by Bottom Line: The Crispy Tacos from Burger King don’t bring much heat, but they do satisfy your junk food cravings.
Burger King may have “burger” as the first word in its name, but if you’re looking for tacos, they have you covered these days. The chain has brought back its Crispy Tacos (at least to some locations), and they are selling for about a buck each. These come with seasoned beef, shredded cheese, crisp lettuce, and zesty taco sauce, in a crunchy tortilla shell.
Looking at the picture of the tacos, many will ask if these aren’t just the same as what Jack in the Box sells, and the answer is that they’re pretty close—maybe even a notch above Jack’s classic tacos.
The meat—or should I say meat paste—is very similar to what you find in the JiB tacos. It has a good beefy taste, but you don’t want to ask too many questions about what’s in this mystery meat. The salsa has a nice tang with a bit of sweetness. The lettuce is fresh enough and, in my opinion, a necessary component. The shredded cheese is sparse and gets lost in the mix, and I would have much preferred the slice of American cheese that Jack uses. The taco shell is quite crisp and has a good earthy taste, and it only gets a little soggy around the meat. Most importantly, these are not greasy at all.
This is basically a decent fast food taco, and your opinion of it likely depends on what you think about the ones Jack in the Box makes. Those are certainly little grease bombs, but they’re a fast food classic and quintessential junk food. I’ve been a fan of the JiB taco since I was a kid and still get them on a regular basis these days. The ones from Burger King are not quite as greasy, and I really like the taco shell they use. As mentioned, BK uses shredded cheese instead of a slice of American, which I consider a minus, but they’re still close enough to what Jack offers that I consider them a decent substitute.
As for the heat, there really isn’t any. The same is true with the Jack in the Box tacos. The “zesty taco sauce” adds a slight kick, but still not enough to get these even to Mild on my scale. That’s not why you’re eating these, though. These are designed to satisfy the junk-food junkie in you, and they do that quite well. Feel free to add some hot sauce of your own if you want to kick up the heat (I recommend Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce).
Nutrition-wise, one taco tallies up to 220 calories, so you can get two plus a small side (might I recommend the Cheesy Tots at 165 calories) and not be doing too badly. One taco goes for 99 cents in my area, or you can get two for $1.99. And if you noticed a flaw in that math, I did too and took advantage of it by ordering one twice in the app and only paying $1.98. Now I’m gonna put that penny in a savings account and watch the interest accrue…
The tacos have been on and off the Burger King menu over the last few years, and from what I understand, not all locations are carrying them. But if you do see them in your area, I recommend adding a couple to your bag. At under two bucks for two tacos, that’s pretty darn good for the drive-thru these days, and they will fill you up pretty well while also satisfying your junk food cravings.
