Taco Bell Testing New Cantina Crispy Chicken Tortada

It would seem like the chicken sandwich wars are not over just yet. Taco Bell is testing its own take on the chicken sandwich, the new Cantina Crispy Chicken Tortada, for a limited time in the Sacramento, California area. Testing of the new product began this week and comes after the launch of the Cantina Crispy Chicken tacos—the Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco With Avocado Ranch and the Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco with Chipotle—nationwide earlier this month.

According to Taco Bell (via Chewboom), the Cantina Crispy Chicken Tortada features a warm flour tortilla filled with premium, all-white-meat Crispy Chicken that’s marinated in bold Mexican spices, jalapeno buttermilk, rolled in crispy tortilla chip coating and topped with flavorful sauce, shredded lettuce, shredded real cheddar cheese, and freshly diced tomatoes all grilled and wrapped up to go. Think of it as a Tex-Mex take on the chicken sandwich, even though the ingredients are generally fairly similar to those in the Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco. A similar tortada, simply called the “Chicken Tortada” and featuring the Naked Chicken Chips, was tested in Kansas City, Missouri in 2018.

The testing of the Cantina Crispy Chicken Tortada is just the latest foray into chicken for Taco Bell. Last summer, the beloved fast-food chain released its Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco for a limited time following a successful test period at Taco Bell locations in Nashville and Charlotte. News of this new menu item test also isn’t the only Taco Bell news today. The brand also announced that, following a successful one-month trial run, its new monthly taco subscription service is a permanent offering.

“There’s no better way to kick off 2022, especially Taco Bell’s 60th anniversary year, than by inviting our fans to enjoy our most iconic tacos every day for 30 days, all while underscoring our commitment to digital innovation and value,” Taco Bell chief digital officer Zipporah Allen said in a press release first announcing the deal. “Tacos are in our DNA, and we’re thrilled to offer our most ordered menu item through the Taco Lover’s Pass. It’s a fun way to continue offering unique ways to reward our most loyal fans through our digital access points.”

For a fee of $10 per month, subscribers to the pass can redeem one taco per day throughout the month. In total, seven different options are available for the redeemable tacos including Crunchy Tacos, Crunchy Taco Supreme, Soft Taco, Soft Taco Supreme, Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Doritos Locos Tacos, or the Doritos Locos Tacos Supreme.