Taco Bell’s New Menu Items Turn Heads with Bold Challenge to Chicken Chains

Taco Bell is going all in on crispy chicken this summer with a trio of bold new menu items. Starting June 17, fans can grab a crispy chicken taco for $2.79, a burrito for $5.49, or two crispy chicken strips for $3.99 all featuring Taco Bell's signature twist on fried chicken.

Each dish centers on the brand's new all-white meat chicken strips, marinated in jalapeño buttermilk and breaded with tortilla chips and breadcrumbs for a crunchy, zesty bite. 

These strips made waves earlier this year when the brand re-launched its Crispy Chicken Nuggets for eight weeks in April. That re-release followed a 2024 trial run that sold out in under a week.

"The demand for our nuggets was off the charts," said Taylor Montgomery, Taco Bell's Chief Marketing Officer, in a press release. "We're not like every other chicken spot out there—we're doing crispy chicken the only way we know how: full of flavor and unmistakably Taco Bell."

The new items also introduce two sauces into the mix: a spicy ranchero made with Anaheim and jalapeño chiles, tomatoes, and garlic, and an avocado ranch for a creamy, cooling option.

This move marks another step in Taco Bell's bid to stake out territory in the fast food chicken wars. With competitors like McDonald’s recently expanding their lineup with McCrispy Strips and specialty dips, Taco Bell's pivot is clear: give fans something crispy, but keep it unexpected.

According to the company, nearly five million Americans tried the crispy nuggets during their debut, and the nuggets were included in almost one in six orders. That success helped fuel the shift toward making crispy chicken a permanent fixture.

"We’re a taco place doing chicken our own way," said Montgomery. "And like all our best moments, it’s a little unexpected—because we've never been about following the rules."

With summer heating up and fast food menus getting a spicy upgrade, Taco Bell's crispy chicken drop might just be the flavor shake-up fans didn't know they needed.

Related: Taco Bell Just Launched 5 New Items—and They’re Already Selling Out