Review: Taco Bell's Latest Fajita Options Provide Welcome Summer Sizzle

Fajitas were invented in the 1930s by cattle ranchers in Texas, and the Chili's chain raised its popularity level nationwide in the mid 1980s. Taco Bell has been no stranger to fajitas, serving up spirited menu items like 1987's Steak Fajita, 2003's Fajita Grilled Stuft Burrito, and even teased at Live Más Live 2025 that Crispy Fajitas were in the pipeline. While the latter never saw the light of day, Taco Bell is dropping new F-word items it hopes will bring its own brand of sizzle to supper: Fajita Street Chalupas and Chicken Fajita Nacho Fries.

In a press release, Luis Restrepo, Chief Marketing Officer at Taco Bell noted, "Fajitas have a way of making an impression, and we wanted to bring that same excitement and unmistakable flavor to the menu in a way fans can experience wherever they are." He added, "To us, it's all about centering the savory peppers and onions that make fajitas so iconic and bringing that flavor to formats fans already love, so they get everything they crave without the sizzling spectacle."

So, do these new fajita-inspired items have true street credibility or should they be kicked to the curb? The Takeout took out these items for a tasting spin to find out where the truth lies. Now all can be revealed in this chew and review. Napkins not required, but recommended.

On the first day of their release, early in the morning, while Knicks fans were preparing themselves for the day's big championship parade, I had more pressing matters — heading on over to my local Taco Bell to try its new items. For breakfast, my menu included Fajita Street Chalupas, both the Chicken and Steak iterations, as well as the Chicken Fajita Nacho Fries. The items were ordered and consumed on site, by myself and me alone. 

This chew and review is a summation of my own personal tastes and opinions. I also took into consideration my previous experiences with Taco Bell, its Chalupas, Nacho Fries, fajitas and fries in general, and my overall impressions of these new items. The ultimate criteria considered for this review were flavor, presentation, smell, familiarity, originality, uniqueness, value, fajitas-ness, and ultimately whether these menu items are worthy of your time and dime.

Recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Since fries have the sad tendency to go cold and limp quicker than most menu items, my Taco Bell 2026 Fajita taste testing adventures began with the Nacho Fries. As I removed the plastic container from the hot fries, a waft of smoke filled the air, and continued to do so for a minute. Below me lay a black platter, which in a Taco Bellian way, resembled bona fide fajitas. The orange seasoned fries were the mattress for the rest of the elements to cozy up to. The only thing that was missing was the sizzle sound.

The platter looked stacked, and I first wanted to taste a fry covered in just the jalapeño sauce. It was not very spicy, but had a good blend of taco-like seasoning delivered in a lovely, creamy way. I next took a nibble of the cooked green peppers and onions, and they too had a nice blend of seasonings, giving up fajita vibes for sure. The sour cream can almost be relied on to cool things down a bit.The last element was the pieces of Cantina Chicken. I have had this protein many times before, and I'm not really a fan of it. The flavor is fine, but the meat itself is too loose and stringy. Alas, the power of both the sauce and the veggie seasonings elevated the chicken and made this dish worth many a forkful.

Having had the Cantina Chicken in essentially an open-faced version of Taco Bell's new Fajita line-up, I took a momentary break from the poultry to turn my attention to the Steak version of the Street Chalupa. I haven't had many chalupas, but I immediately liked what I saw with this pair that came foil wrapped together. My eyes became transfixed on the double chalupa shell, fused together with cheese that wasn't visible. Its top was decorated with diced onions and garnished with cilantro. I pried open the shells and a slosh of items rested within, including those same cooked up onions, green peppers, and about four pieces of rectangular cuts of beef.

I took a bite of the Chalupa from the corner and the results instantly jived with my palate. My first thought centered on the dual-textured, yummy breading. The cheese added a bit of crunch to it, while the bulk of the shell reminded me of dusty, yet tasty, pita bread, which I love. Taco Bell's steak is always a winner, with its juicy and easily chewable nature. I also really enjoyed how the cooked onions were balanced with some fresh raw ones. It all combined to make a delicious treat. It was a pleasure to know that when I was done with one, there was another to tackle.

The Cantina Chicken version of the Street Chalupa naturally had the same look and feel as the steak one. Honestly, one would have trouble figuring out which is which, unless you peered within to see what color protein was hanging out. I did just that, and the hue of the chicken didn't stand out as much as the steak, blending in with the similar, pale yellow shades of the breading. However, there appeared to be more chicken pieces here than the chalupa that contained steak.

Again, I'm not a giant fan of the Cantina Chicken, but, like with the Fajita Nacho Fries, the veggies, jalapeño sauce, and seasonings brought all the flavors in this chalupa together. The shell also did mighty wonderful work here, trying its best to keep the ingredients in place, although some bites from one end resulted in the contents sneaking out the other end.

While there have been several "fajita" titled items in Taco Bell's illustrious past, there haven't been any that have stuck around for an extended period of time. Though these new ones are limited time only options, the chain may have to think twice about their fleeting nature, as the tasty, well-seasoned onions and green peppers make for great toppings.

All three of the new fajita-y items stood out. The only real drawback with the Nacho Fries is time — as all those loaded elements weigh down the fries, which, as I mentioned at the very top, quickly go cold and limp. I had half of this platter on an empty stomach and was beginning to feel very full. While not listed on the menu as an option, perhaps ask the employees at your local Taco Bell to indulge you and swap the chicken out for steak.

If you're going to choose just one, my recommendation is the Steak version of the Fajita Street Chalupa. You can enjoy it at the store, in your car, or, if you really want it to live up to its name, on the physical street. And, I'm so on board with these chalupa shells. They really do taste like pita. Maybe Taco Bell should branch out into gyros, toss in some red onions, crumble in some feta cheese, and whip up a Mexican-spiced tzatziki sauce.

Starting June 18, the new Fajita Street Chalupas and Chicken Fajita Nacho Fries will be hitting the menu at participating nationwide locations of Taco Bell. These are limited time only offerings, here for an unspecified amount of time, while supplies last.

These items can be ordered anytime Taco Bell is open for business, including breakfast hours, at the counter, through a kiosk, or drive-thru, where available. Advance ordering for dine-in, takeout, and delivery are available through Taco Bell's app or website. All items are completely customizable to add or remove items.

The Fajita Street Chalupas is available with Steak or Cantina Chicken, and a pair of them sell for the suggested retail price of $5.99. The Chicken Fajita Nacho Fries come in one size only, and retail for $5.49. Taxes are extra, and prices may vary by location. I can do firm this as my Chalupas cost $6.49 per order, and the Nacho Fries were $5.99. Prices will also be higher for delivery or for orders placed through third parties.

An order of the Chicken Fajita Street Chalupas comes with a pair, which contains 720 calories, 37 grams of fat, 1,250 milligrams of sodium, 71 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, and 26 grams of protein. A pair of the steak version of these nets 720 calories, 37 grams of fat, 1,320 milligrams of sodium, 71 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, including 2 grams of added sugars, and 26 grams of protein. A single serving of Chicken Fajita Nacho Fries results in 540 calories, 34 grams of fat, 1,290 milligrams of sodium, 45 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 14 grams of protein. 

The fajita seasoning used for all items consists of such ingredients as salt, paprika, sugar, tomato powder, disodium inosinate, extractives of paprika, citric acid, spices, onion powder, garlic powder, and natural flavors including smoke. The creamy jalapeño sauce is made up of such elements as soybean oil, water, vinegar, jalapeño peppers, buttermilk, spices, cage-free egg yolk, and 2% or less of chili powder, salt, natural flavors, sugar, onion powder, paprika, minced onion, garlic powder, cocoa powder processed with alkali, dried onion, and citric acid. Both the steak and chicken Chalupas contain the some of the most common allergens, including gluten, milk, eggs, wheat, and soy. The fries have the same allergens, minus the soy.