Taco Bell is looking to capitalize more on the successful return of Mexican Pizza by testing two new varieties of the beloved menu item.
According to CNN, the fast-food chain is selling a Cheesy Jalapeño Mexican Pizza in select Taco Bell locations in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The press release obtained by the news outlet described this new version of Mexican Pizza as “cheesier and spicier,” thanks to its generous amount of nacho cheese sauce and spicy jalapeño slices. This variety costs $4.99 to $5.49 depending on the restaurant.
Taco Bell customers in Omaha, Nebraska can also order a Triple Crunch Mexican Pizza, which has three layers instead of the usual two. Priced at $5.99, the “more to love” version also has twice the beans and beef, according to the chain.
Both limited-time pizzas have been available in the said areas since December 22nd, 2022. And as is the case with all menu item testing, both dishes have the potential to become available across the United States in the future if they perform well during the test.
Taco Bell Mexican Pizza ingredients
If you haven’t tried the original Mexican Pizza yet, the fan-favorite dish features seasoned ground beef and refried beans between two Mexican Pizza shells with Mexican Pizza sauce, three-cheese blend, and tomatoes on top. Below is the breakdown of the menu item’s ingredients:
Mexican Pizza Sauce: Water, diced tomatoes, diced green chilies, modified food starch, onions, sugar, tomato paste, spices, salt, maltodextrin, paprika (VC), garlic powder, xanthan gum, onion powder, disodium inosinate & guanylate, natural flavors, trehalose, citric acid.
Mexican Pizza Shell: Enriched bleached wheat flour, water, ground corn (with fumaric acid, calcium propionate and potassium sorbate (P)), vegetable oil (corn, soybean, and/or cottonseed oil), salt. Prepared in canola oil. Contains: Wheat
Refried Beans: Pinto beans, soybean oil, seasoning (salt, sugar, spice, beet powder (VC), natural flavors, sunflower oil, maltodextrin, corn flour, trehalose, modified cornstarch).
Seasoned Beef: Ground beef, water, seasoning [cellulose, chili pepper, maltodextrin, salt, oats, soy lecithin, spices, tomato powder, sugar, onion powder, citric acid, natural flavors (including smoke flavor), torula yeast, cocoa, disodium inosinate & guanylate, dextrose, lactic acid, modified corn starch], salt, sodium phosphates. Contains: Soy
Three Cheese Blend: Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Pasteurized Process Monterey Jack, and American Cheese with Peppers (Cultured Milk, Cultured Part-Skim Milk, Water, Cream, Salt, Sodium Citrate, Jalapeno Peppers, Sodium Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Sorbic Acid [P], Color Added, Annatto and Paprika Extract Blend [VC], Enzymes), Anticaking Agents (Potato Starch, Cornstarch, Powdered Cellulose). Contains: Milk
Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes.
Calories in Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
An order of original Mexican pizza has 530 calories. It also has 29g of fat, 40mg of cholesterol, 940mg of sodium, 49g of carbohydrates, and 19 g of protein.
Is Taco Bell Mexican Pizza gluten-free?
Taco Bell does not claim “gluten-free” for any of its menu items. While some of the chain’s dishes are made without gluten-containing ingredients, they are all prepared in common kitchen areas, including common fryer oil, risking gluten exposure.
Taco Bell Mexican Pizza return date
Originally called Pizzazz Pizza, when its recipe also included black olives and green onions, Taco Bell Mexican Pizza was first introduced in 1985 and had since become a longtime staple on the chain’s menu. It, however, was one of the several menu items that were discontinued in 2020 as the restaurant looked to streamline its offerings during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
That menu streamlining aimed to make the company’s kitchens more efficient and to significantly cut down its packaging waste. At the time, Taco Bell noted that Mexican Pizza’s paperboard packaging had a significant environmental impact.
After a two-year hiatus, Mexican Pizza returned to Taco Bell’s menu in May 2022. The dish’s comeback was primarily made possible by Krish Jagirdar’s Change.org petition that earned over 170,000+ signatures, as well as the viral pleas of several celebrities like Doja Cat and Dolly Parton to bring back the beloved menu item.
But less than two weeks after its much-awaited return, Mexican Pizza became temporarily available due to high demand. Taco Bell revealed at the time that “demand for the Mexican Pizza was seven times higher than when it was last on menus.”
Following a three-month absence, Mexican Pizza came back to the menu as a permanent item on September 15th, 2022.
Taco Bell Mexican Pizza price
Available for dine-in, take-out, delivery, or via drive-thru, an a la carte order of Mexican Pizza costs $4.69. The chain also offers a $9.19 Mexican Pizza Combo, which includes one Mexican Pizza, two Crunchy Tacos Supreme, and a large fountain drink. There’s also a Mexican Pizza Meal for 2 that costs $12.50. This value meal includes two Mexican Pizzas, two Bean Burritos, one Nachos BellGrande, and two orders of Cinnamon Twists.