Review: Taco Bell - Crispy Chicken Chipotle Bacon Melt Burrito

Taco Bell's Crispy Chicken Chipotle Bacon Melt Burrito features crispy chicken strips, chipotle-seasoned bacon, melted shredded cheddar, shredded lettuce, and Avocado Ranch sauce, wrapped in a warm flour tortilla and grilled.

I got one for $5.99.

I'm generally of the mind that any sort of "melt" should not have lettuce in it, and the Crispy Chicken Chipotle Bacon Melt Burrito did nothing to change my mind. The heat from grilling and the chicken left mostly wilted lettuce to fill up a good deal of the burrito.

The chipotle-seasoned bacon was the same soft bits you find in Taco Bell's breakfast offerings. There's a meatiness to the small pieces but no crunch. There was a nice, lightly sweet smokiness and just a touch of heat, though.

The problem with chicken tenders/strips, particularly in fast food where you're generally not going to get a lot of them in a burrito or wrap, is that the irregular size can lead to a bite or two (or more) that are chicken-less. I actually had to cut the burrito twice for the cross-section photo because I somehow managed to cut precisely between the two tenders. The second cut was slightly better, with a tapered tender end showing. I included a photo to show that there was a meaty part of the tender closer to the end.

The flavor of the chicken strips was pretty standard: lightly seasoned and salted. They kept a decent crunch inside the burrito and had a fairly thick shell. The chicken inside was slightly moist. My guess would be that I got chicken that had been sitting in a warmer for a while.

The cheese was melted well, and there was a decent amount in every bite.

The Avocado Ranch wasn't all that apparent and was relegated to nondescript background noise here.

Overall, Taco Bell's Crispy Chicken Chipotle Bacon Melt Burrito was pretty good in terms of taste and texture, with a good balance of each. I did not like the inclusion of lettuce and could have gone without it. It's pricey for what you get.

Nutritional Info - Taco Bell Crispy Chicken Chipotle Bacon Melt
Calories - 700
Fat - 39g (Saturated Fat - 11g)
Sodium - 1560mg
Carbs - 60g (Sugar - 3g)
Protein - 27g