Spicy offerings are heating up foodservice menus.
Burger King has added a new line of spicy products under its “Fiery Menu.” Offerings include fiery chicken fries, fiery mozzarella fries, fiery strawberry and Sprite, fiery bacon Whoppers and fiery crispy chicken sandwiches.
Taco Bell is releasing limited-time Cheesy Street Chalupas, a new menu item inspired by street taco flavors and ingredients. The street-sized products are served in a bundle of two and utilize ingredients such as fresh onions, cilantro, ranch jalapeño sauce and chalupa shells stuffed with mozzarella and pepper jack cheese. The chalupas are available with protein options such as slow-roasted chicken and grilled marinated steak.
“The chalupa has taken many delicious forms over the years, but with the Cheesy Street Chalupas, we set out to create a new flavor-rich way for fans to enjoy the beloved menu item,” said Luis Restrepo, vice president of product innovation at Taco Bell. “The fresh onions and cilantro atop layers of cheese and premium proteins seasoned to perfection adds a different flavor profile and is our playful nod to the street taco that we all know and love.”
Southern chicken chain Zaxbys has unveiled a new limited-time handheld menu item. Chicken finger tacos feature the company’s hand-breaded chicken strips in a flour tortilla, with varieties such as chipotle ranch with pico de gallo and avocado ranch BLT tacos. The LTOs are now available in a three-count meal priced at approximately $10.19 or purchased individually for $3.
“Nothing is better than bringing two popular food items everyone loves together in our latest innovation: the chicken finger taco,” said Patrick Schwing, chief marketing and strategy officer at Zaxbys.
Panera has expanded its sandwich lineup with two spicy offerings, the spicy fiesta chicken sandwich and the Kickin’ grilled cheese sandwich. The company also has launched two avocado toast varieties, classic and garden.
Bojangles is bringing back its barbecue pulled pork sandwich for a limited time, which combines smoked pulled pork with Bojangles’ signature barbecue sauce and house-made coleslaw.
Sonic Drive-In is adding a permanent line of items for cost-conscious consumers, all priced at $1.99. The value menu includes bacon ranch queso wraps, Southwest crunch queso wraps, a quarter-lb double cheeseburger, chili cheesy coney, small tots and 16-oz shakes.
“Now more than ever, consumers are focused on affordable food options,” said Ryan Dickerson, chief marketing officer of Sonic. “At Sonic, we wanted to do something different — something fun — so we focused on variety, which is why we’re introducing the new $1.99 menu.”
Subway is launching a new crunchy topping, SubKrunch, a new cheddar sauce and three new sandwich varieties: spicy nacho chicken, honey mustard barbecue chicken and cheesy garlic steak.
Limited-time offerings are rolling out across menus.