A Beloved Indian Flavor Is Coming to Taco Bell
Fans voted to bring it to the United States.
Image Courtesy of Taco Bell
The results are in. The fans have spoken. The Butter Chicken Taco is coming to Taco Bell locations across the U.S. for a limited time later this year.
In a weeklong Global Taco Vote, in which the Taco Bell India menu item faced off against the Kickin’ Chicken Taco served at locations in Thailand, the Butter Chicken Taco captured 64.65 percent of the vote, cementing its selection to make a nationwide U.S. debut.
What is Taco Bell’s Butter Chicken Taco?
Introduced at Taco Bell India in 2023 as part of an effort by the chain to celebrate India’s heritage in its menu offerings in the country, the Butter Chicken Taco refashions one of India’s most popular dishes as a taco.
The Butter Chicken Taco features “shredded slow-roasted chicken simmered in tomato cream-based sauce with bold spices and Indian-inspired flavors” and is “topped with onion and cilantro, lettuce and cheddar cheese” and “wrapped in a fried chalupa shell," according to the brand.
How did India’s Butter Chicken Taco make it onto Taco Bell U.S. menus?
The taco was chosen by Taco Bell U.S. Rewards Members via an in-app vote in a face-off against Taco Bell Thailand’s Kickin’ Chicken Taco.
Introduced in Thailand in 2019, the Kickin’ Chicken Taco is a “craveable combination of crispy chicken strips, lettuce, a blend of mozzarella, pepperjack and cheddar cheeses, freshly prepared daily pico de gallo, and the unique Spicy Kickin’ sauce made with a blend of cheeses and flavorful spices, wrapped in a warm flour tortilla,” as Taco Bell describes it.
The head-to-head vote pitting two international favorites against each other, was held March 26 through April 1. While popular in their respective countries, neither menu item had ever before been available across the U.S.
The vote was “all about celebrating the creativity of Taco Bell menus around the world while bringing globally inspired flavors and innovations to U.S. fans,” Amy Ellis Durini, chief marketing & strategy officer of Taco Bell International, said when the vote was announced. “Both tacos have already built passionate followings in their home countries, and now we’re giving U.S. fans the power to choose which one earns a spot on menus nationwide.”
When is Taco Bell’s Butter Chicken Taco coming to the U.S.?
All Taco Bell is saying right now is that the menu item will make a “limited-time debut on U.S. menus later this year.” And yes, it will be available nationwide.
Related Content:
