Review: Taco Bell's New Chicken Bacon Ranch Items Miss The Mark For Ranch Lovers

At this point, it's hard not to notice how many fast food restaurants are advertising inventive new chicken options on their menus. McDonald's first made waves with the return of the popular breaded chicken Snack Wrap, and shortly after, we found ourselves writing about Wendy's new chicken tenders and Taco Bell's tortilla-chip-coated version of the same. These chains aren't just copying each other — not really, anyway — it's more likely that each restaurant is combating the rapidly rising price of beef by promoting a different, less expensive protein. For those who like chicken, this is great news: it has brought a wave of great new options to menus, and for a restaurant as inventive with their menu as Taco Bell, it means some seriously interesting options.

As a born-and-raised midwesterner, there is little I like more than creamy, herby ranch: Good for smothering on all sorts of foods, I use it for dipping nuggets, dunking fries, and drizzling on pizza. Perhaps there is no better match for ranch than chicken and bacon, a famously popular combo used in dips, sandwiches, wraps, and even pizzas (or at least it is here in the midwest). So when Taco Bell announced two new menu items featuring chicken, bacon, and ranch, I jumped at the chance to try them, excited by the prospect of ranch-infused Mexican food. The launch features the Nacho Fries and the return of the Street Chalupa, a crispy-cheese-encrusted, pillowy-soft shell filled like a taco. Each stuffed (or topped) with pulled chicken, bacon bits, and avocado ranch, the two new items combine the Midwest's best condiment with the classic Mexican fusion we know and love, and I'm here to test how well they really work together.

The methodology is simple: I headed over to my nearest Taco Bell and ordered the chicken bacon ranch Nacho Fries and the chicken bacon ranch Street Chalupas. Being that I ordered them first thing in the morning, both were made completely fresh and delivered hot, melty, and perfectly crispy. In testing each, I considered the quality of the proteins (chicken and bacon), the flavor of the ranch, and the overall harmony of the combination, including its value.

The chicken bacon ranch Nacho Fries at my location are priced at $5.49, a decent value for the size of the container, which is an oval about 8 inches across. The Chalupas are a whopping $6.49, and though you get two per order, the small size of each Chalupa makes the value questionable; the prices vary by location, but the chicken bacon ranch Street Chalupas are always priced a bit higher than the Nacho Fries. The loaded Nacho Fries are not only cheaper, but also a bit healthier, topping out at just 350 calories. The Chalupas, made with thick, cheese-crusted taco shells, almost double that at 620 calories. 

Like any fast food item, neither entrée is actually very healthy, and both are high in sodium, fats, and cholesterol. For what it's worth, though, each has a good amount of protein and some fiber, which is worth considering if you have fast food as an occasional treat. As for where and when to find the chicken bacon ranch items, they were released on February 19, 2026 for a limited time at participating locations across the United States.

The chicken bacon ranch Street Chalupa is good — especially for anyone who prefers chicken to beef, the standard offering in the regular Chalupa Supremes. I jumped at the chance to review the chicken bacon ranch items not only because I love ranch, but because Chalupas are actually my favorite menu item — they're like a taco with a crispy, pillowy outer shell, and satisfy the craving for both a burrito and taco all at once. This particular Chalupa, labelled a "Street Chalupa," is coated in a crispy outer layer of cheese, adding a satisfying crunch to the warm insides. The ingredients inside are good, though mostly as you'd expect: a seasoned pulled chicken, itty bitty bacon bits, and a smattering of taco toppings like pico de gallo and cheese. 

What seems to be lacking is the ranch, which isn't as present as it typically would be on chicken-bacon-ranch-flavored things. In my mind, chicken bacon ranch is predicated on being drenched in herby, creamy ranch dressing, and this tastes more like a chicken taco — albeit, a really good chicken taco.

While I think the plain Nacho Fries are an interesting snack option for Taco Bell to offer, the loaded Nacho Fries don't make as much sense to me as a whole. It's kind of a poutine-meets-nachos situation — which is great, in concept, but always seems to be a little dry around the edges and overly mushy in the center. The chicken bacon ranch Nacho Fries are no different, and so your preference on whether they are good or not relies on whether you like the loaded Nacho Fries in the first place. These are a maybe-healthier step up from the original beef-and-bean iteration, this time including seasoned pulled chicken, tiny, soft bacon bits, nacho cheese, a charmingly green avocado ranch, and pico de gallo. 

As with the Chalupa, the Nacho Fries left me wanting for more ranch flavor, and in this case, perhaps a bit less nacho cheese. Combining the two sauces led to a particularly soft center and a cheese-forward flavor in an entrée that should really highlight the flavor of ranch.

As a midwesterner through and through (read: I put ranch on everything), there's almost no amount of ranch that is too much. When I see the words "chicken bacon ranch," I expect a very specific flavor profile that is largely informed by the creamy, distinct flavor of ranch dressing. I also expect crispy bacon and tender chicken, which these items are only half-delivering on: The bacon bits are the same as those used in Taco Bell's breakfast menu, which I've already reviewed as being a little disappointing. 

The chicken, on the other hand, is tender, and, as advertised, tastes like it's been slow-roasted. Also outstanding is the cheese-crusted Street Chalupa shell and the Nacho Fries themselves, which are Taco Bell specialties and popular fan-favorites. If I were in the mood for chicken, I would order the Chalupas again in a heartbeat, but with just one small change: an extra cup of ranch.