Taco Bell Has Granted Our Wish: This Fan-Favorite Meat Is Coming Back To The Menu

Following up on the announcement of Taco Bell's makeover of the iconic Mexican Pizza, complete with chicken and a brand-new sauce, the fast food chain has delivered another gift to Tex-Mex fans. This time, the restaurant is welcoming back an old favorite rather than creating something completely new — shredded beef will be returning to Taco Bell on May 21.

Last available nationwide at the fast food chain three years ago, the popular protein is again the star of the show. "Inspired by the bold flavors and rich textures of birria, Taco Bell's tender, slow-braised shredded beef brings that depth to life in these two craveable menu items," a spokesperson for the chain shared with The Takeout, though it's unclear if there have been any changes to the recipe since the last time it made an appearance.

Fittingly, one of the menu items featuring it is the Shredded Beef Dipping Taco ($3.99), which combines the beef, cheese, and jalapeño sauce in a grilled white corn tortilla. It also features a crispy cheese crust and comes with a red sauce for dipping. The second shredded beef surprise is a take on Nacho Fries ($5.49), which come topped with shredded beef, pico de gallo, creamy jalapeño sauce, and shredded cheese. It sounds pretty good, but if you really want to Live Más at no extra cost, upgrade your Taco Bell Nacho Fries with Fire Sauce.

Although it's described as "back by fan demand," the Shredded Beef Dipping Taco has never been on the Taco Bell menu. The taco and its accoutrements do bear a striking resemblance to the Grilled Cheese Dipping Taco, however. This was another white corn taco with cheese and slow-braised shredded beef that was available for a limited time in 2023. It came with two sauces: nacho cheese and a red sauce like the one that accompanies the Shredded Beef Dipping Taco. The cheese sauce was likely removed to make room for a Nacho Fries option, but if you've been on the edge of your seat waiting for the return of the Grilled Cheese Dipping Taco, you could recreate it by simply ordering a side of nacho cheese with your shredded beef taco.

Beyond a difference in dips, it's impossible to know what inspired the taco's new name, but Taco Bell seems keen to emphasize the connection between the new meat option and the mature Mexican staple, birria. During recent testing for the Shredded Beef Dipping Taco, it was advertised in some locations as the Birria Dipping Quesadilla. While the Tex-Mex execs in charge at the Bell probably decided this name was a little too authentic to share a menu with fries covered in nacho cheese and Mexican Pizzas, "Shredded Beef Dipping Taco" does sound a tad more sophisticated (and less steeped in Americana) than "Grilled Cheese Dipping Taco." Maybe the new(ish) beef option's classic flavors and lack of gimmicks will be enough to convince Redditors that Taco Bell's new items aren't just "a bunch of weird mashups."