Bottom Line: The Angry Monster Taco from Jack in the Box is a bigger version of their fast food classic, guilty pleasure tacos and brings a bit of heat.
It’s Halloween season and Jack in the Box has decided to provide some scares in October. And it is doing that by bringing back the . . . shudder . . . Monster Taco! That is basically the same as Jack’s classic regular taco just . . . bigger. It used to be a staple on the menu, but then Jack apparently decided to hire marketing “geniuses” from Taco Bell and they started rotating stuff on and off the menu on a frequent basis. It seems the current tradition is to bring the Monster Taco back at Halloween (they started that last October), and they are kicking things up this year by adding a spicier version.
Dubbed the Angry Monster Taco, it is basically the same as the Monster Taco except that it has “spicy taco meat” and an angry red shell. The taco shell is not that blazing red color because of any chili peppers or spices, though, it’s just food coloring. But it still looks pretty neat.
So what’s to say about this one? If you love Jack in the Box tacos and you can take a little bit of heat, then you will certainly enjoy this angry version of that classic (you can read my review of the Monster Taco from last year here). Jack’s tacos are not for everybody as they are certainly rather greasy and you don’t want to make the mistake of asking what is in that meat (some things are better left unsaid). But it is a fast food classic and people like myself who grew up eating these certainly love them. If you choose to pass on the grease and salt bomb that is the Jack in the Box taco, though, I certainly can’t make a strong argument for Angry version.
For those wondering how hot the Angry Monster Taco is, don’t set your expectations too high. The spicy taco meat (which tastes pretty much the same as the regular stuff) adds a bit of kick, but not too much. It gets to maybe the Mild heat level on my scale, but it certainly won’t set your mouth on fire. If you add their hot taco sauce, that kicks it up some, but hardly more than the Medium level. But hey, I love Jack in the Box tacos and if you are giving me a larger one with a kick, I’m not complaining.
Calorie-wise, these are only 220 cals per taco which is not bad for the drive thru. And since they sell them at two for three bucks, you can still add a small order of fries (280 cals for the curly fries and 300 cals for the regular) and you are not tipping the scales too much. Better yet, get the three-piece order of jalapeno poppers which is only 220 cals (just don’t tally up the fat grams and sodium).
Both types of the Monster Taco are only scaring up your local Jack in the Box for the Halloween season and will disappear after October if not sooner. But if you are a fan of Jack’s tacos then it is worth a trip to the drive thru because these are bigger versions of a true guilty pleasure and that is definitely a good thing. They also had a breakfast taco version (though not monster-sized) but by the time I stopped by to check those out they were gone. Perhaps those will make a return trip at some point and you can look forward to the Monster Tacos showing back up in October 2024.