- Taco Bell is bringing back its Crispy Chicken Nuggets nationwide on January 22.
- The return includes a new sauce: Hidden Valley Diablo Ranch, made with Taco Bell’s Diablo sauce.
- Nuggets will be sold in 5- and 10-piece options plus combo meals.
At this point, I’m basically Delish’s unofficial Taco Bell correspondent, and honestly? I’m not mad about it. New menu items, surprise drops, and taste tests for the sake of editorial (definitely not my diet) have kind of become a regular part of my routine. So when Taco Bell announced that its Crispy Chicken Nuggets are coming back, I knew I had to put it into words.
After first landing on menus last year, Taco Bell says it’s sold more than 70 million crispy chicken items since launch, with crispy chicken helping drive nearly a quarter of the brand’s new customers in 2025. The nuggets quickly became one of those cult-favorite fast food items that people kept asking about even after they disappeared.
Now they’re officially returning on January 22, and they’re showing up with a brand-new sauce situation: Hidden Valley Diablo Ranch. It’s a spicy remix that combines Hidden Valley’s classic creamy ranch with Taco Bell’s Diablo sauce, meaning it’s built for anyone who likes their ranch with a real kick.
“Over the past year, our crispy chicken has built a loyal fanbase faster than we could’ve imagined — and we’re just getting started,” said Liz Matthews, Taco Bell’s Global Chief Food Innovation Officer. “Bringing back Crispy Chicken Nuggets while leveling up our collab with Hidden Valley Ranch is our way of doubling down on what fans are clearly craving: big flavor, bold heat, and unexpected twists that only Taco Bell can deliver.”
Hidden Valley is leaning into the heat, too. “Our goal was simple: take the ranch fans love and give it a fiery upgrade worthy of Taco Bell’s bold flavors,” said Michelle Amador, Head of Away-From-Home Sales & Partnerships at Hidden Valley Ranch. “Hidden Valley Diablo Ranch Sauce delivers on that promise with a perfect balance of cool and heat.”
As for the nuggets themselves, they’re made with all-white-meat chicken and coated in Taco Bell’s signature tortilla-chip-flaked breading, which is a big reason they’ve felt different from your standard fast food nugget lineup.
Here’s exactly what’s on the menu:
- 5-piece Crispy Chicken Nuggets — $4.49 (choice of 1 sauce)
- 10-piece Crispy Chicken Nuggets — $7.49 (choice of 2 sauces)
- 10-piece Crispy Chicken Nuggets Combo — $9.49 (nuggets, fries, large drink, 2 sauces)
- Nugget Deluxe Combo — $11.49 (5 nuggets and 1 sauce, Beef Chalupa, Crunchy Taco, fries with nacho cheese, large drink)
If you needed a reason to hit Taco Bell again this month—as if someone should ever need a reason—you just got a pretty big one.
Originally published at Delish
