Jack in the Box, known for its popular fried tacos, is releasing a new limited-time-only pair of tacos to celebrate the spooky season. While one is the return of a fan favorite, the Monster Taco, the other takes a cue straight from Taco Bell’s most recent playbook.
Jack in the Box’s new Angry Monster Tacos, explained
The original Monster Tacos, which have been available as limited-time releases in previous years, are simply a larger version of Jack in the Box Tacos, deep fried and filled with beef, shredded lettuce, a slice of American cheese, and taco sauce. But the newfangled menu item is the Angry Monster Taco, which sports a spicy, bright red shell. Visually, it’s hard not to compare the Angry Monster Taco to Taco Bell’s 2023 revival of its Volcano Tacos.
Taco Bell’s Volcano Tacos (sadly no longer available) are super simple: They feature a bright red corn shell and are filled with seasoned beef, a spicy cheese-based Volcano sauce, and shredded lettuce. It’s easy to see why red tacos with a kick are a recipe for fast food success: They immediately indicate heat, which everyone wants right now, and they photograph well for social media.
Brightly colored fast food items aren’t new, of course. Take, for example, Burger King’s previous offerings like the bright red Spider-Verse Whopper or the bright orange Ghost Pepper Whopper. And who could forget its infamous Halloween Whopper of 2015, which caused people to have weird experiences on the toilet, a fact I will always bring up around this time of year.
Both sets of Jack in the Box Monster Tacos will be available from September 25 through November 19, and they’ll come in a pair for $3. Though it seems like a Taco Bell imitation, that could end up being a good thing—hopefully the Angry Monster Taco is enough to fill the Volcano-shaped hole in our hearts.