Taco Bell Nachos: What To Know Before Ordering
Americans love their nachos. That's an indisputable fact: According to Statista, 236.78 million Americans consumed tortilla chips and cheese in 2020.
Taco Bell is one of best providers of this nationwide craving, with its famous, currently off-the-menu Nachos Party Pack, which consists of a box full of chips piled high with guacamole, nacho cheese, seasoned beef, and tomatoes (via Taco Bell). Unfortunately, this elaborate spread of nachos seems to have been only a staple at Taco Bells in the United States.
Harry Kersch, a U.K.-based video producer, told Insider that, "What we lack in nachos, we more than make up for in fries." However, there is an option for the Nachos BellGrande and the regular seasoned nachos in the United Kingdom, according to the Taco Bell U.K. website.
But to be completely honest, it's a shame that our friends across the pond have not yet experienced the beautiful, steaming hot joy that is the Nachos Party Pack. But whatever form of Taco Bell nachos you're in the mood for, here's what you should know.
What are Taco Bell Nachos?
According to The Kitchn, Taco Bell literally invented pre-formed crunchy taco shells, so you know the crunch of their nacho chips is also going to be on point. After all, no one likes a soggy chip. As touched on before, Taco Bell Nachos are a delicacy everyone is entitled to experience at least once in their life.
According to the company's United States website, Taco Bell nachos come in two main varieties: the chips and nacho cheese sauce and the Nachos BellGrande. Both of these versions come with crunchy tortilla chips that you can douse (or are already doused) in nacho cheese.
The Nachos BellGrande comes with more elaborate ingredients, including refried beans, seasoned beef, and sour cream. Plus, it is large enough to serve as a meal on its own, so feel free to ditch your chalupa that day. Trust us, you won't regret it.
How much do the nachos cost?
Considering the quantity of chips that you get, Taco Bell provides its customers with a pretty fair price for its famous nachos. The company notes that its items and prices vary by location, but for the most part, the prices for its nachos are on the lower side.
The Nachos BellGrande could range from $3.29, which is its price listed on Real Menu Prices, to $3.99, according to its product page on the Taco Bell website. The cost of cheesy nachos is even lower, which only go for $1.39, according to Real Menu Prices. As for the Nacho Party Pack, while it was still on the menu, you could get it for as low as $9.99.
Taco Bell is the CEO of keeping items cheap, and that's done on purpose to keep customers coming back, ideally in larger groups. We can't complain about that — it just means more nachos for us.
How do they taste?
You might be asking yourself why you should order something that isn't a taco from Taco Bell. Well, we'll tell you exactly why: because those nachos absolutely are worth trading in your Crunchwrap for.
Just look at this commercial for the Nachos BellGrande back in 2009 (via YouTube). Either that was some really good cinematography, or the nachos are just that droolworthy. It seem like both — a Brand Eating reviewer tried out the Nacho Party Pack before it was discontinued, and called the dish "well balanced" and good for its value.
As for the products that are still on Taco Bell's menu, the Nachos BellGrande are also a big hit, although food blogger Olivia Snyder has some qualms with the product. She writes in her Taco Bell blog You Can Ring My Bell that the proportions were a bit off, but with a good shake, it was "just right." Snyder ultimately gave this dish a respectable rating of three out of four nachos, so it seem like it's definitely worth checking out.
When was it released and is it a permanent staple?
We couldn't pinpoint exactly when Taco Bell released its nachos, but it's had a long history with tortilla chips. In fact, a popular dish it had in the 1980s was the Cinnamon Crispas, which were a kind of churro-inspired dessert chip coated in cinnamon and sugar. We can assume that since then, the chain began to roll out more savory chip creations.
As mentioned before, the Nacho Party Pack is tragically unavailable for order or pickup at this time. But we actually saw this coming — Taco Bell made it a limited-time menu item when it was first released on December 26, 2019, according to Chew Boom.
There also was a popular other variety, the Nachos Supreme, which ABC7 notes was discontinued August 13, 2020 as part of a pandemic-induced menu revamp. We hope that Taco Bell isn't planning to do the same with any of its other nachos in the near future, although the chain is known for constantly removing successful items from its menu.
Nutritional Info
Taco Bell Nachos come smothered with a whole load of toppings. Unsurprisingly, the Nachos BellGrande in its default form is carbohydrate and fat-heavy, with 82 grams of carbohydrates and 38 grams of total fat per serving, according to Fast Food Nutrition. However, there is a good amount of protein from the beef and refried beans.
Looking to make your nachos a bit lighter? You can customize the toppings to suit your own preferences. You can also make your Taco Bell Nachos vegetarian or vegan by removing the nacho cheese, sour cream, and beef and upping the refried beans and adding guacamole.
Also, if you're avoiding high quantities of sodium, perhaps make the nachos an occasional order, as the Nachos BellGrande contains 1,130 milligrams of sodium per serving, which is 49% of your suggested daily intake (via Taco Bell). But if you're looking to treat yourself, why not do it with nachos?