Taco Bell is challenging McDonald's with something new
A Taco Bell sign in the Times Square neighborhood in New York. Image: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg (Getty Images)
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Taco Bell ( YUM -0.12% ) wants to compete with fast food giants like McDonald’s ( MCD -0.65% ) and Wendy’s ( WEN +0.98% ) with a new menu item: Chicken nuggets.
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Starting Dec. 19, the chain will offer chicken nuggets breaded in crispy tortilla chips, offering what it calls a “unique twist” on a fast food classic. “In a world dominated by chicken cravings, it was time to show the world how Taco Bell does chicken nuggets,” said Taylor Montgomery, Taco Bell’s chief marketing officer, in a statement on Tuesday.
The new offering, which comes after successful test runs in Minneapolis and Houston, will be available in five-piece or 10-piece orders, along with dipping sauces and combo meal options. Prices will range from $4 to $10.50.
Taco Bell’s move into poultry comes amid a growing trend of consumers opting for healthier eating habits, often swapping red meat for chicken. The decision also taps into the cost-effectiveness of poultry , especially as prices continue to rise and consumers become more conscious about discretionary spending. The chain said it plans use all-white meat chicken for the bite-sized chunks.
With this new item, Taco Bell is aiming to carve out its own space in the highly competitive chicken nugget market, long dominated by chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King ( QSR -0.43% ), Chick-fil-A, and Wendy’s. This launch marks a return to chicken for Taco Bell, which offered something similar in 2017 with the limited-time “Naked Chicken Strips.”
In early November, Taco Bell also brought back a collection of fan favorites with the introduction of the Decades Menu – a nostalgic lineup of items from each era of the chain’s history, staring in 1962. At the time, CEO Sean Tresvant noted that the decision followed customers votes through Taco Bell’s app.
