by Bottom Line: The Loaded Birria Tiny Tacos from Jack in the Box offer a nice variation on the chain’s classic taco.
The tacos from Jack in the Box are a fast-food classic (first introduced back in 1954), but they are a love-it-or-hate-it affair. You either love those semi-soggy taco shells stuffed with meat paste, American cheese, sauce, and lettuce shreds (that’s me) or you pass them by as junk food atrocities from deep-fryer hell. But no matter where you stand, those crunchy, goopy, tasty tacos remain a best-seller on the menu, and Jack has put out large and small versions of them with the Monster Tacos and Tiny Tacos.
Now, the chain has introduced yet another variation, this time dipping into the Birria wave of popularity. Birria is a Mexican stew usually made with beef or goat, and the tacos use the meat from the stew with some broth on the side for dipping (or they’re dunked in that broth and cooked on the griddle). Jack isn’t going through all that effort, though, as these new Tiny Tacos have Birria-flavored meat and are served with a Birria Buttermilk Ranch dipping sauce. I paid a recent visit to try them out and got the sauced and loaded version, which also includes cheese sauce, shredded cheese, and shredded lettuce.
These Tiny Tacos have a richer, beefier taste that reminds me, to a degree, of Birria tacos I’ve eaten in the past. I’m not certain what spices they added, but I detect a hint of cinnamon (which is almost a bit too strong) and maybe a touch of bacon flavor. But much to my surprise, they replicated the taste of Birria tacos much better than I expected. Not that I’d buy these instead of what I can get at my local taqueria, but for fast-food tacos, these are not bad (if you can tolerate that kick of cinnamon). And with the cheese, lettuce, and hot sauce (you have to add the latter yourself), these replicate the Jack in the Box taco experience, but with a Birria kick. (Note that mine did not come with the Birria-flavored Ranch, so I can’t say how that might have enhanced the experience. I’m not a big Ranch fan, so I did not miss it.)
As for the heat, well, Jack in the Box tacos are not about bringing the burn. You have to add their hot sauce, which has some kick, bringing them to about Mild on my scale. You can also ask them to add jalapeños (they’ll happily do that for an upcharge), which would amp up the heat even more. But I liked them just fine with the hot sauce.
Calorie-wise, these come in at 600 cals for the sauced and loaded version, which is a bit on the high side for a single item from the drive-thru. The good thing is that this box of tacos is rather filling, but we’re all conditioned to order a side item at a fast-food joint. A small order of onion rings is only 220 calories, but at $4.29 (hello, greed-flation), that might convince you to keep your calorie count down!
As expected, the Birria Tiny Tacos are on loan from Limited-Time-Only-Ville and will disappear in a couple of months or so. At five bucks for the sauced and loaded version in my area, that’s not a bad deal for a filling fast-food meal these days. And once these are off the menu, I expect Jack will tempt us with yet another variation on the Tiny Tacos—hopefully bringing the spicy ones back.
Nutrition Info:
Calories: 600
Fat: 33g (8g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 9g
Carbs: 59g
Sodium: 1230mg
