Spicy Food News: Chili’s Kicks Up Its Chicken Sandwiches, Taco Bell Adds Diablo-Dusted Crispy Chicken Nuggets, and More

Chili’s Adds Several Spicy Chicken Sandwich Options

This fast-casual chain known for its chili and its ribs is trying to lure people from the drive thru with its $10.99 Thee for Me Meals which include and entree, a side, unlimited chips and salsa, and a drink. Their burgers were previously the focus of that deal, but now they are adding their Big Crispy and Spicy Big Crispy chicken sandwiches. In addition, they have added three new spicy chicken sandwiches to their lineup. Here is the rundown from the press release:

Spicy Big Crispy – The same golden, hand-battered chicken breast with an all-new spicy mayo that delivers a slow-building heat, balanced with pickles. The Spicy Big Crispy was an early bestseller in test markets and is now available on the $10.99 3 For Me menu.

Honey-Chipotle Big Crispy – The Big Crispy is now also available tossed in Chili’s famous Honey-Chipotle sauce, topped with pickles and served as an entrée with white cheddar mac & cheese and fries.

Nashville Hot Big Crispy – One of the most exciting flavors on national menus in the past few years is now available as a Big Crispy sandwich. The spicy profile is balanced out with pickles and served with white cheddar mac & cheese and fries.

Buffalo Big Crispy – Rounding out the sauced Big Crispy lineup is this classic chicken pairing, also topped with pickles and served as an entrée with white cheddar mac & cheese and fries.

There is no indication that these are on loan from Limited-Time-Only-Ville, but Chili’s does change up its menu on a regular basis, so it would be best to try these sooner rather that later if they look tempting.

Taco Bell Spices Up Its Crispy Chicken Nuggets and Nacho Fries

The Bell continues its non-stop rollout of new menu items, and one addition includes spicing up a fan-favorite. The Crispy Chicken Nuggets have proven quite popular since they arrived in 2024, and now they are kicking those up with a Diablo-Dusted version. Here is the description from the website:

Crispy Chicken Nuggets, featuring all-white-meat marinated chicken seasoned with bold Mexican spices, tossed in a crunchy tortilla chip coating, and dusted with bold, flavorful Diablo spice seasoning.

In addition, Taco Bell has added Zab’s Chicken Ranch Nacho Fries, and that promises some spice:

Golden, crisp Nacho Fries topped with savory, slow-roasted chicken, Zab’s Datil Pepper Ranch sauce, warm Nacho Cheese sauce, a blend of mozzarella, pepperjack, and cheddar cheeses, and freshly prepared pico de gallo.

Both of these are limited items, and at Taco Bell that can often mean very limited, so you will want to pay a visit soon if you want to try either or both.

Wendy’s Offers an Upgrade to its Spicy Chicken Sandwich

And yet more chicken as Wendy’s is tinkering with its fan-favorite Spicy Chicken Sandwich hoping to make it even better. They claim that this version takes things to the “next level”, and here is what is different according to the website:

New Bold Marinade – Delivers a juicier bite

Premium Panko-Style Breading – Infused with nine distinctive spices for maximum crunch and bold heat

Soft Potato Bun – A slightly sweet bun that complements the updated flavors

Rich Homestyle Mayo – Inspired by classic Southern recipes for added richness and tang

Pickles – Added for extra crunch and flavor balance

They are also doing an upgrade on their Classic Chicken Sandwich which should include all of the above except the spice. This appears to be a permanent change, but that will all depend on how well Wendy’s fans respond to the new version.

Mr. Gatti’s Teams Up with Mike’s Hot Honey

Taking a break from chicken, Texas-based pizza chain Mr. Gatti’s is trying to make a come back, and they have teamed up with Mike’s Hot Honey to entice lovers of “swicy” (sweet and spicy) to try their pies. Following is the description of their Hot Honey Trio lineup from the press release:

The Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza tops a classic pie with zesty pepperoni, provolone cheese and Mike’s Hot Honey sauce, elevating a traditional favorite with a sweet-heat finish.

The Hot Honey Pepperoni Sticks are designed for sharing. Melted provolone cheese, tangy pizza sauce and fresh pepperoni slices are drizzled with Mike’s Hot Honey and baked to perfection. Each order is sliced into shareable sticks and served with a side of Mr Gatti’s famous ranch dressing for dipping.

For wing lovers, the Hot Honey Wings feature juicy wings glazed in Mike’s Hot Honey sauce, delivering a savory-sweet and tangy kick. The wings pair perfectly with a side of the brand’s signature ranch dressing for a flavorful spin on a classic.

These are around for the dreaded limited-time-only, and you can search for a location near you at their website.