Taco Bell Quietly Debuted Its Dirty Sodas, and They Deserve More Fanfare
I tried the new items coming our way.
Image Courtesy of Taco Bell
Taco Bell isn’t known for quiet launches. The brand is all about the fanfare — emphasis on fan — when it debuts new menu items. (See also Live Mas Live.) But last month, the brand introduced a new Dirty Sips beverage platform, based on the viral dirty soda trend, at all locations nationwide, in an uncharacteristically understated way.
At a tasting of several Taco Bell new menu drops (more on those shortly), I had a chance to try several iterations of the new customizable drink platform, and honestly, I think it should have made a bigger splash.
What is the dirty soda trend?
A dirty soda is a customizable, mocktail-adjacent drink made by mixing cream or half-and-half and sometimes flavored syrup, fruit juice or puree into your carbonated beverage of choice. The concept may have originated in Utah, where members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) often refrain from drinking coffee, tea and alcohol. Social media — TikTok, especially — has turned the practice into a trend, spreading it across the country and beyond.
What is Taco Bell’s Dirty Sips platform?
Taco Bell permanently launched its new Dirty Sips beverage platform in March. The new platform lets you add a “swirl of vanilla crème” to not only the chain’s signature Mountain Dew Baja Blast, but basically any drink you want: sodas, lemonade, even Taco Bell’s frozen beverages.
The up-charge for the shot of “vanilla crème” is a modest 30 cents. Taco Bell says it will add “an instant flavor remix” to any beverage and bring “customization to the forefront of every sip.”
The Dirty Sips platform picks up where its Mountain Dew Baja Blast dirty soda — launched as a limited-time offering in March 2025 — left off. Subsequent variations, such as the Mountain Dew Baja Blast dirty soda Freeze, were also a big hit with the brand’s fans.
“The strong response helped inspire the launch of the broader Dirty Sips platform, putting even more drink customization in the hands of fans,” a Taco Bell spokesperson tells Food Network.
Now, you can also turn Mountain Dew Baja Midnight, Pepsi, Tropicana Original lemonade and Mountain Dew Baja Blast Zero Sugar into dirty sodas.
How do Taco Bell’s Dirty Sips taste?
When I arrived at the advance tasting for Taco Bell’s new menu items, I was given two Dirty Sips to try: Baja Blast and Baja Midnight. Then I ordered two additional bespoke Dirty Sips flavors: a Diet Pepsi dirty sip and a Tropicana Lemonade dirty sip.
The first thing I noticed about all the Dirty Sips lined up in front of me was that the “vanilla crème” arrived pooled in the bottom of the beverage cup. Swirling the drink and mixing it with your straw is necessary to get the full effect. (Hey, interactive.)
Between the original Baja Blast and Baja Midnight Dirty Sips, I much preferred the Baja Midnight. While the Baja Blast Dirty Sip tasted mostly just like a Baja Blast with a little vanilla flavor thrown in — which, of course, is what it is — the vanilla crème shot in the Baja Midnight felt like it added a worthwhile new dimension to the drink. Visually, the creamy element evoked a cloudy night and had a nice consistency.
The Tropicana Lemonade Dirty Sip reminded me of the filling in a lemon cream pie, but it was also too sweet for me. The Diet Pepsi, though, I liked. Someone at the tasting said it looked like a latte, which it did. But it didn’t taste like one. In terms of flavor, it kind of reminded me of an ice cream float after you’ve eaten all the ice cream (because who doesn’t do that first?) and then sip down the creamy soda left over. I enjoyed it.
Image Courtesy of Taco Bell
What other items is Taco Bell introducing to its menus?
Today, April 16, the brand is introducing three menu items, all available nationwide:
Zab’s Chicken Ranch Nacho Fries: This sauce-forward take on a popular Taco Bell side features “sweet heat from Datil peppers in Zab’s St. Augustine Style sauce, balanced with Taco Bell’s creamy Spicy Ranch, layered over seasoned Nacho Fries and slow roasted chicken,” the brand says. Priced at $4.99, Zab’s Chicken Ranch Nacho Fries are creamy, cheesy and salsa-y, and I really appreciated spelunking for the bits of chicken before hoovering the fries. I could see myself returning to order these.
Triple Double Crunchwrap: This thing is a bear — a real two-hander, huge and heavy enough to use as a doorstop. The taste is classic Taco Bell. The brand says it “delivers the signature crunch fans love, stacked with layers of seasoned beef, crispy tostada shells, warm nacho cheese sauce, and cool reduced-fat sour cream, plus fresh lettuce and tomatoes, all wrapped in a perfectly grilled tortilla.” It’s priced at $6.49. For me, it’s a little too heavy on the tortillas and tostada shells, but, hey, that might be a plus for you.
Diablo Dusted Crispy Chicken Nuggets: I loved these hot little nuggets at Live Más Live 2026, and although they seemed to pack a little less of a spicy punch this time around (maybe because I was preparing for serious pepper action), I loved them this time, too. Maybe even more. Taco Bell describes them as “crispy, all-white meat chicken nuggets … coated in Diablo Dust,” delivering “bold Mexican spices and crunchy tortilla chip breading for a fiery kick every bite.” The brand notes that it’s the first time it has turned Diablo Sauce into another format. I dipped them in Zab’s St. Augustine Style sauce — delish. They’re priced at $4.49 for a 5-piece portion. I ate every single nugget and would happily go back for more.
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