Taco Bell’s Most-Requested New Item Is Finally Back for Good

In very good news for nugget-lovers everywhere, Taco Bell is making a permanent change to the menu by giving the wildly-popular Crispy Chicken Nuggets a permanent spot. Following a sell-out launch and overwhelming fan demand, the nugs will return to menus on April 24, with plans to make them permanent by 2026. "The demand for our nuggets was off the charts, which is why we're looking at making crispy chicken permanent to give our fans what they are telling us they want. We know we're not the usual name in crispy chicken, but our nuggets speak for themselves — they're bold, different, and unmistakably Taco Bell," said Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Montgomery.

That's not all—after testing scores of chicken-sauce combos, Taco Bell is planning some seriously exciting drops later this year, including a sweet and spicy collaboration with Mike's Hot Honey. It's hard to overstate just how successful the initial nuggets run was for Taco Bell: Roughly five million customers tried the new item, with almost 1 in 6 orders including Crispy Chicken, which resulted in a nationwide sell-out in under a week.

Fan reviews of the chicken nuggets have been overwhelmingly positive, with customers pleasantly surprised with the taste, texture, and quality of the nuggets and dips. "I was cautiously optimistic about the Taco Bell chicken nuggets. I'm not a chicken nugget main, but I enjoy a good nugget from time to time as an add on to my official meal from other fast food joints," one Redditor shared. "The chicken itself is whole chicken – not a pink paste. Fairly large, all different sizes, but nothing too small. The breading was crispy and crunchy. Not over-salted/over-seasoned. Two of the sauces (Bell Sauce and Jalapeño Honey Mustard) I thought were phenomenal and unique – 1 was still good, but nothing I haven't tried before elsewhere (Fire Ranch.) All in all – I give them a 10/10. Get yourself the 10-piece with the Bell sauce and Jalapeño Honey Mustard."

The nuggets are also very filling, with customers saying they are more generously-sized than Chick-fil-A or McDonald's. "I did the 5 piece fry combo and feel full," one Taco Bell guest said. "The 10-piece defeated me," another agreed. Even the Taco Bell dipping sauces are being raved about on social media. "The jalapeño honey mustard and bell sauce got me though," one fan said. "I've always felt like honey mustard at fast food places tends to be a little strong and dull at the same time, but that jalapeño complements it so well that it's Incredible. I have no idea what the Bell sauce could even be but it's phenomenal."

The price for the Crispy Chicken Nuggets was unbeatable on the first run—let's hope it stays that way. "The nuggets were delicious! Much bigger than I expected them to be. Good crunch, not crazy greasy. I didn't love any of the sauces so I got some avocado ranch to go with. I'll definitely get them again. The combo of 5 nuggets, fries and large drink was very filling for $6," one Redditor shared.