- Taco Bell is bringing back its Crispy Chicken Nuggets on January 22, this time served with a new Hidden Valley Diablo Ranch that blends creamy ranch flavor with smoky heat.
- Made from white meat chicken and coated in a crispy tortilla chip breading, the nuggets will be available in 5- and 10-piece servings.
- Following their debut in late 2024, the crispy chicken lineup has become one of Taco Bell’s fastest-growing categories, driving a quarter of new customers and more than 70 million orders in the past year.
Great news: Crispy chicken nuggets are back at Taco Bell, and they’re returning with a spicy new sidekick.
According to a press release shared with Food & Wine, you can order your crispy chicken with a side of Hidden Valley Diablo Ranch starting January 22. This fiery new sauce, which builds on the success of the original Hidden Valley Fire Ranch, offers a “spicy remix” of “creamy ranch flavor” alongside the “smoky heat of Taco Bell’s fan-favorite Diablo sauce.” Consider it the best of both flavorful worlds, if you will.
As a refresher, these bite-sized nuggets (available in 5- and 10-piece orders) are made with white-meat chicken and coated in crispy tortilla-chip breading. Taco Bell has deepened its footprint in the crispy chicken department over the past year, churning out Crispy Chicken Strips, Cantina-style tacos, and collaborative sauces galore. When the brand unveiled its plan for crispy chicken during its Live Más conference last March, it underscored its commitment to the entree for the upcoming year — and it certainly delivered.
The nuggets were first introduced in December 2024, alongside a Hidden Valley Fire Ranch Sauce. Taco Bell’s biggest fans have been singing the praises of those limited-time nuggets online, so it’s a welcome sight to see them return to the menu. In fact, more than 70 million crispy chicken orders have been sold in the past year, and Taco Bell HQ says there’s no sign of slowing down.
Courtesy of Taco Bell
“Fueled by nonstop crispy chicken innovations across nuggets, strips, tacos, and burritos, and a slate of blockbuster sauce collaborations with Mike’s Hot Honey, Frank’s RedHot, and Hidden Valley Ranch, our Crispy Chicken journey is just getting started,” a spokesperson tells Food & Wine. “Crispy Chicken remains a long-term focus for us that’s connecting with both new fans and longtime loyalists.”
The California-based company says roughly 25% of new customers are driven by orders for crispy chicken, suggesting a possible new direction for the brand. The side of sauce was also carefully considered for Taco Bell’s rollout: During the first national launch of Crispy Chicken Nuggets, Taco Bell said its development team tested more than 100 variations of those three initial sauces. Perfection takes time, it seems.
Courtesy of Taco Bell
When the brand teamed up with Frank’s RedHot in October 2025 to expand its crispy chicken lineup, it underscored its commitment to the category. That seems to have paid off for the brand, according to the latest press release.
“Over the past year, our crispy chicken has built a loyal fanbase faster than we could’ve imagined — and we’re just getting started,” Liz Matthews, Taco Bell’s global chief food innovation officer, said in this month’s announcement.
And if Taco Bell’s chicken streak is any indication, the menu’s only getting bolder from here.
Taco Bell’s Crispy Chicken Nugget Menu
- 5-Piece Crispy Chicken Nuggets: Order of nuggets with one sauce, $4.49
- 10-Piece Crispy Chicken Nuggets: Order of nuggets with two sauces, $7.49
- 10-Piece Crispy Chicken Nuggets Combo: Order of nuggets with fries, a large fountain drink, and two sauces, $9.49
- Nuggets Deluxe Combo: Five-piece nuggets, Beef Chalupa, Crunchy Taco, Regular Fries with Nacho Cheese, one sauce, and a large drink, $11.49
