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Taco Bell’s Beefy Crunch Burrito back on the menuTaco Bell’s Beefy Crunch Burrito back on the menu

The chain is also testing a new item with the “Naked Chicken” protein

Nancy Luna, Senior editor, Nation's Restaurant News

September 13, 2018

2 Min Read
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Rumors have been swirling on the internet in recent weeks about the pending comeback of Taco Bell fan favorite, the Beefy Crunch Burrito.

On Thursday, the Irvine, Calif.-based chain confirmed that the burrito is back after a two-year hiatus. Taco Bell is bringing back the burrito as a combo special for $2, which includes a Baja Blast beverage. Without the medium size drink, the burrito is $1.49.

The burrito is made with the brand’s signature spicy ground beef and Flamin’ Hot Fritos. It most recently was on the menu as a limited-time offer in 2016.

Richard Axton, a superfan who runs the Facebook page “Beefy Crunch Movement,” has known about the return for a few weeks.

For Axton and his 72,000 followers, the return can’t come soon enough.

“I am extremely excited for everyone to be able to get a chance to reunite with the BCB. Appreciate Taco Bell for making this happen in the short term as we await the report for the long-term outlook of the BCB in 2019 and beyond,” Axton told Nation’s Restaurant News in a statement.

Axton, who lives in Salinas, Calif., launched the Facebook page in May 2011, hoping to convince Taco Bell to make the on-and-off LTO a permanent addition to the menu.

On Thursday, Taco Bell announced other menu news that should make fans of the Naked Chicken Chalupa happy.

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Restaurants in Kansas City, Mo. are testing a “The Chicken Tortada” starting Thursday.  The square-shaped grilled burrito is stuffed with seasoned chicken, vegetables and choice of avocado-ranch or mango-habanero sauce. Cost: $2.49. The chicken is breaded and fried like the Naked Chicken Chalupa, a popular LTO that is no longer on the menu.

But Mark Kalinowski of Kalinowski Equity Research, he said he’s obtained information about the taco’s return. The Naked Chicken Chalupa, a taco with a fried chicken shell, will return in early January, along with a new limited-time-only $1 burrito, he wrote this week.

Contact Nancy Luna at [email protected] 

Follow her on Twitter: @FastFoodMaven

About the Author

Nancy Luna

Senior editor, Nation's Restaurant News

Nancy Luna is a senior editor at Nation's Restaurant News and a contributing editor at Supermarket News. She covers the industry's largest and most talked about fast-food brands including McDonald's, Starbucks, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Subway. She is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years reporting experience. As a veteran business reporter based in Southern California, Nancy has covered some of the country's most beloved food and retail brands including In-N-Out, Taco Bell, Trader Joe's, Aldi, Whole Foods Market, Target and Costco. Luna is a graduate of Cal State Fullerton. When she's not digging for news on her beat, you can find Nancy regaling her fans about her latest dining adventures on her Fast Food Maven social media channels. Contact [email protected]  or follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/fastfoodmaven

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