What Exactly Are The Fiesta Strips At Taco Bell?

Certain almost-existential questions arise when pondering Taco Bell. Is this Mexican food, or was it ever? Are the menu items rooted in reality or the fever dream of corporate chefs operating at the nexus of fast food innovation and a vague Tex-Mex culinary ethos? After all, Taco Bell gave us the Flamin' Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Loco Taco. But maybe it's best not to dig too deep. Instead, asking what something with a name as vague as Fiesta Strips could be is a more fruitful use of our time.

I admit that my patronage of Taco Bell has been spotty lately, so my familiarity with many current items is weak. Fiesta Strips got me excited, though, as I pictured Taco Bell's take on chicken strips, perhaps with a zesty seasoning blend dusted on and a sauce that combines maybe nacho cheese and ranch. Or, I thought, these might be some savory take on the iconic cinnamon twists.

The truth, unfortunately, is a little boring, especially since Taco Bell doesn't generally traffic in boring. Fiesta Strips are merely strips of fried tortillas that come in a triad of red, orange, and purple. They add color and crunch to a wide variety of Taco Bell menu items, which can veer towards mush at times, but they lack the spice and pizzazz of other menu elements. That said, they are one of our favorite Taco Bell add-ons, as nothing really matches what they bring to the party. 

Fiesta Strips started on the Taco Bell menu as Crispy Red Strips. If you can't divine from the name, these were tortilla strips that were exactly the same as Fiesta Strips but only bearing one color. They served the same purpose as Fiesta Strips, bringing visual appeal and texture, but they were eventually phased out in favor of the multi-colored variant used today.

If you're looking for a taste of Fiesta Strips, plenty of Taco Bell menu items feature them. They show up on the Double Stack Taco, Cheesy Double Beef Burrito, and the vegetarian and beef versions of the Grilled Cheese Burrito.

If Taco Bell's presence on grocery store shelves is any indication, people want to bring the Bell home with them even when they can't make it into one of the restaurants. Generally, this means various sauces, but take heed crunch fans, as you can buy Fiesta Strips in stores. A 3.5-ounce bag will only set you back around five bucks at Walmart.