Taco Bell crispy chicken strips and their taco and burrito versions are now on the menu, along with sunny new Refrescas drinks. We recently picked up an order of their new offerings to give them a try.

Crispy Chicken Strips

Trying the chicken strips on their own left much to be desired. The breading was crispy and I could taste a bit of seasoning, but the strips themselves were pretty small. Taco Bell’s avocado ranch sauce was needed to add a punch of flavor.

Avocado Ranch Crispy Chicken Taco

The taco version features a single chicken strip with a pile of fresh toppings inside a soft shell. While the vegetables added a nice freshness, our taco was missing avocado ranch so it was underwhelming. Unfortunately, they also didn’t have the green chile queso for the nachos I ordered so I wasn’t able to taste test that. Since this chicken taco was fairly small, it would be an okay snack but not a meal (at least for an adult).

Avocado Ranch Crispy Chicken Burrito

The burrito, slightly larger and grilled shut, included two chicken
strips and, crucially, the avocado ranch. The balance of textures and flavors here is more robust than in the taco, making it a more filling and enjoyable menu item.

Strawberry Passionfruit Agua Refresca

This Refresca came with a sprinkle of freeze-dried strawberries on top. The floral passionfruit flavor was more pronounced, but the strawberry was detectable. It was light on sugar, which made it pretty refreshing. I saw on the Taco Bell website that there is also green tea in these Refrescas, but I didn’t notice it much.

Mango Peach Agua Refresca

The Mango Peach Agua Refresca came with a sprinkle of freeze-dried mango pieces on top. It had a light, fresh flavor that was easy to keep coming back to. There was an equal balance of light mango and peach notes.

While I wasn’t a big fan of Taco Bell’s latest chicken strip offerings, the Refrescas were refreshing and not too sugary—the highlight of our meal. I’d suggest to give them a try, especially during their happy hour between 2-5 p.m. when they’re $2 each.

I also got the McDonald’s snack wrap to review, so that will be coming soon.