Taco Bell Has Good News For Fans Of Its Naked Chicken Chalupa

Ever since White Castle opened up its first slider stand 100 years ago, "fast food," for most Americans at least, has been synonymous with burgers and fries (via White Castle). Thanks to the chicken sandwich wars, that may be changing. It seems as if all the big fast-food players are getting into the fried chicken game, copying Chick-fil-A's successful formula: breaded and fried chicken breast, mayonnaise (sometimes spicy), pickle, and bun.

Taco Bell wants you to know that it's not a copycat (or, given its history with chihuahuas, a follow dog). The Bell is happy to leave the Chick-fil-A sandwich clones to Popeyes, McDonald's, Wendy's, and the rest. But it still wants to enter the chicken sandwich wars ... by reintroducing the Naked Chicken Chalupa. Taco Bell announced on its website that the Naked Chicken Chalupa returns on May 20. Taco Bell Rewards members get the first bite, on May 19, if they order through the chain's app.

Taco Bell's Naked Chicken Chalupa, first introduced in 2017, is a traditional Mexican chalupa in shape only. The thick masa bread that forms an ordinary chalupa's taco-like exterior is replaced with a shell-shaped slab of spicy marinated white-meat chicken with a crunchy coating (via Taco Bell). The chicken "shell" gets filled with lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, and avocado ranch sauce.

Taco Bell is offering the Naked Chicken Chalupa for $3.49 if ordered on its own. It's also part of the $5.99 Crispy Chalupa Box, which includes a Beef Burrito, a Crunchy Taco and a medium drink. Delish warns that, once again, the Naked Chicken Chalupa will be a limited-time offer. So if you like your fried chicken on the outside of your sandwich, rather than stuck in between two buns with a pickle, then make sure you head over to Taco Bell soon. Whether or not you get to experience the Naked Chicken Chalupa in 2021, Taco Bell promises more chicken-related additions to its menu later in the year.