Taco Bell’s Entrance Into the Chicken Sandwich Wars Brings Up More Questions Than Answers

Taco Bell’s long-awaited Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco is now available for a limited time. Should you bite into one?

By Dan Bova Sep 02, 2021
Taco Bell

Ding ding! Taco Bell entered the ring today with its crispy contestant in the fast-food chicken sandwich war that has nearly torn our nation apart.

The Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco comes in a flatbread that is folded like a taco. It is filled with fried white-meat chicken that has been marinated in jalapeño buttermilk and seasoned with what Taco Bell mysteriously refers to as “bold Mexican spices.” After being rolled in a crunchy tortilla chip coating and fried, it is topped with chipotle sauce. And for the adventurous, extra jalapeños.

So, is it poised to unseat Popeyes or Chick-fil-A at the head of the crunchy chicken sandwich table? The consensus from social media snackers is that on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being “This is the best!” and 1 being “This is awful!” the Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco would score…a shrug.

Related: How Taco Bell Is Becoming the World’s Most Innovative Franchise

Most reviewers were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the chicken (including YouTuber Timmy’s Takeout) but otherwise gave it a thumbs-sideways “It’s fine.” Some wanted it to be spicier; some doubted its classification as a sandwich. And so, the big questions about the Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco remain:

Is it even a sandwich?

Social media seems divided on whether this sandwich is actually a sandwich. Twitter user Yo Quiero Taco Ballads took the only reasonable approach to answering this question. He performed a song about it:

Is it good?

Reviews across the board seem to be a resounding: “It is fine.”

Is it worth the price?

It costs $2.49. You might be able to buy a pack of gum for that price, but it definitely won’t have pickled jalapeños. So yes.

Ding ding! Taco Bell entered the ring today with its crispy contestant in the fast-food chicken sandwich war that has nearly torn our nation apart.

The Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco comes in a flatbread that is folded like a taco. It is filled with fried white-meat chicken that has been marinated in jalapeño buttermilk and seasoned with what Taco Bell mysteriously refers to as “bold Mexican spices.” After being rolled in a crunchy tortilla chip coating and fried, it is topped with chipotle sauce. And for the adventurous, extra jalapeños.

So, is it poised to unseat Popeyes or Chick-fil-A at the head of the crunchy chicken sandwich table? The consensus from social media snackers is that on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being “This is the best!” and 1 being “This is awful!” the Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco would score…a shrug.

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Dan Bova

VP of Special Projects at Entrepreneur.com
Entrepreneur Staff
Dan Bova is the VP of Special Projects at Entrepreneur.com and host of the How Success Happens podcast. He previously worked at Jimmy Kimmel Live, Maxim, and Spy magazine. His latest books for kids include This Day in History, Car and Driver's Trivia Zone, Road & Track Crew's Big & Fast Cars, The Big Little...

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