Taco Bell Is Testing a New Version of a Cult-Favorite Menu Item

There are a few things that are certainties in this life. Taxes are one of them. A new Taco Bell item every single week is another. This year, we’ve almost been unable to keep up with the pace of Taco Bell’s new releases and test items, such is the rapid-fire state of play at the restaurant chain. Nonetheless, we’ve been on top of it, and just last week, we were talking about the new items it’s testing in Detroit and Austin. 

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Now, we bring you word of another test item—but this time, it’s a new take on a classic that first showed up around 20 years ago. That fact makes me feel very old. But I digress. Introducing the Chicken Caesar Dorito Burrito, now piloting in select stores. 

Taco Bell’s Chicken Caesar Dorito Burrito

This new item from Taco Bell has shown up a little more quietly than some of its other dishes: It didn’t show up in its lineup at Live Mas LIVE, after which we discussed all the new items rolling out following that big ol’ event. The Chicken Caesar Dorito Burrito, though, has simply begun showing up in certain Taco Bell stores with no fanfare. Does that betray a nervousness on Taco Bell’s side? An uncertainty that it will work? Or a quiet confidence that it will become a word-of-mouth hit? 

We couldn’t possibly say, but what we can say is that we sorta like the sound of it. Taco Bell’s Chicken Caesar Dorito Burrito is, according to one of the fine folks over on Reddit who has tried it, a combination of chicken, chipotle caesar sauce, lettuce, parmesan cheese, and Nacho Dorito-flavored croutons, all tucked into a toasted tortilla. It’s crunchy, it’s saucy, it’s cheesy, and it’s (hopefully) a little spicy. So far, Taco Bell fans are tentatively excited about it. 

Fans are rightfully excited about this new Taco Bell item

Why’s that? Oh, yeah, because the first time Taco Bell did this, it was a smash. The chain released its Chicken Caesar Grilled Stuft Burrito in the mid-2000s, and according to reviews at the time, it was a smash hit. The key distinguishing feature here was the use of red tortilla strips instead of croutons, which we’d imagine would make it strangely close to the current version – although the restaurant has clearly made alterations to the recipe since then. 

The Chicken Caesar Grilled Stuft Burrito lives long in the memory of Taco Bell customers: On the Reddit post that discussed the new Chicken Caesar Dorito Burrito, one person called the former wrap “My favorite item of all time.” They weren’t the only ones to say how much they loved it.

Given that fast food companies are increasingly reaching back into the past to revive nostalgic menu items (like the KFC Snacker), this move is bang on trend for Taco Bell. Will it thrive? Only time will tell. Would we like to try it? Absolutely.