What Are Taco Bell's Chicken Nuggets Made Of?

Taco Bell introduced its Crispy Chicken Nuggets in late 2024, their first entry into fried chicken, as a limited-time offering. They featured a Taco Bell signature Mexican flavor spin and drew positive reviews and brisk sales. But they also had some people asking the "What's in a name?" question of whether they really are what we consider chicken nuggets.

Taco Bell said the nuggets are made of "all-white meat from whole-muscle chicken breast" (per TheStreet). Basically, they are actual pieces of chicken breast that are marinated in jalapeño buttermilk and breaded with breadcrumbs and crispy tortilla chips. Fast food chicken nuggets, instead, are made from chicken that's been ground or cut up and mixed with preservatives and fillers, then shaped into nuggets that are battered and fried. They can be made from any part of the chicken, including skin, connective tissue, and fat. They also have a softer bite with a lighter, less crisp breading and are uniformly shaped, unlike Taco Bell's free-form pieces.

That's why some people have said the Crispy Chicken Nuggets are more like chicken tenders, popcorn chicken, or boneless wings. Nuggets or not, they were praised for their crispy and crunchy coating and juicy chicken with a little heat. Taco Bell debuted three new sauces for them: zesty and creamy Bell Sauce made with tomatoes, red chiles, onion, and garlic; Jalapeño Honey Mustard; and Hidden Valley Fire Ranch Sauce, a partnership that blends Taco Bell's Fire Sauce with the iconic ranch dressing invented by a cowboy on a dude ranch.

Taco Bell's seasoned ground meat, which has perennially had people wondering what's really in the famous beef, has long been the main protein in its menu offerings, which is one of the reasons the fast food chain remains so affordable. But the company is focusing on creating more chicken options, and the Crispy Chicken Nuggets launch was a splashy part of that.

Taco Bell is responding to the boom in fast food chicken, fried chicken in particular, which is beating out other staple items like burgers. Customer demand is driven in part by the different ways there are to have chicken, including sandwiches, tenders, wings, and individual fried pieces. The chains like it too because chicken costs less than beef, but they can charge about the same for it on their menus.

Other items Taco Bell introduced earlier in 2024 as part of its chicken push included a whole new Cantina Chicken Menu featuring soft and crispy tacos, a quesadilla, a burrito, and a chicken bowl, all made with roasted chicken with Mexican spices, garlic, onion, and a range of chiles. They also debuted the empanada-like Chicken Crispanada, a limited-time item made of chicken seasoned with Mexican spices and melted cheese in a crispy hand pie-like shell.