Border-line genius.
Taco Bell is adding chicken nuggets to menus nationwide starting on Thursday — as the chain attempts to appeal to younger consumers said to increasingly prefer poultry over beef.
Expect all-white meat bites in a zesty jalapeño buttermilk flavor — dusted with tortilla chips and breadcrumbs for a Mexican-infused chicken explosion, Today.com reported.
Taco Bell trialed the fowl balls in Minnesota in 2023 and then Texas last year — apparently impressing the two states enough to earn themselves a limited-time-only spot under the national hot lights.
The poultry orbs will be paired with a trio of exciting sauces: The chain’s tangy new signature Bell Sauce, a jalapeño-infused honey mustard sauce, and a new spicy ranch sauce, concocted in collaboration with Hidden Valley.
An a la carte five-piece nugget order with one dipping sauce costs $3.99 while ten pieces with two dipping sauces run customers $6.99.
Customers looking to live más can snap up a combo meal that iincludes nacho fries, nacho chese and a large fountain drink.
Wìth a 5-piece nugget, that will cost $5.99, while 10 pieces will cost $8.99.
The chain acknowledged the crowded market in a written statement, acknowledging that pre-existing nugget loyalty “runs deep.”
Taco Bell will have to earn followers from the likes of McDonald’s and Chick-Fil-A to nudge the nuggs needle in their direction.
The brand has said that the boundary-busting move is in response to chicken-craving younger consumers, who are turning away from red meat.
At last year’s Yum Brand’s investor day, former Taco Bell’s CEO Mark King declared that a “large percentage of our business is beef, and the Gen Z consumer wants chicken.”
