Taco Bell’s crunchy chicken taco is a fast food taco made with a crunchy corn tortilla shell filled with breaded white meat chicken, lettuce, cheese, and creamy ranch sauce. It was introduced by Taco Bell in 2021 as a new menu item addition. Here we’ll take a closer look at the ingredients and nutrition facts behind this popular fast food taco option.
What are the ingredients in a Taco Bell crunchy chicken taco?
Here are the main ingredients that go into making a Taco Bell crunchy chicken taco:
- Tortilla – A crispy, hexagon-shaped corn tortilla shell
- Chicken – All white meat chicken that is breaded and fried
- Lettuce – Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Cheese – A shredded three cheese blend
- Sauce – Creamy ranch dressing
The crispy tortilla shell provides a satisfying crunch and holds all the fillings. The white meat chicken is breaded and fried until crisp. Shredded lettuce adds freshness and crunch. The shredded cheese blend melts over the hot chicken and other taco components. Finally, the creamy ranch sauce adds a rich, cooling contrast to the crunchy chicken and other ingredients.
What are the nutrition facts for a crunchy chicken taco?
Here are the nutrition facts for a Taco Bell crunchy chicken taco:
| Nutrition Facts | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 170 |
| Total Fat | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2.5 g |
| Trans Fat | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 25 mg |
| Sodium | 480 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 16 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugars | 1 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
As you can see, one crunchy chicken taco contains 170 calories, 8g of fat, 480mg of sodium, 16g of carbohydrates, and 8g of protein. It provides a decent hit of protein thanks to the chicken, as well as 2g of fiber from the whole grain corn tortilla.
What are the ingredients in Taco Bell’s chicken?
Taco Bell states that the breaded chicken used in their crunchy chicken tacos is made from all white meat chicken. Here are the basic ingredients used in their breaded chicken:
- Chicken breast: The chicken is made from boneless, skinless chicken breast that is sliced, diced, or minced and formed into pieces for frying.
- Breading: The breading is made from bleached wheat flour, yellow corn flour, sugar, salt, spices, leavening (baking powder), onion powder, maltodextrin, soybean oil, extractives of paprika, and other flavorings.
- Batter: The chicken pieces are dipped in a batter made of yellow corn flour, wheat flour, water, salt, leavening (baking soda and baking powder), egg whites, spice, onion powder, garlic powder, yeast extract, and flavorings.
- Cooking oil: The breaded chicken pieces are fried in a vegetable oil blend until golden brown and crispy.
The white meat chicken provides protein, while the breading and frying gives the chicken its signature crunchy texture. The spices and seasonings in the batter provide most of the chicken’s flavor.
What is the calorie and fat content of the chicken?
The Taco Bell crunchy chicken taco contains about 2.5 oz of breaded fried chicken. Here are the approximate calorie and fat amounts just for the chicken component:
- Calories: 190
- Total fat: 10g
- Saturated fat: 2g
As you can see, the breaded fried chicken accounts for most of the calories and fat content in the crunchy chicken taco. Frying adds significant calories and fat compared to grilled or roasted chicken breast.
How does Taco Bell prepare and cook the chicken?
Here is a summary of how Taco Bell likely prepares and cooks the chicken for their crunchy chicken tacos:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are sliced into smaller pieces.
- The chicken pieces are seasoned, dredged in flour and batter, then breaded in the special blend of corn and wheat flours.
- The breaded chicken pieces are arranged in baskets and lowered into hot vegetable oil to fry for 3-4 minutes until golden brown.
- The freshly fried crunchy chicken pieces are briefly drained then quickly assembled into tacos with the other ingredients.
By battering and frying the breaded chicken right before assembly, Taco Bell can ensure each crunchy chicken taco has hot, crispy, freshly fried chicken inside. The quick frying helps seal in moisture while giving the signature crunchy texture.
What does the crunchy chicken taco taste like?
Here’s a quick overview of the main flavors and textures in a Taco Bell crunchy chicken taco:
- Tortilla shell – The crispy corn tortilla shell provides a sturdy base with a pleasant toasty corn flavor.
- Chicken – The breaded white meat chicken is juicy and flavorful on the inside with a crunchy, crispy coating.
- Lettuce – The shredded lettuce adds a cool, refreshing crunch.
- Cheese – Melty, creamy cheese provides richness and binds the ingredients together.
- Ranch sauce – The creamy, tangy ranch sauce contrasts nicely with the crunchy chicken and corn shell.
Overall, the crispy chicken and tortilla shell provide satisfying texture contrasts to the cool lettuce, melty cheese, and creamy ranch sauce. The flavors combine for a tasty fast food taco experience centered around breaded fried chicken.
Do the crunchy chicken tacos contain MSG or preservatives?
Taco Bell states that their crunchy chicken tacos do not contain any added MSG or preservatives. However, here are some things to note about possible sources of MSG and preservatives:
- The crispy corn tortillas are made using a corn masa flour that likely contains some processed ingredients and preservatives to maintain freshness.
- The breaded chicken contains autolyzed yeast extract, which may contain some naturally occurring MSG.
- The shredded cheese may contain some preservatives or anti-caking agents to prevent clumping.
- The ranch sauce contains modified food starch, which can act as a preservative.
So while the crunchy chicken taco does not have added MSG or preservatives, some of the individual ingredients may contain small amounts from processing and preservation methods. However, any preservatives used would likely be present in very small quantities.
Conclusion
Taco Bell’s crunchy chicken taco provides a fast food take on classic Tex-Mex tacos. It is filled with breaded fried white meat chicken, cool shredded lettuce, melty cheese, and creamy ranch sauce inside a crispy corn tortilla. The chicken provides protein and crunch, while the toppings provide additional flavors and textures. While not the healthiest fast food option due to the fried chicken and tortilla shell, it makes for a convenient, crunchy, flavorful taco experience customizable with your favorite Taco Bell hot sauces and addons.