Perhaps the worst thing about Taco Bell is ordering.
Are they really going to make me say “Chickstar” out loud? Chickstar. Can I instead order the “crunchy, chewy pentagonal chicken pouch”?
Don’t test me, Taco Bell.
I walked away from that movie Chappie just because I didn’t want to have to say “Chappie” out loud to the box office. You think the branding is cute but it sounds like I’m doing jaw exercises before delivering a high school sports report on the local news. Chi-ck-stahr. Que-sah-ree-toh. Break-fast fail-ures.
The Crispy Chicken Chickstar can slide, though, just this once. It’s pretty good! To start, this sandwich thing is shaped like the Crunchwrap Supreme, so it’s completely inviting comparisons. The first bite is a bit of a shock. “I know the Crunchwrap Supreme. And you, sir, are no Crunchwrap Supreme.”
It lacks the snap of a tortilla shell wedged into each bite, but give it some time–the texture is still dynamic, thanks to the fried chicken fillets. The breading of the two chicken finger-sized pieces is made of tortilla chips and while it doesn’t taste different than most other fast food breading, it has a jagged, harder feel that gives it some substance. The chicken itself is also white and dense, like a U.S. congressman.
The softness of the outer tortilla contrasts nicely with the rough-breaded chicken and that interplay is definitely the star (Chickstar?) of the show. Having no bread, it means the protein is allowed to pop more and it also means there are those delightful bites that consist of folded over flour tortilla. So satisfying. Hold on to the tiny joys in life.
I tried the creamy chipotle version of the Chickstar. The sauce filled in the flavor profile and rounded out the taste a bit, but overall it felt a little anemic with the heat. The grated cheese and lettuce and tomato are even more of an afterthought than usual and remain borderline useless. However, the chicken did a decent job of picking up the slack, like Allen Iverson. Al-hen Thigh-verson? Mmm, Al-hen Thigh-verson.
I know these sound like negative points for the Chickstar, but something about the entire package clicks together. It’s crunchy and soft in the right places and knows how to showcase the novelty of a tortilla chip-breaded chicken. Maybe it’s magic. Maybe it’s black magic. Taco Bell does fold these things into pentagrams. Or are they hexagrams. They added an extra side to the pentagram just like they added a fourth meal to the day! Must be voodoo.
The Chipotle Chickstar is a good item. Taco Bell’s new chicken fillet thing is good. But it cost me four bucks and I can get a couple chicken sandwiches for half that at most fast food restaurants. It even costs more than a Quesarito, and is almost as embarrassing to say.
What does “Chickstar” even mean? Is it a chicken hipster? A poultry constellation? Lady rock star? Debbie Harry? Chrissie Hynde? (Crispy Fried is her Chickstar name). Whatever. I’d pay another dollar just to not say the name out loud in the restaurant. And I’ll throw the cashier another twenty if he wants to go next door and say “One for Chappie” for me.
(Nutrition Facts – 760 calories, 43 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 1650 milligrams of sodium, 70 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of sugar, 4 grams of fiber, and 25 grams of protein.)
Item: Taco Bell Crispy Chicken Chipotle Chickstar
Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: N/A
Purchased at: Taco Bell
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Nice breading, great texture. Easy to eat, plenty of folded over tortilla.
Cons: Chipotle sauce is a little quiet, bland. Cheese is still Taco Bell cheese. Fairly expensive.
“Having no bread, it means the protein is allowed to pop more”
I’m not Mexican, but I’m pretty sure tortilla qualifies as “bread”
I had this when they first released and came away very unimpressed. It may of been the lack of Chipotle sauce but it had a lot to do with the only flavors being chicken and tortilla shell. The cheese and tomatoes were completely lost. The lettuce….no comment as I just do not like Taco Bell’s lettuce and try to get romaine on all the taco’s when I do order something with lettuce on them. Also, these are way overpriced. They should be $2.99 max.
An employee at Taco Bell told me they’re going to start testing out Taco Bell delivery some time this year.
I tried the bacon ranch chickstar and unfortunately was not a fan. The flavor was overwhelmingly of bacon bits. And yes, for some reason I think bacon bits taste different from regular bacon! I know it’s not supposed to be a Crunchwrap, but I couldn’t help but feel that it needed the crunchy tostada thing in the center. Oh well, I guess I”ll stick to Crunchwrap Supreme in the future.
I too tried the Bacon Ranch ChickStar (and had the same amount of embarrassment as the OP did when ordering a silly sounding item, and my mouth didn’t form the words properly so the Taco Bell employee probably thought I was drunk) and was also, not a fan. Each bite had some different flavor — the thing was hard to hold, and the chicken was more breading than chicken and was just odd all around. I’d give it a shot again with one of the different flavors, but I was hoping beyond hope that this would be like my beloved Long John Silver’s “Two-Fisted Wraps” of yesteryear (alas, not even close).
Ooooh. I was hoping to find a close-up of the chicken.. when I heard it was a formed patty, I pictured Burger King’s chicken flavored sponge. Now I see it’s just like a chicken nugget.. Must try it now.
The way to avoid saying the silly product names is to use the mobile app to order. It also provides freebies and discounts.
I’ve never yet had a Taco Bell not receive my mobile order, and most confusion is out of the system by now.
The BBQ Chickstar is fabulous. Sometimes the sauce isn’t spread around enough but it might be my favorite barbecue sauce that any restaurant has. It has a slight kick, is perfectly tangy, and compliments the crunchy chicken really nicely. For the first time ever, I find myself craving TBell a lot after trying that.
I give this review a 10/10…I am still laughing
This review is hilarious- thumbs up to Kevin!
“white and dense, like a U.S. congressman”
This review is gold. A+.
I had a bacon ranch chickstar and a chipotle. I think if they combined the two and dropped the ranch they might have something awesome.
I found the chicken to be underwhelming though. Just huge chicken nuggets that make the food harder to eat than it should be.
Way to expensive for a flour tortilla and two chicken strips. As you said, you can get a couple chicken sandwiches for cheaper than the price of one of these. Definitely no sale here.
If you don’t want to say Chick Star, you could just order this on the Taco Bell app. That’s what I did.
When are you going to feature the ChickStar series again? I found them to be the best thing you have ever had and if you would keep them on the menu forever, I would be there every day, eating one of them. Bravo to these.
Best product I ever tasted at taco bell dont know why stupid ppl hate it. Taco bell please please please bring this product back. I loved mango spicy chickstar sauce thing it was delicious.