The Crispy Chicken Nuggets return as one delicious way the brand is exploring what that permanent crispy chicken creation could be.
Taylor Montgomery, Chief Marketing Officer at Taco Bell, said that they’re a taco place that does their chicken their own way, since it has never been about following the rules. Montgomery added that there’s a whole lot of demand for Taco Bell’s Chicken Nuggets, which is why they’ve decided to give their fans what they’re telling the brand that they want.
A Taste of Taco Bell in the Crispy Chicken Nuggets
Ever wonder why fans love Taco Bell’s Crispy Chicken Nuggets? They’re made with tender all-white chicken meat that is marinated with zesty jalapeño buttermilk flavor. They’re breaded with a blend of breadcrumbs and crispy tortilla chips. They’re meant to be unique compared with the chicken nuggets from other fast food competitors.
If you love the Crispy Chicken Nuggets, there are a handful of ways for you to enjoy them:
- Crispy Chicken Nuggets à la carte: You can get a 5-piece nugget with one dipping sauce for only $3.99 or a 10-piece count with two dipping sauces for $6.99.
- Crispy Chicken Nuggets Combo: Hungry? Complete your meal with regular Nacho Fries, nacho cheese sauce, plus a large fountain drink. A 5-piece nugget combo count with one dipping sauce is priced at $5.99, while a 10-piece nugget combo comes with two dipping sauces for a price of $8.99.
Of course, nuggets do need a perfect sauce pairing to add even more flavor to every bite. With that, Taco Bell brought back the Hidden Valley Fire Ranch Sauce due to popular demand among fans. This dip even became the top-selected sauce for crispy chicken orders during its first run. It blends two iconic flavors from the brand’s original Fire Sauce with Hidden Valley Ranch’s original ranch. The Hidden Valley Fire Ranch Sauce leads the returning trio along with the tangy Bell Sauce and Jalapeño Honey Mustard.
Also, after enjoying your cup of sauce, you can mail your used and empty dipping cups throughout the month of April to receive 80 bonus points for Taco Bell Rewards. When it comes to helping the environment breathe, Taco Bell uses the Sauce Container US Recycling Program in partnership with TerraCycle, where hundreds of thousands of sauce packets and single-use containers are collected.
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The Creation of Crispy Chicken Nuggets
95% of Taco Bell’s creations are about chicken, making it the premier protein of many of their menu items. The chain’s chicken dominance is undeniable from the Cantina Chicken Menu to test menu items like the Chicken Al Pastor Street Chalupas; it’s a spot to head to whenever you feel like eating a chicken meal.
Creating a recipe that fans love is never easy, and the innovators behind the Crispy Chicken Nuggets know that. In fact, 50+ recipes and flavor combinations were tested before Taco Bell perfected the crispy tortilla chip breaded coating. New sauce and pairings are also in the works at Taco Bell’s kitchens to ready the permanent menu release of the menu item by 2026. As stated during the Live Más LIVE event a month ago, Mike’s Hot Honey is coming later this year, so that counts as a sweet and spicy new dip customization for the nuggets.
During the initial run, around 5 million Americans went to Taco Bell to satisfy their cravings for chicken. The results show that 1 in 6 Taco Bell orders include the Crispy Chicken Nugget, leading to its instant sellout in a week.
What’s New at Taco Bell?
Taco Bell is already packed for spring to summer with the release of its new menu items and the return of its most beloved items. We’ll never have an abundance of food to try and enjoy at Taco Bell. With this, let’s check out what they’ve got in store for us. First up, they’re currently testing menu items at select locations:
- Crispalupa – These crispy pockets are currently being tested in Atlanta, so if you’re from around, don’t miss your chance to taste these stuffed pockets with Cantina slow-roasted chicken. There’s also some lettuce, pico de gallo, and cheddar cheese, all smothered with spicy ranch sauce.
- Flamin’ Hot Burrito – A flour tortilla with Flamin’ Hot Fritos beef with sour cream, and nacho cheese sauce in a Flamin’ Hot Rice. This flavorful hot burrito is being served in Oklahoma City.
- Cantina Chicken Crunchy Taco – If you’re from Minneapolis, you better get this fried white corn shell snack, which Taco Bell is currently testing in your area. It features a slow-roasted chicken and spicy ranch sauce. The taco is also packed with other fillings such as lettuce, purple cabbage, pico de gallo, and shredded cheddar cheese.
But wait, that’s not all, as Taco Bell also brought back the Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa. They came back on March 27, 2025, with a price of $5.49. These cheesy chalupas feature two iconic Taco Bell menu items: Toasted Cheddar Chalupa and Cheesy Street Chalupa. They’re mashed together to create the current menu item with an add-on of Chile Lime Crema Sauce. Check out its flavors:
- Toasted Cheesy Shell – A Chalupa shell featuring a layer of mild cheddar cheese that is baked in the actual dough.
- Premium Ingredients – It’s packed with premium ingredients just like a traditional Chalupa. It’s got fresh onions and cilantro with your choice of Cantina slow-roasted chicken or a grilled marinated steak.
- Saucy Surprise – Every Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa purchase comes with a Chile Lime Crema Sauce. It features chile peppers, garlic, parmesan, and Romano cheeses.
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From The Club
I haven’t tried Taco Bell’s Crispy Chicken Nuggets, but I’m intrigued by the marinated with zesty jalapeño buttermilk flavor and crispy tortilla chips crunch. As someone who’s always ordering chicken nuggets from the menu, I haven’t imagined them to turn out a bit spicy and even tasty. With its flavor, I can say that it’s different from your usual chicken nugget fast food order! I can’t wait to try them with Mike’s Hot Honey Sauce! 🤤