Taco Bell Welcomes Crispy Chicken Nuggets To The Menu With 3 New Spicy Sauces

On December 19, 2024, Taco Bell will officially add its latest limited-time menu item: crispy chicken nuggets, which are accompanied by three brand new dipping sauces. Word of Taco Bell introducing chicken nuggets to its menu began spreading in November, and now the move is official: Taco Bell is throwing its hat into the ring of fast food chicken nuggets. This new addition to the Taco Bell menu underwent test runs in Minnesota and Texas over the last year. The chicken nuggets are marinated in jalapeño buttermilk and breaded with a combination of breadcrumbs and tortilla strips for an extra crunch factor.

As for the sauces, the chain announced three distinct new flavors: Hidden Valley fire ranch, Bell sauce, and jalapeño honey mustard. The collaboration with Hidden Valley combines Taco Bell's signature fire sauce with classic ranch, while the Bell sauce is a creamy tomato-based hot sauce. The nuggets will be available a la carte for $3.99 for a five-piece order that comes with one sauce or $6.99 for 10 pieces and two sauces. Diners will also have the chance to get a five-piece order for one dollar on DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Grubhub on January 10 and will be able to add a $1 order of nacho fries to an a la carte order of nuggets from January 1 to January 22 if ordered through the Taco Bell app.

This bold new experiment by Taco Bell is only the latest in a long history of limited-run items. 2023 had Taco Bell's answer to birria, a grilled cheese dipping taco, as well as grilled cheese nacho fries, which capitalized on the widespread popularity of the 2018 introduction of nacho fries. And all the way back in 2012, the brand introduced the Doritos Locos tacos, which were an instant hit.

In fact, menu innovations have become such an integral part of the Taco Bell yearly business model that the company maintains a bustling innovation test kitchen devoted to coming up with new, cheese-packed items that will excite regulars and drive new customers through the doors. This was especially important in 2024 when the company announced its plan to introduce a new menu item once every five weeks, which was twice the rate of 2023. The innovation lab is constantly pushing new creations, and chicken is at the forefront of this latest push. While the world of chicken nuggets is currently dominated by brands like McDonalds and specialists like Popeyes, Taco Bell is making a bet that it can enter the marketplace and become a real player.