Taco Bell’s Crispy Chicken Nuggets Just Got a Fiery, Sweet Makeover
Taco Bell continues to make strides in its chicken offerings via a Mike's Hot Honey collab.
Taco Bell is doubling down on its chicken era by giving its crispy nuggets a spicy and sweet kick, thanks to a collaboration with Mike’s Hot Honey.
This irresistible, mouth-tingling pairing takes the flavor of the chain’s Crispy Chicken Nuggets experience to a new level of sweet heat. The brand’s signature smoky Diablo Sauce fuses with Mike’s Hot Honey, taking the fast-food chain’s most beloved sauce and switching it up into a completely new flavor palette. For a limited time, this sauce joins the Crispy Chicken Nugget dunkers lineup, blending the best of two iconic flavor powerhouses in one irresistible dip.
“We didn’t just drop a new sauce, we unlocked a totally new way to experience nuggets with an entirely new take on hot honey,” said Liz Matthews, Taco Bell’s global chief food innovation officer, via a press release. “Our sauces spark obsession — fans collect them, remix them and make them part of who they are. Teaming up with Mike’s Hot Honey, which has a passionate following of its own, felt like the ultimate way to build on our legacies of sauce innovation. Now we’ve got this delicious sweet-heat experience that transforms every dip, dunk, or drizzle into something fans have never tasted from us before.”
Mike’s Hot Honey Diablo Sauce is making its debut right in the middle of a full-on chicken craze for the Mexican fast-food chain. Since their return in April, the brand’s Crispy Chicken Nuggets have quickly become a customer favorite, earning their spot as one of the year’s most talked-about new menu items.
With their bold flavor and crave-worthy crunch, the nuggets have made customers’ favorite taco spot their favorite chicken restaurant as well. “Teaming up with Taco Bell let us explore the power of sweet heat in a way that has never been done before with a partner that values culinary creativity as much as we do,” said Mike Kurtz, founder of Mike’s Hot Honey. “Together, we’ve reimagined what hot honey can be, blending it with Diablo Sauce to create something totally new and unforgettable.”
Available beginning May 27 at participating locations nationwide, this one-of-a-kind sauce brings a rich, peppery heat to satisfy customers’ nugget cravings. Extra cups of sauce are available for purchase à la carte for just 25 cents, but only while supplies last.
To celebrate, Taco Bell will give its Rewards Members the chance to claim a limited-edition Mike’s Hot Honey Jacket via the Taco Bell app. The drop will be first come, first served for 500 Rewards Members on Tuesday, May 27, at 2 p.m. PST.
Taco Bell’s Crispy Chicken Nuggets Are Fan Favorites
Taco Bell continues to make bold moves in the chicken game, offering a range of crispy and flavorful options to redefine fast-food poultry. Leading the charge are the brand’s Crispy Chicken Nuggets, which made a triumphant return nationwide on April 24, 2025.
These nuggets feature all-white meat chicken marinated in zesty jalapeño buttermilk and coated with a crispy tortilla-chip breading. Available in five- or 10-piece servings, these menu items come with customers’ choice of dipping sauces, including Hidden Valley Fire Ranch, Bell Sauce, and Jalapeño Honey Mustard.
For those seeking a more elevated chicken experience, customers can look to the company’s Cantina Chicken Menu. Featuring slow-roasted chicken seasoned with Mexican spices, this lineup includes items like the Cantina Chicken Soft Taco, Burrito, Quesadilla, and Bowl. Each dish is complemented by fresh ingredients such as pico de gallo, shredded purple cabbage, and Avocado Verde Salsa.
Taco Bell’s commitment to chicken innovation doesn’t stop there. The brand is testing new crispy chicken items, including tacos and burritos, in select markets, with plans to make crispy chicken a permanent menu category by 2026, per Business Insider.
