Review: Taco Bell - Loaded Beef Nachos

Taco Bell's Loaded Beef Nachos sees a bed of crunchy tortilla chips topped with seasoned ground beef, refried beans, reduced-fat sour cream, nacho cheese sauce, red sauce, and guacamole. They're part of Taco Bell's new $3 or Less Cravings Value Menu.

An order of the new nachos cost me $2.99.

While not as big as Taco Bell's Nachos Bell Grande, the Loaded Beef Nachos provide a good amount of nachos that comes in the same container as the Mexican Pizza (and certainly seems like a bigger portion than I got in the same container with the Grilled Cheese Nachos Fries).

The toppings for the nachos make for a familiar combination but it's been some time since Taco Bell last offered red sauce on some nachos and it's a welcomed addition that adds some tang and zip to the equation.

The chips were crunchy and held up relatively well. The seasoned beef added the signature savory notes that underpins a bulk of the Taco Bell menu, while the beans delivered a welcomed earthy note.

The cheese was mild and creamy with a bare touch of heat while the guacamole contributed a fresh, slightly citrusy richness.

The sour cream was a bit of a common throw-in that didn't do much. On my hierarchy of nacho toppings, it's definitely at the bottom and my reasoning goes like this: If you were to just eat chips and the ingredient, would you like it? And, I would say yes to everything but the sour cream. Chips and beef? Good. Chips and guac. Good. Chips and beans? Good. Chips and sour cream. Meh. And yes, chips and red sauce are also good.

Oddly, you get more components with the Loaded Beef Nachos than you see on the premium-end Nachos Bell Grande (which comes topped with nacho cheese, seasoned beef, diced tomatoes, and sour cream). Considering that the only other nacho offering at Taco Bell is "Chips and Nacho Cheese Sauce," which comes in a smaller portion and costs $2.49 or so (depending on your location), and you'll probably come to the conclusion that Loaded Beef Nachos is currently the nachos of choice at Taco Bell. It's nothing groundbreaking but the newest nachos offer a combination of value and variety on the Taco Bell menu that's very compelling.

Nutritional Info - Taco Bell Loaded Beef Nachos
Calories - 440 (from Fat - 220)
Fat - 24g (Saturated Fat - 5g)
Sodium - 910mg
Carbs - 44g (Sugar - 3g)
Protein - 12g