The Chicken Sandwich Wars continue to send plenty of business to drive-thrus across the country, and now Taco Bell has an SEO-friendly entry in that battlefield that will redirect traffic to its website as well as to its stores. Sure, they already had the Naked Chicken Chalupa (which they need to bring back), and various takes on chicken tacos. But if someone types “chicken sandwich” and “Taco Bell” into a search engine, there is now an exact match on the menu with the Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco.
These have been tested in various locations across the country, and now they will be rolling out nationwide starting Thursday, September 2nd. But if you don’t want to wait, you can get them early by purchasing from the Bell’s app between 2 PM and 5 PM. I grabbed one the first day they were available and of course went for the spicy version.
The Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco features all-white-meat chicken marinated in jalapeno buttermilk and seasoned with “bold” Mexican spices before getting rolled in a crunchy tortilla chip coating. It is served in “puffy bread” and topped with the Bell’s signature chipotle sauce. The spicy version is basically the same with a few pickled jalapenos thrown in as well.
Upon getting my Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco from the drive thru, I unwrapped it and immediately noticed that . . . it was quite small. When thinking chicken sandwich, I’m expecting something rather hefty these days, especially with Popeyes and others upping the girth of their chicken breast filets. The Taco Bell version is more like a snack wrap. But once I got past the initial portion disappointment, I round I rather enjoyed this “sandwich”.
The chicken is breast meat that is tender with light breading. They emphasize the crispy in the title, but it did not have much crispness when I bit into it. Of course, I didn’t get around to eating it until I got home, so perhaps the breading is crispier right out of the frier. It has good taste, though, with maybe a hint of sweetness and spice from the jalapeno buttermilk marinade (I tried to get in one bite that did not have sauce on it). The “puffy bread” is basically a smaller variation on their gordita shell, which is nice and pillowy and rather flavorful.
Both the regular and the spicy version of this Chicken Sandwich Taco come with the chipotle sauce which has a nice creaminess with some tang and some decent heat. I would put it above mild heat and when you throw in the jalapenos that come with the spicy version, that kicks this whole thing up to medium heat. Ask for a few extra peppers or put some fire or diablo sauce and you have a firecracker of chicken taco/sandwich here. And this is not just the usual remix of the ingredients from their menu, so it does not taste like everything else you get from the Bell.
I’m thinking that if they had gone with the regular gordita shell and a larger piece of chicken, along with maybe some lettuce, tomatoes, and shredded cheese, this might be a bigger draw at the drive thru. But even though these Chicken Sandwich tacos are on the small side, they are quite tasty and still a decent value at around a buck and half each. At 290 calories , two of these or one and an order of Nacho Fries (320 calories) just might satisfy without bursting the belt. Or pile it on and add a taco as well for a fast food indulgence!
Given a choice, I still prefer the Naked Chicken Chalupa (especially the spicy version), even though that one is made from ground chicken (it is pure junk food heaven!). And Taco Bell still hasn’t had that one on the menu at the same time as the Nacho Fries (but they came oh so close last month). This new Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco will suffice in the meantime, though, especially while Nacho Fries are still available to pair with it. But both could be heading off to Limited-Time-Only-Ville soon, so get yours now. And if you want to be one of the first to try the new taco/sandwich, order it on the app from 2 PM to 5 PM through September 1st.
Tale of the Tape:
Serving Size: One Taco/Sandwich
Calories: 280
Fat: 11 (2g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 13g
Carbs: 33g
Sodium: 640mg