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Top 10 Most OUTRAGEOUS Taco Bell Menu Items of All Time!
With these crazy foods in mind, it’s no wonder that Taco Bell was the sole survivor of the fast-food battle royale featured in Demolition Man. Grab some nacho cheese and strap in for this list of the Top 10 Most Outrageous Taco Bell Menu Items of All Time!
10. Nacho Fries
Taco Bell’s nacho fries, which were introduced originally in West Virginia and California in 2018, finally went nationwide in 2019 – to the shock and delight of many customers across the United States. The nacho fries are pretty unassuming upon first glance, until you realize that they’re not like your average fast-food french fries. These little guys are smothered in what Taco Bell vaguely describes as “bold Mexican seasoning,” and are dipped not into ketchup, but melted nacho cheese. You can also get a “supreme” version if you’re feeling particularly indulgent, which comes with beef, fresh salsa, and sour cream. Although the fries may seem pretty wild at first glance, they actually make a lot of sense: the fries have the taste of nachos, with the portability of any fast-food side dish. Not only that, but it was only a matter of time until Taco Bell took on the idea of themed fries: with Burger King trying their hand at chicken fries and Dunkin’ Donuts coming out with sweet and delicious donut fries in past years, Taco Bell definitely had their work cut out for them in terms of keeping up with their fast-food competition.
9. Air Heads Mystery Freeze
While the Baja Blast variant of Taco Bell’s Freezes may have gathered most of our attention, we had best not forget about this one. If you grew up in the 90s or early 2000s and remember eating Air Heads, you’ll know all about the Mystery flavor, which was encased in equally vague silver packaging and had a taste that you couldn’t really decipher until you chewed on it for a while. It was a source of endless fun and entertainment for kids, and Taco Bell brought it to their menu in 2016 as a way for us to relive some of our favorite childhood memories. Fans speculated that the “mystery” flavor would be replaced daily, or even by the batch, to keep the flavor varied and to keep Taco Bell customers guessing as to what it could be. The Air Heads Mystery Freeze received a lot of attention upon its release, with lots of people on social media expressing how excited they were to discover what the mystery flavor would be. What makes this menu item outrageous isn’t its composition as a frozen slushie – seeing as that’s been done a million times before – but rather the fact that the flavors would likely need to be switched out every so often to keep the mystery alive. This could have been the reason why the Air Heads Mystery Freeze was replaced with the arguably less-outrageous Air Heads Blue Raspberry Freeze in 2017, but it seems like we’ll never know the answer to the mysterious disappearance of the Mystery Freeze.
8. Kit Kat Chocodilla
At first glance, the Kit Kat Chocodilla sounds pretty appetizing: a flour tortilla stuffed with chocolatey, wafer-y Kit Kat bars, making for a melty and delicious dessert. Sure, the name may be a bit of a stretch on the word “quesadilla,” but what can you expect from a fast-food chain trying to come out with a new and unique dessert? The silly name can probably be written off as a cute, if not a labored, play on words; however, the promo pictures for the Kit Kat Chocodilla make it look like the stuff of nightmares: with the melty wafer chocolate looking more like spoiled meat than a tasty treat. Given that quesadillas are originally savory dishes that often contain beef, the brownness of the chocolate inside that flour tortilla looks so horribly wrong. It falls into the uncanny valley of trying to be Mexican food, but instead ends up looking painfully similar to the stuff we all were forced to eat at our elementary school’s cafeteria. Luckily, the Kit Kat Chocodilla was only ever released in Wisconsin Taco Bell locations. It doesn’t seem to have taken off, as there are no online news sources that cite the Kit Kat Chocodilla going nationwide; but after looking at this outrageous and unappetizing-looking mishmosh of a dessert and a quesadilla, we’re all probably better off knowing that Taco Bell nipped this potential menu item in the bud. For now, you’re probably better off sticking to those tried-and-true Cinnabon delights if you’re going to order dessert.
7. Naked Chicken Chips
If you thought the Nacho Fries were weird, Taco Bell’s Naked Chicken Chips take it one step further. Upon first glance, these just look like deep-fried triangles that can be dipped into nacho cheese; however, the chips themselves are actually made of fried chicken! Though definitely outlandish in their construction, these chicken chips actually seem pretty convenient: with the triangles being easily dippable with one hand, you’d definitely be able to munch on these while in the car or if you wanted to share with a friend. Originally introduced in 2017, the Naked Chicken Chips were introduced as a nod to the Naked Chicken Chalupa, which was an item that had fried chicken as the shell instead of the traditional crunchy shell that exists on many Taco Bell menu items. Though the Naked Chicken Chalupa amassed its own cult following and gained a great reputation among Taco Bell superfans, the Naked Chicken Chips gained notoriety on their own for being a simple yet delicious snack. However, both of these menu items have been discontinued since their original releases; the Naked Chicken Chalupa was reintroduced briefly in 2019, but has yet to make an appearance since, while the Naked Chicken Chips don’t seem to have turned up at all since 2018. There have been petitions to bring back the Naked Chicken Chips and add them to Taco Bell’s menu permanently, proving that they’ve gathered a dedicated fanbase.
6. Quesalupa
If you watched the 2016 Super Bowl, you may have remembered seeing an advertisement for Taco Bell’s cheesy Quesalupa. Advertised as the first-ever combo of a quesadilla and a chalupa, the Quesalupa featured a rather nondescript filling of lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, seasoned beef, and cheddar cheese. The real crazy factor comes in when you take a look at the Quesalupa’s shell — two tortillas that have been deep-fried and shaped like a chalupa shell, then stuffed full of pepper-jack cheese. The choice to use pepper-jack instead of regular cheddar inside the shell stands out, adding an extra kick to what would otherwise be a plain-tasting meal. Though many loved to indulge in this artery-clogging yet delicious menu addition, the Quesalupa was discontinued despite it being one of the most famous and desired items on Taco Bell’s menu. The discontinuation of the Quesalupa brought about a lot of disappointment from consumers, who assumed that the hype surrounding the Quesalupa and its huge ad campaigns would’ve kept it around a little longer. Customers who ordered it regularly still mourn the loss of their favorite Taco Bell menu item on several online blogs and articles. It’s hard to understand why the Quesalupa was discontinued after so much excitement, but we can only hope that Taco Bell will try to bring back this cheesy champion sometime soon.
5. Enchirito
As the name suggests, Taco Bell’s Enchirito was a combination of two iconic Mexican foods that are also found on their menu: an enchilada and a burrito. This now-discontinued menu item consists of a soft flour tortilla filled with beef, beans, and onions, topped with a heap of cheddar cheese and drenched in red sauce. The composition is simple, but messy, which is great for those who want to indulge in a lunch of epic proportions. Though we’re pretty used to fast-food chains combining different words to name their wacky new foods, the Enchirito was actually the first item on Taco Bell’s menu with a name that did not directly refer to Mexican cuisine. Though the origins of who came up with the Enchirito are widely speculated, it was introduced to Taco Bell’s menu in the 1970s and actually remained there until it was discontinued in 1993. However, customers continued to order the Enchirito even after its disappearance, which prompted Taco Bell to bring it back to life in 1999. Once again, it stayed on the menu all the way until 2013, when the Smothered Burrito came on the scene. Longtime fans of the Enchirito may still be able to order it, though; some websites have said that you can still order this item if you ask for it by name at your local Taco Bell.
4. Cheetos Burrito
If you think a burrito with Cheetos inside it sounds too good to be true, that’s because it probably is. The Cheetos Burrito may have had a short run in some Cincinnati Taco Bell locations, but it will live on forever as one of the most outrageous burritos Taco Bell has ever made. The rest of the burrito is pretty much the same as any other: with lots of cheese, rice, and meat. However, the rest of the burrito was not, considering that the main gimmick of this burrito was the inclusion of Cheetos inside that flour tortilla. The test run of the Cheetos Burrito occurred in 2016, which just so happens to be the same year in which Burger King introduced their Mac and Cheetos bites to their menu. Since the Mac and Cheetos were generally well-received by customers, it makes sense that Taco Bell would want to compete with them and come up with a Cheeto-themed food of their own. With this in mind, it seems like the Cheetos Burrito was Taco Bell’s response to Burger King’s Mac and Cheetos. It’s a real shame that this burrito didn’t live to see the light of day after its initial test run in Ohio, because it was going to be sold at Taco Bell locations for just one dollar. Though we’ll still have the Doritos Locos Tacos to tide us over when we’re craving that extra bit of cheese, the Cheetos Burrito will still hold a special place in our hearts as a short-lived legend.
3. French Toast Chalupa
Ever wanted breakfast, but with a fun Taco Bell twist? The French Toast Chalupa was a way for Taco Bell to add to their breakfast menu without losing their identity as a Mexican-themed restaurant. The French Toast Chalupa was introduced to Dayton, Ohio customers in 2018 and featured scrambled eggs and the customer’s choice of bacon or sausage, tucked inside a shell made of French toast sprinkled with cinnamon and served with a side of maple syrup for dipping. Though it isn’t as cheesy or ridiculously unhealthy as some of the other entries on this list, the French Toast Chalupa’s outrageousness comes in how Taco Bell somehow managed to Frankenstein two very different types of food – Mexican and classic American breakfast food – into something that actually seems desirable and convenient for customers. The shell being made of French toast makes the Chalupa easy to carry around and eat on the go, especially if you opt to drizzle the maple syrup on top of the egg and sausage interior. Though some of Taco Bell’s combinations may seem questionable, the French Toast Chalupa was a smart move on their part, as it incorporated the breakfast food people crave while sticking to its roots as a Tex-Mex fast food chain.
2. Jalapeno Popper Quesarito
If you thought Cheetos were going to be the only thing Taco Bell intended to stuff inside a tortilla, think again! Spicy food lovers rejoiced when Taco Bell announced that they would be introducing a special version of a jalapeno popper into some North Carolina Taco Bell franchises in 2016. Though jalapeno poppers were already pretty good on their own, Taco Bell took it to the next level when they decided to make the bold decision to combine a jalapeno popper into their established Quesarito format. By adding breaded jalapenos into the already tempting mix of rice, meat, sour cream, and nacho cheese, Taco Bell’s new Jalapeno Popper Quesarito made waves online as being the potential next big thing for people who wanted to spice up their meal a little more. Although it was mentioned in countless online news articles and reviewed by several YouTube channels, the Jalapeno Popper Quesarito never seemed to take off, as there hasn’t been a mention of it anywhere for a few years now. It’s a shame to see something with this much potential vanish, seeing as so many people were excited for it to potentially be released on a national scale. Despite it being a completely outrageous take on the jalapeno popper, it’s hard to deny how in-character it was for Taco Bell to take it to such new and cheesy heights.
1. Firecracker Burrito
With a name like that, you know this menu item is going to pop out from the rest. In the Firecracker Burrito’s case, this was taken way too literally: the burrito was nothing to write home about at first, containing the usual rice, cheese, and beef inside a red tortilla. The crazy part came with the optional “popping spices” you could order along with this seemingly average burrito. The “popping spices” could be poured into the burrito, resulting in a very tangible explosion of flavor. If you’ve ever had Pop Rocks, this was essentially the same concept, except these bad boys tasted like cayenne pepper instead of watermelon or strawberry. Though some people may argue that adding cayenne directly into a burrito could potentially make it too spicy, reviewers of the Firecracker Burrito report that the popping crystals have more of a sweet-spicy flavor. This is great for those who have a low spice tolerance, but not great for those who want a more fiery experience. Pouring too many of these crystals onto your burrito – which probably tastes fine to begin with – may make it taste way too sweet, which is a bit of a pain if you’re trying to enjoy a normally savory menu item. Besides, with a name like “Firecracker,” the main customers of this item are bound to be people who can handle spice; if that’s the case, there just doesn’t seem to be a point in making the cayenne popping crystals taste sweet. If Taco Bell were able to make these crystals taste super-spicy, the gimmick of the Firecracker Burrito would only be amplified. It still appears to be on a few Californian Taco Bell menus as of 2020, though, so this odd and exciting burrito must have proven to be a success among some West-Coast customers.