Taco Bell Testing Sriracha-Flavored Menu Items

Taco Bell is testing Sriracha-flavored menu items in Kansas City.

If you’re searching for a meal that mixes Mexican and Asian flavors, heading to the Midwest probably doesn’t make much sense. But that’s where Taco Bell is reportedly testing new menu items that use much-loved hot sauce: Sriracha.

USA Today reports that the fast food restaurant is dipping its toes into the spicy flavoring at more than 70 Kansas City-area Taco Bells.

A spokesperson for the fast food restaurant says the new menu items were created as a way to cater to consumers’ love of spicy food.

Food items being tested at the locations include standard fare – breakfast included – with the popular hot sauce mixed in. So what’s Taco Bell cooking up to tempt customers?

• Sriracha Beef Griller: A Loaded Griller with Sriracha ground beef, Sriracha Crema sauce, nacho cheese sauce and crispy red strips.

• Sriracha Taco: A Crunchy Taco with Sriracha ground beef, Sriracha Crema sauce, cheddar cheese and lettuce.

• Sriracha Taco: A Crunchy Taco with Sriracha ground beef, Sriracha Crema sauce, cheddar cheese and lettuce.

• Sriracha Grande Scrambler: A Grande Scrambler with scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, Sriracha Crema sauce, nacho cheese sauce, bacon, and topped with pico de gallo, sour cream and cheddar cheese; available with steak or sausage.

The Sriracha test is just the latest in a line of interesting food creations Taco Bell has rolled out this year, after experimenting with new breakfast items and adding variations on its Doritos Locos Taco.

Over the past year it’s become evident that Americans just can’t get enough of Sriracha, which is made with the paste of chili peppers.

The spicy sauce has shown up in a plethora of food items including Pringles, Lays potato chips, vodka, candy canes, and pretty much anything else you can imagine.

While Sriracha has enjoyed a fandom rivaled only by hipsters’ love of beards, there have been a few issues facing the hot sauce.

Back in 2013, a California city filed a lawsuit aimed at shutting down a Sriracha factory that residents had deemed too stinky. Shortly after the suit was filed a judge shut down part of the factory, but the lawsuit was ultimately dropped in May of this year.

Taco Bell tests Sriracha flavored items [The Washington Post]

Taco Bell testing Sriracha menu [USA Today]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist