Taco Bell's Nacho Fries, KFC's Saucy Nuggets, and More New Fast-Food Items To Try This Month
New Fast-Food Items To Try
Fast-food restaurants are always innovating (and competing), and that means there's always some new menu item to try. McDonald's, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, Subway, and other big chains regularly introduce limited-time offerings to entice customers to keep coming back. Here's what's new this month in the fast-food world.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated in May 2024. Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.
1. Burger King: Fiery Menu, Birthday Pie
There are some new spicy menu items at Burger King, plus a frozen drink to cool things down.
Fiery Buffalo Chicken Nuggets: chicken nuggets coated in a spicy buffalo glaze
Fiery Buffalo Royal Crispy Wrap: a crispy chicken breast filet coated in spicy buffalo glaze wrapped in a tortilla with tomato, lettuce, and creamy buffalo sauce
Frozen Cotton Candy: a blue-hued, blue raspberry- and cotton candy-flavored frozen drink
Birthday Pie Slice: In honor of BK's 70th anniversary, this new dessert has birthday cake-flavored filling in a cookie crust with rainbow sprinkles. Look for it starting May 13.
Related: 101 Restaurants Where You Can Eat for Free on Your Birthday
2. Pizza Hut: My Hut Box
There's a new individual meal on the menu at Pizza Hut. The My Hut Box includes an entree, like a personal pan pizza or Melt, plus a side, like fries or wings. If a large pizza is what you're after, the Big New Yorker is back for a limited time.
3. Taco Bell: Secret Aardvark Nacho Fries
Taco Bell recently announced all kinds of new items for 2024, and you can get your taste of some of them right now. Nacho fries are back once again, and this time they're paired with Secret Aardvark, a popular hot sauce. The Secret Aardvark Nacho Fries are topped with chicken, cheeses, and a special ranch made with the hot sauce. Plus, the Cantina Chicken lineup is still available.
4. McDonald's: Bacon Cajun Ranch McCrispy
Chicken sandwiches got an upgrade at McDonald's. The Bacon Cajun Ranch McCrispy includes the chain's Southern-style fried chicken filet topped with bacon, pickles, and a creamy Cajun ranch sauce. It's also available Deluxe style with lettuce and tomato. Plus, the chain just announced that it's bringing Krispy Kreme donuts to locations nationwide — but not until later this year.
Related: 35 Secrets for Better, Cheaper Meals at Your Favorite Chains
5. Arby's: Chicken Wraps
Arby's just expanded its chicken wrap lineup. You can now get honey mustard, ranch, and barbecue varieties of the regular chicken wrap which includes a chicken tender, lettuce, and cheese in a tortilla. Plus, the Chicken Bacon Ranch Loaded Fries are still around, topped with chicken nuggets, bacon, cheddar sauce, and peppercorn ranch.
Related: Fast-Food Dishes With Downright Obsessive Followings
6. Dunkin': Green Goddess Wrap
There's all kinds of new limited time items at Dunkin' this month.
Green Goddess Wrap: egg whites, farro, sundried tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese, and creamy green goddess dressing wrapped in green flatbread
Watermelon Burst Donut: donut filled with watermelon jelly and coated in red sugar
Chocolate Chunk Cookie: a chocolate chunk cookie with pretzel bits and brown butter
Kiwi Watermelon Refresher: kiwi watermelon syrup blended with iced green tea or lemonade
Blueberry Donut Coffee: flavors of vanilla frosting and pastry blend with the distinct blueberry donut flavor in hot or iced coffee
Looking for more a.m. options? Check out our roundup of the best fast-food breakfast deals going on right now.
7. Wendy's: Cinnabon Pull-Apart
Wendy's latest menu addition will satisfy your sweet tooth. The Cinnabon Pull-Apart is made with buttery dough bites baked together with Cinnabon cinnamon in a cup and topped with cream cheese frosting. Plus, the chain is pouring Orange Dreamsicle Frostys right now.
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8. Papa Johns: Crispy Cuppy 'Roni
There's a new pizza topping at Papa Johns this month and it's got a silly name. Crispy Cuppy 'Roni is thick-cut pepperoni that cups when it's cooked. You can get it on a pizza, in a Papadia, or stuffed inside of Papa Bites.
9. White Castle: Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders
There's a new chicken slider at White Castle with a popular flavor combination. The Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders include crispy chicken, smoked bacon, and Hidden Valley Ranch dressing.
Related: 33 Things You Didn’t Know About White Castle
10. Dairy Queen: Sauced and Tossed Chicken Strips Basket
Chicken tender lovers have a new reason to head to Dairy Queen this month. You can now get your chicken strips tossed in one of two sauces: honey BBQ and parmesan garlic. Both baskets come with fries and dipping sauce. On the sweet side, here are the current limited time Blizzard flavors.
Brownie Batter
Cotton Candy
Frosted Animal Cookie
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
Peanut Butter Cup Pie
Ultimate Cookie
Picnic Peach Cobbler
11. Hardee's: Hand-Breaded Chicken Tender Wraps
Hardee's is entering the popular chicken tender wrap market with three new Hand-Breaded Chicken Tender Wraps, all wrapped in flour tortillas. There's honey mustard, ranch, and spicy varieties. Plus, there's new Nashville Hot Hand Breaded Chicken Tenders that you can get on a sandwich or as part of a platter.
12. Sonic: Cheesy Bacon Sonic Stack
You can find all kinds of new menu items at Sonic this month.
Cheesy Bacon Sonic Stack: a beef patty with two slices of American cheese, bacon, onions, pickles, ketchup, and mayo grilled on Texas toast
Orange Cloudsicle Slush Float: orange dreamsicle slush with orange vanilla popping bubbles topped with soft serve
Crispy Tender Wraps: chicken tender tortilla wraps in Cheesy Baja and Hickory BBQ varieties
Buffalo Chicken Dip Bites: a fan favorite of chicken, buffalo sauce, and cheese in a deep fried wrapper
Oreo Big Scoop Cheesecake: Oreo cheesecake and Oreo pieces in a sundae or Blast
If you're in search of more Sonic deals, check out our ranking of the Sonic Value Menu.
13. Panera: Sourdough Melts
Panera just overhauled its entire menu. Here are some of the new items available.
Toasted Italiano: ham, soppressata, provolone, romaine, red onion, pepperoncini peppers, garlic aioli, and Greek dressing on baguette
Chicken Bacon Rancher: grilled chicken, bacon, white cheddar, and ranch on focaccia
Ciabatta Cheesesteak: sliced steak, provolone, garlic aioli, caramelized onions, and peppadew peppers on ciabatta
Tomato Basil BLT: bacon, mixed greens, tomatoes, and garlic aioli on tomato basil miche
Mediterranean Chicken Greens with Grains Salad: romaine and mixed greens in Greek dressing, topped with farro, red rice, grilled chicken, hummus, feta, red onions, peppadew peppers, cucumbers, and shawarma seasoning
Southwest Chicken Ranch Salad: romaine in ranch dressing with grilled chicken, chipotle aioli, avocado, grape tomatoes, corn, cilantro, and blue corn tortilla strips
Balsamic Chicken Greens with Grains Salad: romaine and mixed greens in balsamic vinaigrette with farro, red rice, cucumbers, pepperoncini peppers, avocado, feta, pumpkin seeds, and green goddess dressing
Ranch Cobb Salad: romaine and mixed greens in ranch dressing with grape tomatoes, pickled red onions, bacon, feta, and hard-boiled egg
Bacon Mac & Cheese: shell pasta in aged white cheddar sauce topped with bacon
14. Del Taco: Snickerdoodle Shake
Del Taco probably isn't the first place you think to grab a shake, but maybe its latest new flavor will change your mind. The Snickerdoodle Shake blends vanilla ice cream with snickerdoodle cookie pieces and cinnamon sugar for a very churro-like flavor. Plus, the Crispy Jumbo Shrimp Tacos are still around.
15. Popeyes: Golden BBQ Chicken Sandwich
Popeyes just released a new version of its iconic fried chicken sandwich. The Golden BBQ Chicken sandwich includes the chain's classic buttermilk-batted chicken breast topped with pickles and new barbecue honey mustard sauce. Plus, lemon pepper wings and strawberry biscuits are still around.
16. Chick-fil-A: Cherry Berry Drinks
Goodbye, Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich, we hardly knew you. But Chick-fil-A is rolling out its new summer drinks lineup. The Cherry Berry beverages all have the flavors of cherry, blueberry, and cranberry, and are come in lemonade, iced tea, frozen lemonade, and Sunjoy, the chain's mix of lemonade and iced tea.
17. Zaxby's: Southern Fried Shrimp
Zaxby's has added seafood to its menu for the first time, though it's on the tail end of seafood season for some reason. Southern Fried Shrimp have a crisp coating of buttermilk, onion, garlic, and pepper. They're served with Zaxtail sauce, a combination of cocktail sauce and creamy Zax sauce. Plus, there's peach sweet tea and caramel funnel cakes on offer for a summer flair.
18. Whataburger: Bacon Steakhouse Double
There's a new limited time burger at Whataburger. The Bacon Steakhouse Double has two beef patties, bacon, cheddar cheese, crispy fried onions, and tangy steak sauce. There's also boneless wings, appropriately called WhataWings, that are made with white meat chicken in a crunchy fried coating. You can get them dry, or tossed in Buffalo, honey butter, honey BBQ, or sweet and spicy sauces.
19. Little Caesars: Crazy Puffs
Things are extra "crazy" at Little Caesars right now with one new menu item. Crazy Puffs are like little mini pizzas. They're made with the chain's pizza crust plus mozzarella, pizza sauce, buttery garlic drizzle, and Italian herb and parmesan seasoning. They come four to an order, and you can get them with pepperoni or plain cheese.
20. Jack in the Box: Sauced and Loaded Popcorn Chicken
Jack in the Box always has a ton of new snacks, and this month is no exception. It's brought back popcorn chicken, plus a new variation that's sauced and loaded with cheese sauce, shredded cheese, Good Good sauce, and buttermilk ranch. There's also Spicy Tiny Tacos, Classic Smashed Jack burger, and the Pineapple Express shake.
21. Jimmy John's: Caprese Salami Pesto Sandwich
There's a new sub in town at Jimmy John's. The Caprese Salami Pesto sandwich comes with fresh mozzarella cheese, salami, slow-roasted tomatoes, basil pesto, balsamic glaze, oregano and basil oil, onion, and mayo. It's also available as a wrap.
Related: The 10 Best Sandwich Chains, Ranked
22. Noodles & Company: Chicken Prosciutto Tortelloni
There's a brand new noodle bowl at Noodles & Co.: Chicken Prosciutto Tortelloni with Smoked Gouda. The stuffed pasta is filled with chicken and prosciutto, and topped with spinach, mushrooms, and a smoked gouda cheese sauce.
23. Subway: Lavash Wraps
There's a new bread option at Subway, and it's lavash-style flatbread. To showcase it, the chain has released four new wraps.
Homestyle Chicken Salad: rotisserie-style chicken and mayo salad with lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion
Honey Mustard Chicken: rotisserie-style chicken with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and honey mustard sauce
Turkey, Bacon & Avocado: turkey, bacon and smashed avocado with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and peppercorn ranch sauce
Cali Caprese: fresh mozzarella cheese and avocado with lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, roasted garlic aioli and parmesan vinaigrette
24. KFC: Saucy Nuggets
KFC's chicken nuggets just got saucy. The new Saucy Nuggets are tossed in your choice of five sauces: honey sriracha, Korean BBQ, Sticky Chicky, Nashville hot, and Georgia gold. If you can't decide which to choose, our taste test will help. Watch out for Apple Pie Poppers and Blackberry Lemonade too.
25. Qdoba: Citrus Lime Shrimp
You can get your seafood fix at Qdoba this year. Citrus lime shrimp is back as a protein choice for all your burritos, tacos, and nachos. Plus, you can get Loaded Mexican Street Corn as a side dish.
26. Shake Shack: Korean-Inspired Lineup
Things are heating up at Shake Shack for the chilly weather. Here's everything that's on the new "swicy" (sweet-spicy) Korean menu.
Korean-Style Fried Chicken Sandwich: crispy chicken breast coated in a gochujang glaze, topped with white kimchi slaw and sesame seeds
Korean BBQ Burger: cheeseburger topped with crispy sweet onions, fresh scallions, and a salty Korean barbecue sauce
Spicy Korean BBQ Fries: crinkle-cut fries sprinkled with kimchi seasoning and served with a side of Korean barbecue sauce
Spicy Korean BBQ Cheese Fries: crinkle-cut fries topped with cheese sauce and sprinkled with kimchi seasoning and served with a side of Korean barbecue sauce
27. Church's: Cheddapeño Biscuit
What goes better with fried chicken than biscuits? Church's has upped the ante on the side dish with a Cheddapeño version. It's the chain's standard honey butter biscuit with chopped jalapeños and cheddar cheese baked in. Plus there's a new signature hot dipping sauce and strawberry cheesecake pies for dessert.
28. Taco John's: Taco Pizza
Taco John's is entering the pizza market. Its new Taco Pizza has a corn and wheat flour crust topped with refried beans, seasoned beef, cheese, Fiesta sauce, tortilla chips, lettuce, and tomatoes. It's a 10-inch crust, so it's large enough to share, and is more like an actual pizza than Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza.
29. Starbucks: Summer Menu
Starbucks is all ready for summer with a new lineup of food and beverages.
Summer Berry Refreshers: raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry flavors shaken with or without lemonade with popping raspberry pearls
Summer Skies: non-dairy iced drink with summer berry syrup and coconut milk over popping raspberry pearls
Pineapple Cloud Cake: cake filled with pineapple cream and pineapple spread
Orange Cream Cake Pop: orange cream cake and buttercream dipped in white chocolate icing
Chocolate Macadamia Cold Brew: macadamia syrup with white chocolate macadamia cream cold foam and toasted cookie crumbles
30: Chipotle: Chicken al Pastor
Chicken al Pastor is back as a protein option at Chipotle. It's made with grilled chicken marinated in adobo, smoky morita chiles, pineapple, and achiote, and tossed with lime and cilantro. You can get it in burritos, bowls, tacos, and quesadillas.
This article was originally published on Cheapism
