Taco Bell recently fought a hard legal battle to make Taco Tuesday a weekly celebration that everyone can partake in. Naturally, you’d think a chain so dedicated to taco enjoyment would have at least one taco on its breakfast menu—but nope, the restaurant has historically stuck to quesadillas, burritos, and Crunchwraps. In fact, October 12 will mark the first time Taco Bell is offering straight-up breakfast tacos, and they sound like a promising addition to the menu.
Taco Bell’s new Toasted Breakfast Tacos, explained
The new Toasted Breakfast Tacos are made with “fluffy” scrambled eggs, shredded cheddar cheese, and the option of bacon, sausage, or potato within a grilled flour tortilla. Each option will be available a la carte nationwide for $1.49 the day of the launch and will remain on the menu for a limited time. Rewards members who snag the chain’s newly reintroduced $10 Taco Lover’s Pass, which entitles them to one taco per day for 30 days, can opt for a breakfast taco during breakfast hours. (If the pass was purchased October 4, it will be good until November 2.)
The introduction of these breakfast tacos, though seemingly long overdue, aligns with Taco Bell’s recent pledge to simplify its offerings. Back in late 2022, Taco Bell partnered with comedian Pete Davidson to launch an apology campaign for being too innovative with its breakfast menu in the past, pointing to some wackier entrees from prior years as evidence of having gone too far. Perhaps it was the inexplicable appeal of Pete Davidson, or maybe people really did want simpler breakfast options, but whatever the case, Taco Bell saw increased success with its breakfast menu following the campaign.
During its period of over-innovation, Taco Bell did add some breakfast tacos to the menu, but they were decidedly unique: 2017's Naked Egg Taco featured a firmly fried egg in place of a tortilla, filled with cheese, cheese sauce, potatoes, and either sausage or bacon on top. The breakfast menu also included the Waffle Taco in 2014, a tiny folded waffle with sausage and eggs tucked inside.
“The addition of all-new Toasted Breakfast Tacos will spark a breakfast campaign from the brand, featuring a certain Taco Bell partner with a hot take on the most important meal of the day,” reads the latest announcement. “Tune in to Taco Bell’s social channels on October 17 for more.”
Setting aside the possibility of a Pete Davidson three-peat, the chain really does appear to be aiming for simplicity with these new Toasted Breakfast Tacos. Right now, Taco Bell offers burritos, quesadillas, Crunchwraps, and hash browns as its main breakfast items, nearly all of which contain ingredients almost identical to the new Toasted Breakfast Tacos. This means Taco Bell’s entire breakfast menu will consist of at least some variation of eggs, cheese, and a protein wrapped within a flour tortilla, and it’s up to customers to decide which format suits them best.
Asked whether the tacos will become a permanent fixture on the Taco Bell breakfast menu, a representative wrote the following to The Takeout via email: “Offering menu items for a limited time allows us to create room for even more craveable creations for fans, but we ‘never say never’ when it comes to the chance of a permanent spot on menus.”
The chances of these new tacos blowing anyone’s mind are slim. But looking back at the surprising success Pete Davidson brought to the brand’s breakfast sales, anything is possible.