Taco Bell announces over 12 new menu items for 2024 — including chicken nuggets and Baja Blast gelato
Taco Bell announced plans to introduce over 12 new items to its menu throughout 2024.
The restaurant shared the announcement during Super Bowl weekend by hosting a livestreaming event called “Live Más Live,” per Today.
Along with the new products, the company at its live event also launched TBX: a program to “spotlight emerging chefs while pushing tacos to new places through the equation of ‘their thing + our thing = a whole new thing.’”
Three chefs selected for this program will have the opportunity to reimagine the staple Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap Supreme, with the winning chef’s creation to debut later this year.
Reported by the live event, here’s a list of new items set to be on Taco Bell’s menu this year:
1. Cantina Chicken
Taco Bell will launch a flavorful form of chicken that’s been “oven-roasted, shredded, and packed with a savory seasoning of Mexican spices including pasilla and other varieties of chilies.”
The chicken can be complemented with purple cabbage, pico de gallo and a white corn taco shell, and can be topped with Avocado Verde Salsa — one of the brand’s new sauce packets.
Five versions of the Cantina Chicken will be added to the menu:
Cantina Chicken Burrito.
Soft Cantina Chicken Taco.
Crispy Cantina Chicken Taco.
Cantina Chicken Quesadilla.
Cantina Chicken Bowl.
2. Cheesy Chicken Crispanada
Arriving to menus this upcoming Thursday, the Cheesy Chicken Crispanada consists of chicken marinated and slow cooked with garlic, tomato and onion — combined with Monterey pepper jack, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses — all tucked inside a pastry dough.
3. Mountain Dew Baja Blast Gelato
Tested back in mid-2023 at a California location, Mountain Dew Baja Blast gelato, which is infused with the distinct tropical lime flavor, is releasing to stores nationwide to celebrate the drink’s 20th anniversary.
4. Crispy Chicken Nuggets
Whether you choose to eat it with the chain’s signature sauces or the hot and sweet Jalapeño Honey Mustard, Taco Bell is introducing another chicken innovation — in crispy nugget form.
The nuggets, according to Eater Twin Cities, were first tested in October 2023 at select Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, locations.
5. Cheesy Street Chalupas
Featuring a cheesy flatbread and tortilla stuffed with blend of mozzarella and pepper jack cheeses, these Chalupas are fried and could be filled with slow-roasted chicken or grilled, marinated steak, and topped with a flavorful sauce and/or a layer of diced onions and cilantro.
6. Cheez-It Crunchwrap
As if Cheez-Its couldn’t get any better, a larger version can be added into Crunchwraps. The Cheez-It, which is 16 times larger than a normal one, can come with all the traditional Crunchwrap fixings wrapped in the recognizable, hexagonal-shaped tortilla.
The product was first tested exclusively in Southern California locations, per Deseret News.
7. Dulce de Leche Cinnabon Delights
The classic Taco Bell and Cinnabon tie-in dessert is getting a new Dulce de Leche version this year.
8. Cheesy Enchilada Dipping Taco
Inspired by the success of last year’s Grilled Cheese Dipping Taco, Taco Bell is dipping into an enchilada version that comes with a layered dipping sauce.
9. Tajín
The spicy, tangy seasoning — mixed with chili peppers, lime and sea salt — will be tested and added to traditional Taco Bell menu items. You can either get a Tajín Crunchy Taco, Tajín Twists or a Tajín Strawberry Freeze later this year.
10. Secret Aardvark
The Portland-based brand of hot sauce is partnering with Taco Bell to eventually add its Serrabanero sauce nationwide to the restaurant’s Nacho Fries.
11. Salt & Straw
As another Portland-based brand, the ice cream company is partnering and testing to add an ice cream taco to the restaurant’s menu.
Similar to Klondike’s recently defunct Choco-Taco reported by Deseret News, Salt & Straw’s version is “made with hand pressed waffle cones, fresh-made cinnamon ancho ice cream dipped in single origin chocolate, studded with toasted brown rice and complete with sweet sauces and dips,” per Taco Bell’s announcement.
12. Beekeeper Coffee
Currently known for its cold-brew coffee, Beekeeper Coffee is partnering with Taco Bell to test and launch the Horchata Cold Brew Latte — based on the cinnamon-flavored Mexican drink.
13. Disha Hot
Musician Omar Apollo — who actually performed at the live event — has a family hot sauce called Disha Hot, which will be released as a sauce packet exclusive to Taco Bell locations.
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