Well, it was only a matter of time, I suppose: Taco Bell has finally taken it’s Naked Chicken Chalupa national.
For those of you not in the know, the product’s first trial run was in Bakersfield, California, in 2015, with a second go-at-it in Kansas City, Missouri, last year. And while Taco Bell has hit us with a LOT of unusual menu offerings over the years (three words, folks: Cap’n Crunch Delights) a lot of people on social media thought T.B. was hoaxing ‘em this time around – I mean, really, a chicken chalupa?
No, it’s not a chalupa with chicken in it. The chicken itself is the chalupa. And if the same mad geniuses who brought us the Beefy Fritos Crunch Burritos and Waffle Tacos decided it was nigh time for Americans to eat a giant rolled up chicken patty with lettuce and avocado ranch dressing inside it, then by golly, it’s probably time to for us to eat some giant rolled up chicken patties with lettuce and avocado ranch dressing inside it.
Like the Doritos Locos Tacos, each Naked Chicken Chalupa comes with its own snazzy (and sturdy) paper holder. The chicken shell/patty itself is pretty darn big – about four ounces of rolled up breaded white meat, speckled with some traditional Mexican herbs and spices. There’s definitely some heat to it, but for those of you with tamer tastebuds, it probably won’t torch your tongue that much.
On the inside, we’ve got your usual Taco Bell stuffings – chopped lettuce, some diced tomatoes, a sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese, and a hearty dollop of avocado ranch dressing holding everything together (sorry, those of you who expected a scoop of seasoned ground beef to be in there, too.)
All in all, it’s a pretty satisfying product that doesn’t taste anywhere near as weird as you’d imagine. In fact, you really don’t even feel the missing tortilla or hard shell after a couple of bites, and thankfully, the chicken patty isn’t oily or greasy so you don’t have to worry about poultry juice staining your khakis.
While Taco Bell’s breaded chicken can’t compete with the grand lions of fast food chicken sandwiches (Chick-fil-A, you have nothing to worry about here), the shell does have a very robust flavor and is surprisingly juicy. Nor does it taste terribly salty, which has always been my biggest complaint with the lower-tier fast food chicken patties out there.
Your mileage may vary on the avocado ranch dressing – I would’ve preferred a spicier chipotle sauce – but believe it or not, this thing doesn’t taste all that much different from your standard chicken taco.
Huh. Who would’ve thought the absolute strangest thing about quite possibly the strangest Taco Bell L-T-O offering ever would be just how peculiarly normal it actually is?
(Nutrition Facts – 440 calories, 270 calories from fat, 30 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 1,090 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of dietary fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar and 20 grams of protein..)
Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: The chicken shell is big, juicy and flavorful. You can eat it without getting grease on everything within a one-mile radius. The avocado ranch dressing adds a nice little zing.
Cons: It really doesn’t taste that much different from a regular chicken taco. A couple of other in-house dressings probably would’ve been better choices. Staying up all night wondering what would’ve happened if I had asked the manager to put grilled chicken inside my chicken chalupa.
What would happen if you asked for grilled chicken? They’d charge you an extra $1.20 (may depend on the franchisee) and give you a scoop of grilled chicken in it. Personally I hold the avocado and add nacho cheese.
soooo this is the tex-mex approach of cordon bleu? 😉
There’s no ham anywhere
Why stop there? Do a Taco Bell version of the Meat Mountain that Arby’s offered a few years ago by ordering ALL of the meats on Taco Bell’s menu! 2.99 for the base chicken chalupa plus Ground beef (. 60) shredded chicken (1.30) regular chicken (. 60) steak (1.30) bringing your total to 6.79 for a Carnivore Naked Chicken Chalupa!!
I like the cut of your jib
I ordered on the app and switched the avacado ranch to spicy ranch and added bacon for .50 cents. LOVED IT! They also have a new airheads blue raspberry freeze instead of the airheads white mystery one now
i have to disagree with the size. for almost 3.00 i think its too small.
Yep, but the sweet spot seems to be, get the box meal for $5, which adds 2 tacos and a medium drink.
I’m thinking simple…that chicken shell with the diced grilled chicken and the nacho cheese sauce.
I just really miss the nacho cheese chicken chalupa.
I tried this a few moments ago, I didn’t know the shell would be chicken instead of the regular taco shell. I love this. I love the flavor of the chicken and it’s very feeling.
It was a little lackluster, but with a sprinkle of salt and a little mayo (from somewhere else, TB doesn’t have mayo), it was actually delicous!