Taco Bell's New Cantina Chicken Menu Arrives

Taco Bell adds a second chicken option to the menu with the national launch of the new Cantina Chicken menu. According to the fast food chain, the new protein option is a "flavorful chicken that's been slow-roasted with a savory seasoning of Mexican spices including garlic, onions, and a variety of chilies."

Taco Bell also offers marinated, grilled chicken on the menu but hasn't offered a second chicken option since they discontinued shredded chicken back in 2020.

But that's not all the Cantina Chicken menu brings to Taco Bell. The new fast food menu also sees the addition of new shredded purple cabbage, daily-fried white corn tortilla shells, daily-made pico de gallo, and Avocado Verde Salsa packets.

The pico de gallo sounds fairly traditional with a combination of tomatoes, onion, and, cilantro with vinegar and citrus juices. It sounds almost identical to the pico de gallo that Taco Bell once offered as part of the since-discontinued Cantina Bell menu back in 2012. The Cantina Bell menu was a Chipotle-like menu that, like the Cantina Chicken menu, saw a glut of new ingredients being added to the Taco Bell menu, including guacamole, fire-roasted corn salsa, cilantro-lime rice, citrus and herb marinated chicken, and more. The Cantina Bell menu launch was also when bowls first appeared on the Taco Bell menu.

The new Avocado Verde Salsa is a premium-priced sauce packet included with Cantina Chicken menu items but otherwise costs extra (it costs 20 cents near me). It was made to complement the new fast food menu items and features tomatillos, green chili peppers, and avocado pulp.

Taco Bell's new Cantina Chicken menu is available now and includes the following items (each comes with one packet of Avocado Verde Salsa):

• Cantina Chicken Crispy Taco - A white-corn taco shell coated with a layer of grilled cheese on the outside and filled with Cantina Chicken, Creamy Jalapeño sauce, and a 3-cheese blend. It carries a suggested price of $2.99.
• Cantina Chicken Quesadilla - Cantina Chicken, 3-cheese blend, and Creamy Chipotle sauce folded in a warm flour tortilla, layered on the outside with more 3-cheese blend and then grilled-pressed. Guacamole and reduced-fat sour cream are included on the side for dipping. It's priced at $6.49.
• Cantina Chicken Soft Taco - Cantina Chicken, Avocado Ranch Sauce, iceberg lettuce, shredded purple cabbage, shredded cheddar cheese, and pico de gallo, served in a folded soft flour tortilla.  The suggested price comes out to $2.99.
• Cantina Chicken Burrito - A double portion of Cantina Chicken, iceberg lettuce, shredded purple cabbage, Avocado Ranch sauce, Creamy Chipotle sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, and pico de gallo, wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla. It carries a suggested price of $5.99.
• Cantina Chicken Bowl - A bowl filled with Cantina Chicken, black beans, seasoned rice, iceberg lettuce, shredded purple cabbage, Avocado Ranch Sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, and shredded cheddar cheese. The suggested price of the Cantina Chicken Bowl comes out to $7.99.

As a promotion for the new menu, Taco Bell Rewards members (who were members as of February 9, 2024) can find a limited-time deal good for a free Cantina Chicken Crispy Taco when signed into their account. The offer is good through April 4, 2024.

I'm planning on trying and reviewing the Cantina Chicken menu items soon so feel free to let me know in the comments what items I should try first.

Photo via Taco Bell.