The latest contender in the battle of the chicken sandwiches is a taco.
Tex-Mex quick service restaurant (QSR) chain Taco Bell plans to begin testing a Fried Chicken Sandwich Taco at participating locations in Charlotte, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee, on March 11.
The taco features chicken marinated in jalapeño buttermilk, seasoned with Taco Bell spices and rolled in a tortilla chip coating. The chicken strips are served in puffy bread that is rolled into a taco sauce alongside a creamy chipotle sauce. A spicy version is topped with slices of jalapeño pepper.
The Fried Chicken Sandwich Taco retails for $2.49. If successful, the taco could join menus nationwide by the end of the year.
Taco Bell is the fourth major brand this year to announce a new chicken sandwich, a category that is growing faster than beef sales.
"I love watching the competitors," Taco Bell's global chief food innovation officer Liz Matthews told Business Insider. "I think a lot of players out there are doing a great job, but what I will say is that we will interrupt that with what we're going to do on chicken."
Promised “menu evolution”
Taco Bell first promised a “menu evolution” focused on new chicken products in September 2020.
“When we think about the acceleration of new trends, it’s really clear for us that it’s chicken, and that means chicken as a whole category,” Heather Mottershaw, the quick service brand’s vice president of Product Development, told Forbes. “We’re focused heavily in this area at the moment, so expect lots to come here.”
At the time, the Yum Brands chain was also developing a product called Crispy Chicken Wings, featuring a vibrant Mexican seasoning and served with a side of Spicy Cattle Ranch Sauce for dipping.
The brand also plans to innovate further with the introduction of new plant-based meat menu items through a partnership with Beyond Meat.
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