Taco Bell Is Bringing Its Most Controversial Menu Item Nationwide—and We Tried It First

It's undeniable: 2024 has been a big year for fast food. From meal deals galore to the return of all-time fan favorites like the Snack Wrap, there's been a lot of noise, but arguably no chain has made more of a splash in the fast food scene this year than Taco Bell. The Tex-Mex chain set the stage for a huge 2024 back in February at Live Más LIVE, the company's first-ever superfan convention.

It was there that the chain announced internet-breaking innovations like the Cheez-It Tostada, Baja Blast Gelato, and its much lauded Decades Menu, resurrecting 50 years' worth of discontinued fan favorites. Just when we thought it couldn't get any buzzier, Taco Bell is ending 2024 with a bang—and what may be its most controversial item yet. That's because the chain is going where it's never gone before: the land of fast food nuggets.

Taco Bell's New Crispy Chicken Nuggets

Taco Bell likes to test new menu items in select markets, and these chicken nuggets were no exception. The Crispy Chicken Nuggets were first spotted over a year ago in Minneapolis, and it appears the test was a success both in customer feedback and hype, because now they're coming nationwide for the first time ever.

Taco Bell's first foray into the world of fast food nuggets couldn't just be any ordinary nuggs—they had to be special. Taco Bell's Crispy Chicken Nuggets feature all-white meat chicken marinated in a jalapeño-buttermilk mixture and coated in a crunchy tortilla chip-infused breading.

The nuggets are accompanied by three brand-new dipping sauces: Jalapeño Honey Mustard; an all-new signature Bell sauce; and Hidden Valley Fire Ranch Sauce, a spicy ranch made in collaboration with Hidden Valley. According to a press release, Taco Bell's Research and Development team tested over 100 variations to find the perfect sauce trio.

In introducing its first-ever nuggets, Taco Bell is attempting to disrupt the fast food scene once again by challenging chicken nugget loyalists to venture outside their comfort zone. But can the Tex-Mex chain's nuggets bring Chick-fil-A and KFC devotees to the yard? Did it stray too far from its cheesy, beefy roots?

I got an early taste of Taco Bell's new Crispy Chicken Nuggets, and here are my honest thoughts.

My Honest Review of Taco Bell's New Crispy Chicken Nuggets

I will say that going into the taste test, my expectations for these nuggets were not that high. I am a firm believer that fast food chains should stay in their lane. Sorry, but you won't catch me ordering lattes from McDonald's or empanadas from Dunkin'. However, with all the testing behind them, I was curious to see how the nuggets would stack up against their crispy chicken competitors. And it's safe to say these give Popeye's and KFC a run for their money.

The chicken bites are very crispy, with a coating that is definitely closer to Popeye's breading than the McNugget batter. The little bits of tortilla chip are barely perceptible in the breading, but add a subtle toasty corn flavor and textural dimension. The inside is juicy and super tender (likely from the buttermilk bath it takes before getting breaded), with real chunks of white meat—no reconstituted chicken here. They weren't too greasy or heavy, and within minutes I had quickly eaten more nuggets than I planned to, so that's saying something.

As for the sauces, they might just steal the show, because they're among the best fast food dipping sauces I've had. I am certifiably a HMG (Honey Mustard Girl), so the Jalapeño Honey Mustard was an instant winner for me, with a nicely balanced level of sweetness and just a little warm heat on the back end. Even my tasting partner, a honey mustard skeptic, agreed it was a solid take on the sauce.

The Hidden Valley Fire Ranch Sauce combines Hidden Valley ranch with Taco Bell's signature Fire Sauce hot sauce and tastes exactly how you would expect—in the best way possible. It reminds me of the Reese's slogan from the 70s: They're "two great tastes that taste great together." This is probably the spiciest of the three, but it's still super tolerable in terms of heat level.

Finally, there's the Bell Sauce, a new signature for Taco Bell. It's described as a creamy sauce with hints of tomato, red chile, and garlic. I definitely got the tomato flavor, along with some sweetness that made it oddly reminiscent of BBQ sauce in a comforting way. It's a sauce that plays super well with all of Taco Bell's typical Southwestern seasonings, and I could see this pairing perfectly with everything from a Crunchwrap Supreme to a Cheesy Gordita Crunch.

Overall, these are a smash success in my opinion, and I think Taco Bell fans and skeptics alike will find themselves enamored with these nuggets. My boyfriend and tasting companion for this test is a certifiable chicken nugget connoisseur, and he agreed that these go toe-to-toe with the best of them. He astutely pointed out that they taste quite similar to KFC's chicken nuggets, which is not super surprising considering both KFC and Taco Bell are owned by the same parent company, Yum! Brands.

Ready to try them for yourself? Taco Bell's Crispy Chicken Nuggets hit restaurants nationwide on Dec. 19, and will run you $3.99 for a 5-piece order with one dipping sauce or $6.99 for a 10-piece order with two dipping sauces. You can also get the nuggets in a combo with Nacho Fries and a large fountain drink starting at $5.99.

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