Dive Brief:
- Taco Bell will make its Nacho Fries a permanent menu item in response to fan requests and the limited-time offering’s history of selling out, the chain announced ahead of its Live Más LIVE: A Night at The Palladium, a media promotional event that streams March 10 on Peacock.
- The chain is showing off more than 20 menu innovations, including savory fare, sweets and LTOs, ranging from new chicken nugget flavors to dessert empanadas, according to the press release.
- Live Más LIVE began as a tech-centric event in 2024, according to a separate announcement, and has since evolved into a yearly showcase for Taco Bell’s menu innovations and LTOs, helping to build consumer buzz for the QSR giant’s ever-changing lineup. The event is hosted by rapper Vince Staples and features appearances by other celebrities like TV host Ariana Madix, singer Benson Boone, rapper Doja Cat, and Davante Adams, a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams.
Dive Insight:
Aside from the Nacho Fries, Taco Bell’s most significant additions are likely new versions of the brand’s Crispy Chicken Nuggets. The chain is launching three “Dusted” nuggets, each coated with a distinct, powdered seasoning: Diablo, Doritos Cool Ranch and Flamin’ Hot.
The chain’s Crispy Chicken platform — a rotating cast of tenders, nuggets and wraps — has helped it lead the U.S. QSR segment in same-store sales growth quarter after quarter. New flavors of Crispy Chicken capitalize on the long-growing consumer demand for fried chicken products, and latent consumer desires for controlled, customizable experiences identified by Yum’s in-house data science unit.
Taco Bell said many of the items highlighted in the show are LTOs.
“The items featured during Live Más Live reflect Taco Bell’s test-and-learn approach to menu innovation. Beyond Nacho Fries becoming permanent later this year, the brand does not have any additional permanent menu additions to confirm at this time,” A Taco Bell spokesperson said in an email.
In the dessert category, Taco Bell is adding several options, including LTO dessert empanadas and a Crème Brulee Crunchwrap Slider that has creamy vanilla filling and a caramelized sugar crust.
The chain also showed off new evolutions of other existing platforms, like a Mountain Dew Baja Midnight Pie, a new version of its Baja Blast Pie, which launched last November. The brand is adding new items to its Cantina Chicken lineup — a premium protein platform that has helped anchor the chain’s barbell menu strategy. The new Cantina Chicken item is a version of the Mexican Pizza with a new Jalapeño Citrus Salsa.
On the beverage front, long a point of strategic emphasis for Yum, Taco Bell is also taking advantage of multiple major menu trends. The Strawberry Horchata Refresca, for one, sits squarely at the intersection of the refresher trend and, by virtue of its inclusion of freeze-dried strawberry pieces, aligns with consumer demand for functional inclusions like fruit and protein. The Cold Brew with Purple Horchata Cold Foam is a foray into premium coffee products, backed by Yum’s findings that consumers are increasingly comfortable with buying cold, premium coffees from QSRs.
