Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap Supreme is one of its most distinctive and recognizable menu items, thanks to its hexagonal form, layers of fillings, and crispy tostada shell snuggled inside the flour tortilla.
Previously, the popular product was not suitable for vegan customers due to its seasoned beef, nacho cheese, and sour cream ingredients.
Taco Bell has announced that it will offer a brand-new Vegan Crunchwrap in select American cities beginning tomorrow, June 8, following years of testing and tasting.
The new vegan version includes plant-based seasoned beef, vegan blanco sauce, and vegan nacho sauce, as well as shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes.
Taco Bell stated that the vegan beef and new sauces have been under development for some time to improve the exclusive flavors.
“Such a large part of our fandom is vegan or vegetarian, and we’re as committed to them as they are to us and our menu,” Taco Bell’s global chief culinary innovation officer, Liz Matthews, said in a statement.
“That’s why we waited so long, months and years, to release something this exceptional; we wanted and needed to get it just perfect, to make it mouthwatering.
Because, let’s face it, we’ve all eaten plenty of things on today’s market that don’t taste wonderful and aren’t very appealing.”
Taco Bell marketed the Vegan Crunchwrap as its first-ever “fully vegan entree item,” but customers can also make other Taco Bell items vegan by replacing the meat with black beans, refried beans, or potato bites and ordering them “fresco style,” which replaces any mayo-based sauces, cheeses, and sour cream with diced tomatoes.
Customers will be unable to order those specific plant-based ingredients on other menu items since the Vegan Crunchwrap was “crafted as the perfectly complementary combination,” Taco Bell stated.
Taco Bell also stated in the release that some restaurants may use the same frying oil to produce non-vegan menu items, making cross-contamination probable.
The Vegan Crunchwrap will be available for a limited time in Los Angeles, New York City, and Orlando, Florida.
Crunchwrap costs vary by area, however Taco Bell has stated that the vegan version will be priced similarly to the original non-vegan Crunchwraps wherever they are sold.
Though Taco Bell fans in other regions of the country will miss out on the new menu item for the time being, they can hope that the test is successful enough to warrant a national release in the future.
“Like its other product tests, Taco Bell will be trialing this innovation to gauge customer feedback and inform future menu developments,” it stated in a statement.
Aside from the original Crunchwrap, Taco Bell now provides a black bean version and a variety of Breakfast Crunchwraps with scrambled eggs, cheese, hashbrowns, breakfast meats, and additional toppings based on the flavor.
The Vegan Crunchwrap is the latest in a succession of interesting Taco Bell menu additions.
It recently reintroduced its beloved Enchirito for a short time, however some customers have been disappointed with the appearance and flavor of the menu item since its comeback.
Late this month, the chain released two new burritos and two new loaded fry plates, all of which featured Nacho Fries with green chile verde sauce.
Taco Bell consumers can also expect a limited-time return of the Volcano Menu on June 29 and the Beefy Crunch Burrito in early August.
