Duane Beckett
Taco Bell has declared a winner, and it’s heading to the U.S. later this year. In what is a landslide victory, India’s Butter Chicken Taco took 64.65% of the vote in the chain’s first Global Taco Vote, beating Thailand’s Kickin’ Chicken Taco after a week of app voting by Taco Bell Rewards members.
Nation’s Restaurant News reported that the winning taco will land at participating U.S. locations as a limited-time item, though an exact release date still has not been announced.
According to Delish, Taco Bell let fans vote daily in the app, which gave the promotion a little more weight than the usual teaser campaign. Fans were not just reacting to a new item, they were choosing it, and the Butter Chicken Taco pulled away with a clear edge over the competition.
I’ll say this, the winning pick makes sense. Butter chicken is one of those dishes that even people who do not spend much time chasing food trends tend to recognize, and for older fast food fans, familiarity matters. It feels new, at least in taco form.
What’s on the butter chicken taco?
Foodbeast states that the taco is built with shredded slow-roasted chicken simmered in a tomato cream-based sauce with warm spices. This is topped with onion, cilantro, lettuce, and cheddar cheese, all tucked into a crispy chalupa shell. That is a pretty full bite, rich, savory, creamy, and a little bright from the fresh toppings.
The other choice was Thailand’s Kickin’ Chicken Taco. This came with crispy chicken strips, a blend of cheeses, lettuce, pico de gallo, and spicy Kickin’ sauce in a flour tortilla. Good on paper, sure, but voters clearly leaned toward the butter chicken option instead.
The Butter Chicken Taco first appeared in India in 2023 as part of Taco Bell’s Desi Menu. This taco has never been sold in the United States before, which gives the launch a little more punch than a standard reheat of an old favorite.
What is butter chicken?
For anyone wondering what butter chicken actually is, it’s a popular Indian dish known for tender chicken in a smooth creamy-tomato sauce that’s heavily seasoned with spices. Taco Bell’s version is not trying to be a traditional restaurant plate, of course, but the flavor idea is familiar enough to draw people in and different enough to feel fresh.
Taco Bell has not shared the exact date this item will be available, which means fans will need to keep watching for the official drop.