Steveats: Taco Bell’s Naked Chicken Chalupa, not really for Valentine’s Day

Debuting a new, semi-regular feature! I tryout questionable food items so that you don’t have to in… Steveats. (Note: Title developed in about 10 seconds of brainstorming.)

It’s Valentine’s Day! And while that means it’s my birthday – happy 33^rd, me! – it also means that you might be looking for a romantic meal for you and your significant other. And, if you’ve suffered significant brain trauma, you might think that you’ll find that dish at Taco Bell. When Taco Bell announced the Naked Chicken Chalupa in January, it was sent to me by at least five loyal readers. I’m glad that I’m being fed this information, in turn to feed my gut.  

I finally got a chance to give it the ole Steveats try last week, and let me say… It’s not bad! The main “selling point” is the fried chicken shell. The chicken itself wasn’t bad. Fairly moist, and unlike what I first thought, there wasn’t beef in the chalupa. Just the normal lettuce, tomato, cheese and, according to Taco Bell, a creamy avocado ranch dressing.

However, much like the monstrous KFC Double Down, this chalupa is a “solution” to a non-problem. One of my favorite parts of any taco is the hard or the soft shell, whether we’re talking normal versions or special treats like them Doritos tacos. Why do we need to replace that with chicken? There isn’t any real benefit to a greasy taco “shell,” instead of just having the chicken inside of a normal shell.

The only real benefit to the Naked Chicken Chalupa right now is that it’s in one of the irresistible value meals. For $5 and tax, you get the chalupa, a regular taco, and a Doritos hard shell taco, plus a drink. And thank god, none of those horrible cinnamon twists anymore! It’s not a horrible overall deal for $5, so if you’re still curious about greasy chicken shells, knock yourself out. It’s a great Valentine’s Day experience, if you’re looking to leave someone horribly depressed and downtrodden about their situation.

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