REVIEW: Del Taco Crispy Chicken Tacos

Del Taco Crispy Chicken Tacos Sign

What are the Del Taco Crispy Chicken Tacos?

The latest addition to Del Taco’s Del’s Dollar Deals value menu, this pollo-friendly concoction features ostensibly a small-ish crispy chicken strip, slathered in creamy ranch sauce and blanketed in shredded cheddar cheese and lettuce and then thankfully wrapped in a soft flour tortilla.

And, as tasty as that sounds, for those of us that need a bit more spice in our sad lives, there’s a hot ‘n ready habanero variation, one that dutifully replaces the regular ranch sauce with an arousing habanero-flavored sauce, also best described as “creamy.”

Del Taco Crispy Chicken Tacos 2

How are they?

The unleaded Crispy Chicken Taco delivers so much more taste than I expected from a dollar item. Though somewhat small, this cut of chicken packs a mighty peck, doing more faux-Mexican flavor-ready damage than even the greenback-friendly McChicken Sandwich from McDonald’s.

Del Taco Crispy Chicken Taco Open

The warm ranch cradles the chicken and provides a nice flavor. The mainly useless lettuce and cheese do add some hefty girth to the proceedings. Though not all that crispy, the chicken does it’s clucking job, providing a hearty taste far better than most other corporate taco-competitors.

Del Taco Habanero Crispy Chicken Taco

On the other hand, the habanero variety outshines the previous one, delivering a far spicier kick that surprised even my tastebuds. With the selected ingredients utilized much of the same way as the regular crispy taco, the smooth habanero sauce’s addition is a much-needed presence. It provides a controlled flavor, one that I’d like to really see more of on the Del Taco menu.

Anything else you need to know?

In addition to these crispy chicken eats, Del Taco also has other crispy chicken menu items — the Epic Crispy Chicken and Guac Burrito and a three-piece Crispy Chicken and Fries Box, which is not really all that Mexican.

Conclusion:

Since the addition of its Beyond Meat items, we haven’t really heard too much from Del Taco lately. With these Crispy Chicken Tacos, however, that will hopefully change. And, with both tacos part of Del Taco’s value menu — each one costing only a measly dollar — it’s more than worth a summer sampling.

Purchased Price: $1.00 each
Size: N/A
Purchased at: Del Taco
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Regular), 8 out of 10 (Habanero)
Nutrition Facts: Regular – 230 calories, 14 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 540 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of sugar, and 10 grams of protein. Habanero – 240 calories, 15 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 550 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of sugar, and 10 grams of protein.

14 thoughts to “REVIEW: Del Taco Crispy Chicken Tacos”

  1. Considering ranch dressing was invented in Alaska, popularized on a dude ranch, and has basically become the white person equivalent of salsa, I don’t know that the tacos really have much claim on being Mexican either. That looks more closely related to the gyro.

    1. I bet you love to remind people that Chinese food in the U.S. have very little in common with food that’s served in China.

      1. True, to a degree. But, If you live in the parts of California that have a high density of Chinese immigrants, you might be surprised.

    2. I reckon less than 5% of the population thinks they are getting real Mexican food at a taco fast food chain. That might be overstating it.

      They never claimed to be “authentic.”

    1. I loved those Wendy’s wraps, they don’t have those in my neck of the woods anymore.

      Wish I had Del Taco, would love to try these.

      1. They were great! Always did a grilled chicken with honey mustard and a crispy with ranch. Haven’t been to Wendy’s in ages, so i don’t know if they still offer them here or not.

  2. Pro tip (I got from someone else on the internet): Swap out the cheese and lettuce for queso and cabbage

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