India’s Butter Chicken Taco garnered nearly 65% of Taco Bell’s Global Taco Vote. | Photo courtesy of Taco Bell
The votes are in from Taco Bell’s Global Taco Vote, launched last week, and India’s Butter Chicken Taco will appear on the U.S. menu as a limited-time offer later this year.
The taco received more votes than Thailand’s Kickin’ Chicken Taco as part of the inaugural contest in which Rewards members were able to vote daily in the app for one or the other. Thailand’s Kickin’ Chicken Taco and the Butter Chicken Taco from India are two popular items in their home markets and have never been available in the U.S.
The Butter Chicken Taco secured nearly 65% of the vote. Inspired by a popular Indian dish, the Butter Chicken Taco features shredded slow-roasted chicken simmered in a tomato cream-based sauce with spices and other Indian-inspired flavors, topped with onion, cilantro, lettuce, and cheddar cheese, all wrapped in a crispy fried chalupa shell. It was introduced as part of Taco Bell’s “Desi Menu” in India in 2023. Desi is a term for people and products from the Indian Subcontinent.
Taco Bell has a history of giving fans some creative control. In 2022, for example, they weighed in on the return of the Double Decker Taco vs. the Enchirito, and in 2023, they helped decide between the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos and the Beefy Crunch Burrito (which was the winner). The chain also brought back its signature Mexican Pizza after a barrage of demands on social media from consumers calling for its return.
Perhaps the clearest example of the chain’s embrace of fan-input, however, comes from its now-annual Live Más Live event. This year’s event was held last month in Los Angeles, providing a sneak peek of upcoming menu launches, many of which were inspired by fan input.
In an interview following the event, global chief food innovation officer Liz Matthews said consumers have changed significantly throughout the past 10 years and “are demanding more.” Those demands include items inspired by global fusion, such as the Butter Chicken Taco and Kickin’ Chicken Taco.
“This generation is all about fusion and trying new things,” she said. “We’re Mexican inspired, but we also have an ability to do that fusion — whether Korean, Thai, American — in a meaningful way.”
The Butter Chicken Taco will be available for a limited time while supplies last at participating U.S. Taco Bell locations at a time and duration to be determined.
This story first appeared on sibling site Nation’s Restaurant News.
Contact Alicia Kelso at Alicia.Kelso@informa.com
Follow her on TikTok: @aliciakelso
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