Taco Bell X Frank’s RedHot Menu Brings The Heat With A Side Of Crispy

It’s only natural that a restaurant known for its fiery sauces would collaborate with the world’s #1 hot sauce brand. In an inventive new menu release, Taco Bell and Frank’s RedHot have combined forces to release four entrées drenched in peppery, smoky, spicy flavors. In the new collab, Taco Bell’s Diablo, a smoky, tangy sauce with lingering heat, is combined with Frank’s RedHot, a cayenne-based hot sauce known for its use on Buffalo wings. Mixed into cooling Spicy Ranch, the sauce becomes a creamy competitor to the ever-beloved Lava Sauce, used in the popular Volcano Burritos of the 2010s. While the famously spicy, rice-and-beef-filled burritos may not yet be back, the RedHot menu welcomes another fan-favorite — Crispy Chicken, and this time, it’s here to stay.

Crispy Chicken is making an impact, with every fast food restaurant from McDonald’s to Wendy’s releasing a version to call its own. Taco Bell’s is uniquely Mexican-inspired, first brined in a jalapeño buttermilk before being coated in a tortilla chip-breadcrumb breading. The resulting crispy, fried pieces are moist and flavorful, perfect for dipping, dunking, or rolling into a burrito. The Tex-Mex version of a Snack Wrap, the loaded-up burrito is a satisfying snack at any time of the day — and the best part? Each item is filled with the spicy, creamy Frank’s RedHot Diablo Sauce, giving them a burst of flavor with every bite.

Beloved as they may be for their delicious, beefy flavor, the burritos on Taco Bell’s menu are admittedly bean and beef heavy — which isn’t a problem until you’re craving a protein like chicken. The new menu adds Crispy Chicken to the burrito lineup, and in the Frank’s RedHot collab, the burrito is also filled generously with the spicy, creamy sauce, fresh pico de gallo, crunchy red cabbage, lettuce, and cheese. The resulting fusion of flavor creates a Mexican version of a McDonald’s Snack Wrap, loaded up with ingredients that work well under spicy RedHot Diablo Sauce. 

It’s a large burrito for its price, totaling just $5.49 for about 6 inches worth of stuffed burrito. Its size is reflected in its calorie count, which is on the higher end of Taco Bell’s burritos at 580; but considering that it could be eaten as a full meal, the calories might be well worth it. Plus, at 23 grams of protein, it offers a considerably higher protein value than other burritos.

You might not see Crispy Chicken Strips inside of most Mexican tacos, but that doesn’t mean tacos can’t have fried, crispy fillings. The Frank’s RedHot Diablo Crispy Chicken Soft Taco is similar in flavor to a battered fish taco, with a spicy kick of flavor from the creamy RedHot Diablo sauce. It’s a good taco for a hot summer day — which is a great quality to have in a restaurant that largely serves food that gets eaten late into the night. 

This is an item worth going through the lunchtime drive through for, though its smaller size means you might want to grab a second or third with it. The size isn’t a bad thing — after all, it can be a simple snack with just one — and the price is set to match. At just $2.99, it is half the price of the Chalupas and Gorditas and nearly a dollar shy of the Doritos Locos Tacos Supreme, and around the same price as the other well-filled tacos. The flavor is fun and refreshing, with more of a Tex-Mex flavor than authentic Mexican, the Buffalo taste especially present in the smaller entrée. The burrito, which is toasted, has a more savory tortilla flavor, but the taco pulls its weight as a spunky, spicy snack.

Well-seasoned and effortlessly dunkable, Nacho Fries are a surprising but popular addition to Taco Bell’s Mexican-fusion menu. Like many items that come and go from Taco Bell’s ever-changing menu, the fries have a large fanbase that eagerly awaits each limited release. If you are one of Taco Bell’s many fans of the cheesy potato snack, you’ll be delighted by the addition of the Nacho Fries to the Frank’s RedHot Diablo menu. Loaded up like a poutine with cheese sauce, RedHot Diablo sauce, pico de gallo, and — yes — more cheese, the dish is a full meal made out of the restaurant’s most popular snack. This version also includes slow-roasted chicken, which adds a smoky, savory layer and extra protein. And though it’s one of the only items on the menu that requires a fork, it fits in surprisingly well to the flavors of the regular menu.

Though I am not a fan of the Nacho Fries myself (an unpopular opinion, I know), I had to admit that this dish was one of the best of the collab, the combination of sauces adding a flavorful layer to the already tasty fries and chicken. It’s extremely moist without being greasy and is a fun, interesting option to have when tired of the tacos and burritos (if that’s even possible). It’s also fairly affordable for its size, sitting just under $5 for a box the same size as the limited-time Mexican Pizza. The loaded Nacho Fries make great use of the RedHot Diablo sauce, and if I were eating on the go, I’d likely grab a box of the fries alone just for dunking into it.

If you want to taste the Frank’s RedHot Diablo sauce in all its glory, grab an order of the Crispy Chicken Strips. The crispy, tortilla-chip coated chicken is similar in flavor to other fast food chains’ versions but is considerably crunchier, which is notably on brand for Taco Bell (see: Gordita Crunch and Doritos Locos Taco). With that in mind, the strips are a welcome addition to a beef-filled menu, offering a crispy, crunchy, white-meat option for those who simply like chicken better. They’re also a great opportunity for Taco Bell to experiment with sauces, being that they are the perfect vessel for dunking, dipping, and coating in sauce. The chicken strips are paired with a delicious, classic Spicy Ranch by default, which can be traded for sauces like Frank’s RedHot Diablo Sauce for no extra charge. The sauce cups are generous, and best of all, you get two of them, meaning you’ll never need to experience the chicken without a perfectly sauce-filled bite. 

The only downside to the Crispy Chicken Strips? Not only will they run you $7, but they are also 900 calories — which is nearly the same amount as the McDonald’s and Wendy’s 4-piece tenders combined.

Frank’s RedHot Diablo Sauce is the perfect combination of creamy, spicy, smoky, and tangy. Combined with Spicy Ranch, Frank’s RedHot turns into a classic Buffalo sauce, and with the addition of Taco Bell’s hottest sauce, Diablo, it gets a much-needed boost of spice and smoke. If you aren’t sure about the Buffalo-inspired sauce having a place in Mexican-based cuisine, I’d urge you to give it a try. It works well, and with the smoky Diablo mixed in, it only adds more flavor to the Crispy Chicken and loaded Nacho Fries. It would also work just as well on beef, and would be a delicious, spicy addition to a classic menu item like the Beefy 5-Layer Burrito. 

Being a loyal fan of the now-discontinued Naked Chicken Chalupa, the Crispy Chicken is an endeavor I’m glad to see Taco Bell take on long-term. The brand does chicken surprisingly well, and though this iteration plays it safe, I’m excited to see what variations may come next. Taco Bell is no stranger to innovation, and the fanbase is arguably most excited for its most unconventional collaborations — could the next push the envelope more, coating the chicken in chili-lime tortilla chips or even a dusting of hot Takis? Will the Mexican Pizza return with a crunchy chicken topping and a drizzle of Frank’s RedHot Diablo and Spicy Ranch? One can only hope.