Dive Brief:
- Taco Bell will serve chicken nuggets nationwide for a limited time starting on Dec. 19, the brand said in a Tuesday press release.
- The LTO will run at least until Jan. 22, based on the dates of promotional discounts applying to the nuggets and to Taco Bell’s Nacho Fries.
- Taco Bell first tested chicken nuggets in Minneapolis in 2023, and in Houston earlier this year, according to the press release. In test runs, the nuggets performed well, setting the brand up for a major national LTO.
Dive Insight:
LTOs like Taco Bell’s new nuggets or Cheez-It tostada are a key part of Taco Bell’s menu strategy. They preserve novelty for consumers, generate social media buzz and allow the brand to have a roster of promotional items it can roll out to give itself traffic boosts during slow calendar periods.
The LTOs also give the chain the chance to test potential permanent menu items. The brand began testing Chicken Al Pastor Chalupas, a combination of its street chalupa LTO and Cantina Chicken menu, in Minneapolis at the end of October.
Taco Bell’s nuggets are designed to be uphold the QSR brand’s vaguely Mexican identity. The nuggets are marinated in jalapeño buttermilk flavor and breaded with bread crumbs and tortilla chips, according to the press release.
Taco Bell partnered with Hidden Valley Ranch to design a dipping sauce for the nuggets, the Hidden Valley Fire Ranch Sauce, which combines the QSR chain’s spicy sauces with ranch. Taco Bell also added two other sauces, jalapeño honey mustard and Bell sauce, which the chain described as a creamy sauce made with tomatoes, red chiles and garlic.
Chicken has seen a long period of growth in popularity, and chicken concepts are seeing significant development. Taco Bell’s Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Montgomery framed the nugget LTO as a way to capitalize on that popularity, while potentially taking share from other brands.
“In a world dominated by chicken cravings, it was time to show the world how Taco Bell does chicken nuggets — unexpected and undeniably bold,” Montgomery said.
Taco Bell will sell the nuggets at several prices points:
- $3.99 and $6.99 for five- and 10-piece orders with dipping sauce.
- $5.99 and $8.99 for five- and 10-piece meal combos including Nacho fries, cheese sauce and a large drink.
- $10.99 for five nuggets and sauce plus a Crunchy Taco, Beef Chalupa, regular Nacho Fries, and a medium drink.
To promote the new nuggets, Taco Bell will offer a variety of discounts through third- and first-party ordering channels, including a $1 order of nacho fries in the Taco Bell app between New Year’s Day and Jan. 22.
