Taco Bell’s Chicken Nuggets are here—but its new dips may be the real star

You now, finally, officially, have another place to enjoy chicken nuggets.

On Tuesday, Taco Bell announced that its long-awaited Crispy Chicken Nuggets will officially finally hit menus nationwide on December 19th. But that’s not all. According to the brand, the menu drop also features three new dipping sauces, including its first-ever ranch collaboration with Hidden Valley.

“As the inventors of Nacho Fries, Taco Bell is fully aware that reinventing an American classic with a Taco Bell twist is a responsibility we do not take lightly. But in a world dominated by chicken cravings, it was time to to show the world how Taco Bell makes chicken nuggets—unexpectedly and undeniably bold,” Taylor Montgomery, the chain’s chief marketing officer, told Food & Wine. “The Crispy Chicken Nuggets deliver a crispier, more flavorful nugget experience, and combined with Hidden Valley Fire Ranch Sauce, we hope it will test people’s devotion to their favorite nuggets.”

The Taco Bell team really took their time perfecting this new dip addition, noting that its chefs tested more than 100 variations to arrive at the final trio. The best of the best includes the aforementioned Hidden Valley Fire Ranch Sauce, which it describes as “a spicy, tangy dipping sauce that elevates the new crispy chicken nuggets to the next level,” along with the Bell Sauce, which “offers a familiar, rich, creamy and tangy signature blend with subtle chili notes made with tomatoes, red chili and garlic,” and Jalapeño Honey mustard, which “melts sweet and hot” for just the right amount of kick.

“We are thrilled to partner with Taco Bell on the new Hidden Valley Fire Ranch Sauce, which combines the bold flavor of Hidden Valley Ranch with Taco Bell’s signature heat,” added CC Ciafone, Director of Marketing at Hidden Valley Ranch. “Ranch and chicken nuggets are an iconic pairing, so it only made sense to create a ranch perfectly designed for Taco Bell’s unique twist on nuggets.”

Of course, none of the dips would be here without the new chicken nuggets, which are tortilla chip breaded for an only-at-Taco-Bell taste.

Fans can purchase the new nuggets in a five-piece order with one dipping sauce for $3.99 or a 10-piece order with two dipping sauces for $6.99. (Combo deals are also available.) But if you want to try them, you’d better act fast. As Taco Bell says, they’ll only be at participating locations “for a limited time.”

If you happen to be a Taco Bell Rewards member, you can try them for just $1 on January 21, 2025. Just be one of the first 20,000 users to redeem the five-piece crispy chicken nugget, which hits the app at exactly 2pm PT.

There’s also one more way Rewards members can score a deal. Throughout the month of December, after trying the new nuggets and sauces, fans can return their used and empty dipping cups as part of the brand’s recycling program with TerraCyle and earn 80 bonus Taco Bell Rewards points to use on a future purchase — you know, for more gold nuggets.