Taco Bell Just Announced Over a Dozen New Menu Items—Here's Everything to Know
It's not unusual to see exciting new menu items pop up at Taco Bell nowadays. But during a major event put on by the chain last week, Taco Bell announced a shockingly long list of new foods and drinks coming to menus in 2024.
Taco Bell hosted a buzzworthy Live Más Live event in Las Vegas on Feb. 9, where it treated viewers to musical performances, celebrity appearances, and the unveiling of more than a dozen exciting new menu items and partnerships coming this year.
The newly announced menu items range from fun new twists on old favorites, like the Cinnabon Delights and Nacho Fries, to completely brand-new concepts. So, we've rounded up all of the new options that Taco Bell fans can look forward to seeing in 2024 below. Just take note that Taco Bell has yet to announce exact launch dates for many of these upcoming additions, so keep your eyes peeled for more details in the future!
Cantina Chicken Menu
In a bid to convince customers to visit its restaurants during the afternoons rather than just for dinner and late-night dining, Taco Bell is launching a brand-new Cantina Chicken Menu geared toward the lunch crowd. The menu, which will debut on March 21, centers around a new chicken that's oven-roasted, shredded, and seasoned with savory Mexican spices. The menu will also introduce several completely new ingredients to Taco Bell's stores, including purple cabbage, pico de gallo, a white corn taco shell, and an Avocado Verde Salsa packet.
Starting on March 21, five new menu items will be available nationwide as part of the new Cantina Chicken Menu: a Cantina Chicken Burrito, Cantina Chicken Soft Taco, Cantina Chicken Crispy Taco, Cantina Chicken Quesadilla, and Cantina Chicken Bowl.
Cheesy Chicken Crispanada
Taco Bell tested a new Cheesy Chicken Crispanada—the chain's take on a classic empanada—in select markets in 2023. But starting on Feb. 15, the item will finally be available to customers nationwide for a limited time. It features tender marinated chicken that's slow cooked with garlic, tomato and onion, then encased inside a delicate pastry dough with a blend of Monterey pepper jack, cheddar, and mozzarella cheeses.
Crispy Chicken Nuggets
Like the Cheesy Chicken Crispanada, Taco Bell gave its new Crispy Chicken Nuggets a test run in select markets during October 2023. Taco Bell customers will get another chance to sample the new menu item for a limited time in 2024, though the chain has yet to specify exactly when and where they'll hit menus.
The nuggets are made from all-white meat chicken breast that's marinated in spiced jalapeño buttermilk then breaded and fried. Customers can pair the nuggets with two new dipping sauces: a sweet Jalapeño Honey Mustard and a signature Bell sauce made with tomatoes, red chilies, onion, and garlic.
Cheesy Street Chalupas
Back in October 2023, Taco Bell launched its brand-new Cheesy Street Chalupas exclusively in the Indianapolis market. For a limited time in 2024, customers will once again be able to snag the ultra cheesy, loaded menu item.
They feature a "quesalupa shell" that's stuffed with a blend of mozzarella and pepper jack cheeses. Those shells are then filled with the customer's choice of either shredded kitchen or grilled steak with a flavorful sauce, then topped with freshly diced onions and cilantro.
Mtn Dew Baja Blast Gelato
Taco Bell's first-ever Mtn Dew Baja Blast Gelato was available for a few fleeting days at one Irvine, Calif., location over the summer of 2023. In great news for customers, the frozen treat will come back for a limited time at restaurants nationwide at the end of this upcoming summer. The gelato features the same sweet, tangy flavors you'll find in Taco Bell's classic Mtn Dew Baja Blast beverages.
Customers shouldn't be too surprised if they spot even more Mtn Dew Baja Blast innovations at Taco Bell in the future. During the Live Más Live event, Taco Bell's Global Chief Food Innovation Officer Liz Matthews revealed that the chain's test kitchen has been testing a Baja Blast Pie and Baja Blast Twists, a tropical spin on its classic Cinnamon Twists. (Notably, other items that Matthews said were in the works at the test kitchen included a Triple Decker Taco with a third shell made of jack and cheddar cheeses, gyoza paired with a soy diablo chili sauce, elote queso, and a Chalupa-chimichanga hybrid.)
Cheesy Enchilada Dipping Taco
Taco Bell introduced a major new innovation for its brand when it launched its first birria-inspired menu item—the Grilled Cheese Dipping Taco—for a limited time over the summer of 2023. The chain plans to expand on that concept in 2024 with a brand-new Cheesy Enchilada Dipping Taco that features slow-roasted chicken and a "layered enchilada dipping sauce," according to a press release. Taco Bell did not specify a launch date for the new item.
Dulce de Leche Cinnabon Delights
Taco Bell fans already know and love the chain's Cinnabon Delights, aka warm donut holes filled with icing and dusted with cinnamon sugar. The brand plans to launch a new spin on the classic treat with dulce de leche for a limited time this year, though it didn't not specify where and when customers will be able to find them.
Cheez-It Crunchwrap
Taco Bell has a major collaboration with an iconic snack brand in the pipeline for 2024. Previously only available as a test item at one location, the chain is finally bringing its highly-anticipated Cheez-It Crunchwrap nationwide this year, though an exact launch date has yet to be announced. The fun new spin on the Crunchwrap Supreme features a Cheez-It that's a whopping 16 times larger than the classic cracker, as well as seasoned beef, nacho cheese sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes.
Tajín menu
In 2024, Taco Bell plans to infuse its food with the sweet and spicy flavors of Tajín, a popular seasoning blend made from chili peppers, lime, and sea salt. The chain will test an all-new Tajín menu later this year that features a Tajín Crunchy Taco, Tajín Twists, and Tajín Strawberry Freeze. Exact launch dates and availability for the Tajín lineup have yet to be announced.
Nacho Fries
One of Taco Bell's most beloved limited-time offers of all time, Nacho Fries received a spicy upgrade in 2023 when Taco Bell paired them with Yellowbird brand hot sauce. The chain plans to once again infuse them with spice in 2024 by adding the Portland, Ore.-based hot sauce brand Secret Aardvark's Serrabanero sauce to those flavorful spuds. Taco Bell has not announced a launch date for the Secret Aardvark collaboration.
In even better news for Taco Bell fans, Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Montgomery revealed during Live Más Live that Nacho Fries will come back for longer than ever before in 2024. Taco Bell is also working on making Nacho Fries a permanent offering, but the chain hasn't figured out how to do so just yet, Montgomery added.
Disha Hot sauce packets
A brand-new addition to Taco Bell's hot sauce lineup is coming in 2024. The chain has partnered with Mexican-American singer-songwriter Omar Apollo to turn his hot sauce brand, Disha Hot, into a sauce packet that will be available at Taco Bell restaurants. The recipe for Apollo's sauce comes from an old family recipe that was passed down for generations, according to the Disha Hot website. Taco Bell has yet to announce exactly when the new packets will hit menus, but Montgomery said that it would be "later this year."
Coffee & Churro Chillers
In December 2023, Taco Bell tested brand-new Coffee Chilllers and Churro Chillers at select locations in southern California. Matthews told Nation's Restaurant News in a recent interview that the company plans to test them on a larger scale in 2024, though exact details on timing and availability have yet to be announced.
The Coffee Chillers consist of blended iced coffee that's swirled with your choice of Mexican Chocolate, Caramel Churro, or Spiced Vanilla flavors. The drinks are then topped off with a layer of cold foam. Meanwhile, the Churro Chillers consist of a sweet shake that's swirled with your choice of Mexican Chocolate, Dulce de Leche Coffee, Wild Strawberry, or Sweet Vanilla flavors then topped with cold foam and churro crumbles.
Mexi Melt or Caramel Apple Empanada
Taco Bell will bring back either the Mexi Melt or Caramel Apple Empanada—and you get to choose which one. Later in 2024, the chain will allow customers to vote on which of the two beloved discontinued menu items they most want to see back at restaurants for a limited time around Halloween this year. The chain held similar contests in both 2022 and 2o23, allowing fans to choose between the return of the Enchirito or Double Decker Taco and the Beefy Crunch Burrito or the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco, respectively.
Taco Bell has yet to announce when the upcoming vote will take place, so stay tuned for more details in the future.
Taco Bell x Salt & Straw Ice Cream Chocolate Taco
Taco Bell has partnered with the famous Portland, Ore.-based ice cream brand Salt & Straw to craft an exciting new Ice Cream Chocolate Taco. Served with several sweet sauces and dips, it features hand-pressed waffle cones that are filled with fresh-made cinnamon ancho ice cream, then dipped in chocolate and studded with toasted brown rice.
The Ice Cream Chocolate Tacos have so far only been served at the Live Más Live event, but Taco Bell said they're currently in the "testing pipeline." So, customers can keep their fingers crossed that Taco Bell launches them at restaurants further down the line.
Beekeeper Coffee Horchata Cold Brew Latte
Rounding out Taco Bell's exciting list of new brand partnerships, Taco Bell collaborated with the ready-to-drink coffee brand Beekeeper Coffee to create a new canned Horchata Cold Brew Latte. The new spin on the famous cinnamon-flavored Mexican beverage isn't available at Taco Bell just yet, but Beekeeper Coffee promised in a press release that more details regarding timing and availability will be announced soon.
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