Taco Bell menu updates

Taco Bell is adding two chicken-heavy menu plays at once: Diablo-dusted nuggets on April 16 and a Butter Chicken Taco later in 2026. (prnewswire.com) The nugget update was announced April 9, with Taco Bell saying the limited-time item turns its Diablo Sauce into a dry seasoning called “Diablo Dust.” The chain said the nuggets hit restaurants nationwide on Thursday, April 16. (prnewswire.com) Taco Bell’s FAQ says its Crispy Chicken Nuggets use all-white-meat marinated chicken, Mexican spices and a tortilla-chip coating, and are served with Bell Sauce, Jalapeño Honey Mustard or Hidden Valley Diablo Ranch. The Diablo-dusted version adds the new seasoning on top of that base product. (help.tacobell.com, nrn.com) The second change came through Taco Bell’s first Global Taco Vote, which asked Rewards members to choose between India’s Butter Chicken Taco and Thailand’s Kickin’ Chicken Taco. Nation’s Restaurant News reported the Butter Chicken Taco won and will come to the United States as a limited-time offer later this year. (nrn.com) That vote ran from March 26 to April 1, according to reporting aggregated by MSN, making it a fast turnaround from fan poll to menu decision. Food Network also reported the U.S. debut is scheduled for later in 2026, not this spring. (msn.com, foodnetwork.com) The two launches extend Taco Bell’s recent push to make chicken a bigger part of the menu, especially in formats that can be sold as limited-time tests. Nation’s Restaurant News said the Diablo item follows the chain’s earlier crispy chicken nugget run and recasts a sauce packet as a seasoning format. (nrn.com, qsrmagazine.com) The Butter Chicken Taco also shows Taco Bell using overseas menu ideas as a U.S. pipeline instead of keeping them market-specific. Food Network reported the winning taco was inspired by Taco Bell’s India menu, while the losing option came from Thailand. (foodnetwork.com, nrn.com) Taco Bell has used fan voting before on returning items, but Nation’s Restaurant News and MSN described this as the first vote centered on an international menu import. That gives the company a public way to test demand before a national launch. (nrn.com, msn.com) For customers, the near-term date is April 16, when the Diablo-dusted nuggets are due in stores for a limited run. The Butter Chicken Taco is next, with Taco Bell saying only that the U.S. release is coming later in 2026. (prnewswire.com, foodnetwork.com)