We Tried That: The Cheesy Chicken Crispenada Is Taco Bell's Take on a Popular Dish

It's not every day that Taco Bell releases a new menu item. But is every month or so that the fast food chain comes out with something new for customers to eat up (literally) before it has a chance to go viral. In February 2024, one of those new menu items is Taco Bell's cheesy chicken crispenada. And we tried it out so see if it could be the fast favorite that people expect it to be.

The crispenada is described as a "a delicate pastry dough crisped to perfection and filled with shredded chicken and melty three-cheese blend." It comes with a side of spicy ranch dipping sauce, though it may be even better with that iconic Taco Bell quesadilla sauce, to be honest. Still, this is a menu item that is totally different from the usual tacos and layered burritos that we're all accustomed to.

The crispenada is Taco Bell's take on the otherwise classic empanada. Except in this case, the outer dough is extra crispy, which sets it apart from the kind of empanada you are likely used to. How did they do this at a fast food joint, you ask? Probably that handy deep fryer, of course. And it adds way more of a crunch that you probably never knew you needed from empanadas in general.

My first impression of the crispenada was that it was pretty small. OK, that may be a little unimportant, but with fast food meals, size matters. Though in this case, after I got over that, the flavor more than made up for it. The outer layer of the crispenada held up on the drive home from picking it up, and it maintained a solid crunch with every bite.

The inside was plenty cheesy, which is another must for fast food menu items that promise cheesy goodness. And honestly, the spicy ranch that comes with it is fine, but the crispenada works with or without it. My crispenada was just $3.49 and that sauce comes at no extra charge.

Taco Bell is always releasing new menu items, whether they're here for a limited time, or they're permanent additions. Either way, it's hard for Taco Bell's most dedicated customers not to get excited over what they can try next. In February 2024, the fast food giant announced plans to roll out a handful of other items, in addition to the crispenada.

These include Taco Bell chicken nuggets, cheesy street chalupas, and MTN Dew Baja Blast gelato. There's also the Baja Blast pie, which made its first appearance at a Live Mas event which someone shared on Instagram. As of right now, the pie isn't available on Taco Bell menus for the general public. However, you can get the crispenada now at participating Taco Bell locations nationwide.