Taco Bell’s New Salsa Verde Grilled Chicken Burrito Rolls Out Nationwide

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A new Taco Bell item is set to hit menus, just before 2022 comes to a close. The Salsa Verde Grilled Chicken Burrito will make its official debut on December 22, for those looking to add more green to their holiday festivities, but some fans might be more interested in the sauce on the new burrito.

The burrito will be stuffed with grilled, marinated chicken, seasoned rice, sour cream, shredded cheese, and salsa verde sauce, rolled up in a flour tortilla. The burrito's tomatillo tomato-based sauce will most likely have a mild kick to it—which should complement the other ingredients—if it is the same salsa verde sauce that Taco Bell used to have on the menu and as packets.

The burrito was tested earlier this year in Oklahoma City, Ok. It will join the Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito as a $2 option on the Cravings Value Menu—where everything ranges from $1 – $5, so you can test it out without breaking the bank.

Taco Bell's Border Salsa Verde sauce disappeared from menus around 2016, leaving fans heartbroken and longing for greener days. And fans have been clamoring for its return since. This thread simply pleads: BRING. BACK. VERDE. SAUCE. And other fans were quick to express their sadness about the missing sauce. "I still have a package of verde sauce. I hold it every night ask god why he could be so cruel," says one. Another says, "Verde was a nice change of pace from all of Taco Bell's red sauces. You could really give their food a very different flavor by switching it up to Verde."

Whether or not it will be the exact same sauce is unknown. We reached out to Taco Bell reps and they confirmed that the burrito would be available nationwide for a limited time at the attractive $2 price, but the sauce would not be available in packets.

taco bell salsa verde packets — u/bajamillie / Reddit

Fans can still find bottles of the Taco Bell salsa verde in Walmart and on Amazon, but hey have commented that it doesn't taste identical.

The news comes after a recent investors meeting, Taco Bell executives had revealed they'd be testing out new menu items based on consumer demand. Nacho Fries are set to become a permanent item, but, based on Gen Z's penchant for chicken, the Mexican-inspired fast-food chain could be working to increase its poultry items as well.

This new chicken burrito isn't a far cry from the Chipotle Ranch Chicken Burrito that's currently also $2. Real Taco Bell fans know you can also hack the menu, like switching out the beef for chicken in a Burrito Supreme, to get a similar effect. But the key ingredient missing from both is the green sauce, which hasn't been on the menu for quite some time.

As far as what other chicken items might be coming to a drive-thru near you, Taco Bell has not been so hasty to reveal. The company tested chicken wings in some markets back in 2020, and who can forget the Naked Chalupa, where it swapped out the traditional tortilla for a whole chicken patty?

taco bell new Triple Crunch Mexican Pizza — Courtesy of Taco Bell

Not all chicken items will live on the permanent menu, however. After a series of chicken-based menu experiments, fan favorites like the Zesty Chicken Bowl and the Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco are just a memory.

However, Taco Bell doesn't seem to shy away from bringing back fan favorites. Most recently, the restaurant decided to bring back the Mexican Pizza, as well as the Enchirito, by popular demand (the last one literally based on a voting function in the company's app). And recent word is that its testing two new versions of the Mexican Pizza.

So there's hope for those looking to add more CLUCK for their buck—especially if the Salsa Verde Grilled Chicken Burrito becomes a new fan favorite.