Click for Original Story (Business Insider)
Taco Bell has a new menu item that puts it in competition with chicken chains like Chick-fil-A and Popeyes.
Taco Bell said it would begin testing its new crispy tortilla chicken tenders in Houston, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, on Thursday before launching the menu item nationally next year. Customers can try the tenders in a taco for $2, or get two tenders for $3 or three tenders for $4. They can also get them in the chain’s $5 and $7 boxes.
Taco Bell said it tested more than 100 versions of the chicken tenders before deciding on the final recipe.
The new chicken tenders are marinated in a jalapeño buttermilk mixture, giving them a slightly spicy kick. They’re coated in tortilla-chip crumbs and served with a new sauce. When Business Insider’s Kate Taylor recently tried the new menu item at Taco Bell’s headquarters, she remarked that the sauce’s flavor profile was somewhat similar to sauces at Chick-fil-A or Raising Cane’s.
Many fast-food chains are trying to find innovative ways to serve up chicken — whether it’s between two Popeyes buns, dunked in Chick-fil-A sauce, or dripping in Nashville hot oil — and Taco Bell is no exception.
With the addition of chicken tenders to its menu, the California-based chain is poised to compete with popular chicken chains like Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, and Raising Cane’s, which have all seen growth recently.
Raising Cane’s saw systemwide sales growth of 22.5% last year, making it one of the fastest-growing chains in America, according to Nation’s Restaurant News data. Chick-fil-A, meanwhile, reigned supreme as America’s favorite fast-food chain in a recent Business Insider survey.
However, Popeyes made more waves than any other chicken chain in 2019 with its chicken sandwich, which has dominated the scene since relaunching after initially selling out.
We can only wait in anticipation to see whether the Taco Bell chicken-tender taco will cause just as much of a stir.
Why do they feel the need to compete? They’re a totally different menu
Lynette Marie Yum Brands owns Taco Bell and KFC. Now that the competition is killing Kentucky Fried, they’ll just add some hot sauce and call it Mexican.
Man drop the chicken and bring back the 79¢ pre-cheez whiz Chilito. Those things had more beef and cheddar than a Hickory Farms mall kiosk. Shit, charge me five bucks a piece, and I’ll still buy ’em when I’m all bound up. No mixing with water, and they came out the same way they went in! Those things beat Miralax like a red-headed adopted child.
Liz Rauscher Greg Mcnally Jennie McNally
Sarah Bernardes
Kristy White omg i heard i can’t wait!!
Meanwhile, they got rid of several burritos and other items that fit the brand much better. I know Taco Bell isn’t authentic Mexican, but I liked them better when they were closer to it. They’re going to risk cannibalizing the business of fellow Yum Brands chain KFC with this strategy.
Ryan Alec !!!!!!!
Joey Nardo
Amanda Volk game changer
Charles L. Reynolds whaaaaaaaa ???
huge earth-shattering news
Amy Piasecki
Patrick Boyle ?
James Kaleta
Joe Zinn Kenneth Dellapietro Christie Mac Jamie Nichols ?
Natasha Morano yaaaaaaasssssssss
Briana Cuesta Jillian Hughes Amanda O’Grady
Shane Pajak
I’m in
Brandon Chapman
Sue Dembinski ?? we have to wait til next year though
Jacqueline Rose hahaha yeah we do
Tommy Aumack
Adam Gregory
Patrick Volk no thanks.. lol
Adam Gregory who you kidding you will eat them.
Patrick Volk damn right I would! Lmao