The Mexican-inspired fast-food chain Taco Bell has been serving fries every now and then since 2018, but that may soon change after the company recently revealed that it is considering permanently adding fries to its menu.
“People that go to lunch want to have French fries. We know that. So we’re looking at and testing bringing fries permanently onto the menu, which would increase our lunch business dramatically,” Taco Bell CEO Mark King said during an investor event in December 2022.
The idea of making fries a permanent Taco Bell menu item stems from the chain’s effort to attract more customers during breakfast and lunch.
“If you were to look at how we compete against McDonald’s in dinner and late night, we’re absolutely even. When you look at breakfast and lunch, we’re significantly behind,” King said. “We’ve been in and out of breakfast for seven years. It’s time to commit to it. We are committed to closing both of those gaps and have big opportunities in just those two dayparts to increase business in the coming years.”
What are Taco Bell fries called?
Taco Bell fries are called Nacho Fries. They debuted as a limited-time menu item at Taco Bell restaurants across the United States in 2018, selling over 50 million orders in its first five weeks on the menu. The seasonal yet beloved Taco Bell menu item has since come back over the years, including in 2019, which was just one year after its launch.
Given the consistent success of Nacho Fries during their occasional runs, it’s quite surprising that Taco Bell has waited this long to consider adding them permanently to its menu. While Taco Bell could potentially steal some customers of McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, and Wendy’s by making its Nacho Fries a permanent menu item, CNN noted that doing so means the chain will lose one of its most popular seasonal items that can effectively create buzz and give customers a reason to place an order or visit restaurants in person.
What are Taco Bell Nacho Fries?
Nacho Fries are deep-fried potatoes seasoned with bold Mexican spices and served with warm nacho cheese sauce. They are also currently available in the form of 7-Layer Nacho Fries, which are golden, crispy Nacho Fries piled high with black beans, diced tomatoes, reduced-fat sour cream, warm nacho cheese sauce, creamy chipotle sauce, shredded cheeses, seasoned beef, and topped with guacamole.
Nacho Fries can be paired with a variety of Taco Bell menu items to create a satisfying meal. Some of the Taco Bell menu items that go well with Nacho Fries include Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito, Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme, Beefy Nacho Griller, Cheesy Gordita Crunch, and Spicy Potato Soft Taco.
In 2020, Taco Bell released a Buffalo Chicken version of Nacho Fries for a limited time. A year later, the chain introduced Loaded TRUFF Nacho Fries, which are Nacho Fries covered in TRUFF sauce, marinated, grilled steak, nacho cheese sauce, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and reduced-fat sour cream. The restaurant company even tested a version of nacho fries topped with steak and ranch sauce in the past.
Taco Bell has yet to reveal which of these Nacho Fries fan-favorite menu items will become a permanent offering. The chain is also tight-lipped on what kind of tests it’s currently conducting.
Are Taco Bell Nacho Fries back?
As of March 2023, Taco Bell Nacho Fries are not available in the U.S. But according to Taste of Home, the fan-favorite side dish returned to the chain’s menu for a limited time in October 2022, following a brief comeback from March to April earlier that year.
While waiting for the return of Nacho Fries, fans who are craving some potatoes can order Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes at the nearest Taco Bell location either in-store or drive-thru — or online through the Taco Bell app — as an alternative.
Are Taco Bell fries vegan?
According to VegNews, Nacho Fries are vegan-friendly when consumed without cheese sauce.
Are Taco Bell fries gluten-free?
According to Taco Bell’s website, the chain does not claim “gluten-free” for any of its food. While some Taco Bell menu items are made without gluten-containing ingredients, they are prepared in common kitchen areas, including common fryer oil, risking gluten exposure.
