Taco Bell Is Launching 30 New Menu Items. Here’s What’s Worth Ordering

Keto fans will certainly recognize this hack: making a “tortilla” out of crispy cheese. This all-new taco is slated to hit menus this year, and while it wasn’t so Instagrammable, it was completely devourable. The salty cheese is the perfect foil for a mellow, shredded chicken supreme taco, with the lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream balancing things out beautifully. Across the board, everyone I spoke to at the party declared this one of the best dishes of the night, and I have to agree.

While this wasn’t served at the event, I remember this dish the first time around—and it sparked the largest wave of cheers (and chants) from the audience out of every food unveiled. Clearly, we all miss the herby, ranch-infused flavor—no matter what powdery film it left on our fingers—and wondered why on Earth T-Bell would discontinue it. Well, the Bell giveth, and the Bell taketh, and the Bell bring-eth back out for a limited time, courtesy of the next Decades Menu drop (which is still TBD).

I tried this with the steak, but later this year, you’ll be able to order this ultra-cheesy rolled quesadilla with that or slow-roasted chicken. The steak was surprisingly hearty—and the quesadilla itself was almost the length of my forearm—making for one serious (and potentially shareable) meal. The poblano peppers really shine here, though I found myself wanting grilled onions or more veggies overall.

I’m a sucker for a grain bowl. But when I go to Taco Bell, I don’t go for the bowl. This might convince me otherwise. Rice, black beans, red cabbage, slow-roasted chicken, pico de gallo, shredded cheese and sour cream were all just supporting characters for the real star: the creamy elote-inspired corn. I would ask for extra jalapeño citrus salsa, and douse it in some fire sauce—it needed a little more acid and heat, in my opinion.

If you worried those tortilla-breaded nuggets were a flash in the pan, fear not: They’re coming back to stores twice over the next year. And this time around, you’ll be able to enjoy them with a swicy kick—the brand’s teaming up with Mike’s Hot Honey to create a hot honey Diablo sauce that really takes things up a notch. (You’ll also be able to snag avocado ranch or spicy ranchero sauce, if creamier dips are more your vibe.)

To this day, I keep a Recipes notes tab in my phone to capture rogue recipe ideas. One rogue thought I never acted upon? Crunchwrap sliders. I kid you not—and I cannot understate my joy when they were added to the menu this year. You can snag them in restaurants now, for a limited time, and I highly recommend you try them. While I envisioned the classic Crunchwrap made micro, these palm-sized treats feature a thick layer of steak, pico de gallo and cheddar inside. The steak offsets all the tortilla nicely, otherwise the carbs would overpower this one. And the sauce? Do not even take a bite without it. As a white queso, it’s a bit runny, but the green chile flavor really pops—and it provides necessary creaminess and kick to the sliders.

Taco Bell also teased the launch of a Flamin’ Hot Burrito, featuring Flamin’ Hot Fritos, Flamin’ Hot Rice, nacho cheese sauce, beef and sour cream, which I somehow missed in the frenzy to sample it all before the night ended. They also announced a grilled cheese burrito with shredded beef and a new riff on the Cheesy Street Chalupa—the Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa. In its latest iteration, cheese is toasted on the outside of the chalupa as well, and it includes a new Chile Lime Crema. Those weren’t served at the party, but you better believe I’ll be keeping an eye to the drive thru for when they drop later this year.

Taco Bell’s Chief Food Innovation Officer, Liz Matthews, also teased several projects they’re “dreaming about” this year, including Crispy Fajita Fries, brisket tacos, short rib chile relleno burritos, a Mexican Pizza empanada and a Tacodilla—aka a massive taco-quesadilla hybrid. But I was most excited about the potential for a bite-sized mini taco salad. What a twee throwback would that be?!

Admittedly, I am not the target market for Taco Bell’s drinks. I am a water and black cold brew drinker, and the Bell is known for slushies and sugar. But I appreciated this sweet, soda fountain-y take on an agua fresca. One hack I’d suggest: A spritz or two of lime, just to add depth of flavor.

Jolly Rancher fans, meet your Kryptonite. The sweetness of the dragonfruit and berries overpowers the tanginess of the lemonade, resulting in an intense drink that’ll definitely perk you up.

Starbucks better watch out, because this past November, Taco Bell launched its first drink-focused restaurant, Live Más Café, in San Diego, CA. It turns out a second location is in the works, and to celebrate, they served canned Dulce de Leche coffees from the brand. Out of the drinks sampled, this was my favorite, though I could only handle a few sips. It had a light coffee flavor, with a strong-yet-smooth caramel finish.

All the tweens who want to like coffee but aren’t really into coffee will be flocking to this one. It’s like a java-based YooHoo topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Fine, but not for me.

The Baja Blast is turning 21 this year, and to celebrate, the brand is launching an exclusive Midnight flavor. Imagine the citrusy-tropical taste of Baja Blast, only make it purple and add a jolt of passionfruit for added sweetness.

It’s not at all a dessert I’d expect from Taco Bell, but I’m not mad about it. Ube provides just the shade of purple that the Bell favors these days, though more importantly, it lends creamy, vanilla-y notes that play well with the strawberry for a berries-and-cream cookie sandwich. I don’t need the sanding sugar sprinkles coating the edge of the dessert, but then again, the crunch is a nice textural addition to the creamy frosting and soft, chewy cookie. Expect it to hit a Taco Bell near you later this year.