Spicy Food News: Taco Bell Unveils 2026 Lineup, Wayback Burger Adds Sweet & Spicy Melt, and More

Taco Bell Has Even More New Items Coming to Its Menu in 2026

The Bell is always mixing things up (even if sometimes that means offering the same ingredients in different ways) and adding new items, and they had a big event teasing what will be coming to the menu throughout the rest of 2026. You can watch this year’s Live Más LIVE: A Night at The Palladium on Peacock if you want, and you can see the entire lineup including new drinks and desserts on the press release. Below is a rundown of the items that should interest spicy food lovers, including a new sauce with an edible packet!

Flamin’ Hot® Nacho Fries: It’s your beloved Nacho Fries, now paired with Flamin’ Hot® Nacho Cheese sauce for a fiery kick in every dip. The classic nacho cheese gets an extra layer of bold Flamin’ Hot® flavor, making each bite a craveable, spicy experience.

Diablo Dusted Crispy Chicken Nuggets: Taco Bell’s signature crispy, all-white-meat chicken nuggets get dusted – not dunked – in fiery Diablo seasoning. Yeah, Diablo sauce is now a dust, delivering its unmistakable smokey heat in a way fans have never tasted before.

Flamin’ Hot® Dusted Crispy Chicken Nuggets: Rounding out Taco Bell’s new series of dusted nuggets is a bold and fiery Flamin’ Hot® seasoning, delivering an amped-up crunch with a slow-building heat that will put Taco Bell’s stamp on hot chicken.

Cantina Chicken Mexican Pizza with Jalapeño Citrus Salsa: Slow-roasted chicken and black beans layered between crispy tortillas, topped with green chile sauce, a three-cheese blend, cabbage, and pico de gallo – served with a new Jalapeño Citrus Salsa and an Avocado Verde Salsa.

Mexican Pizza Empanadas: Three or six bite-sized, crispy empanadas filled with seasoned beef, a melty 3-cheese blend, and a bold and flavorful sauce. Served with Mexican Pizza sauce on the side for dipping.

Flamin’ Hot® Mini Taco Salad: A new take on a classic, featuring seasoned beef, Fritos® Flamin’ Hot® corn chips, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and refried beans in a crispy, golden tortilla bowl rimmed with Flamin’ Hot® seasoning.

Firecracker Burrito: A red flour tortilla shell is filled with seasoned rice, Nacho Cheese sauce, seasoned beef, Fiesta tortilla strips, Creamy Chipotle sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, and a sprinkling of cayenne poppin’ crystals for a flavor and texture experience that is sure to surprise.

Fire Queso Sauce Packet: An edible sauce packet that transforms the iconic hot sauce packed into a fully edible and crispy Fire Queso experience that allows for even more flavor combos and discoveries.

Along with the new lineup, Taco Bell has announced that Nacho Fries will finally become part of the permanent menu. The release dates for the items above were not given, so keep an eye on this site as we track updates to their menu.

Wayback Burger Goes Swicy

Up and coming burger chain Wayback Burger is kicking up its main menu item and following the “swicy” (sweet and spicy) trend that has become so popular these days. Here is the description of their new Sweet & Spicy Melt from their website:

Two made-to-order beef patties, topped with Pepper Jack cheese, crispy fried onions, and pineapple jalapeño jam, sandwiched between an inverted, grilled, buttered bun.

This is around for the dreaded limited-time-only, so you will want to try it soon if it sounds tempting.  You can look for a location near you at this link.

HIPPEAS Offers a Spicy, Crunchy, Healthy Snack

If you are looking for a more healthy snack, HIPPEAS has you covered with their chickpea puffs.  And for those of us looking for a kick with our crunch, they have rolled out a new variety that promises some heat.  Here is the description from the press release:

Jalapeño Cheddar Blaze delivers a jalapeño kick followed by a creamy cheddar-style finish that balances the heat.

They have also added the All Dressed Up flavor which is similar to the popular Canadian chip. There is no indication that these are limited-time offerings, so they should stick around as long as sales are good. You can find these at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and other places where healthy snacks are sold.