Taco Bell Tests New Crispalupa With Fried Cheesy Shell

Taco Bell is back in the lab, and this time it’s all about texture.

The chain is currently testing a new item in Chicago called the Crispalupa, and the name pretty much tells you everything you need to know. It’s a chalupa-style build, but with a shell that leans harder into crunch, coming through as a crispy, cheesy fried exterior that holds everything together.

Inside, you’ll find slow-roasted chicken, shredded cheddar, crisp lettuce, pico de gallo made fresh daily, and a drizzle of jalapeño ranch to tie it all together. It’s familiar territory flavor-wise, but the shell is doing most of the talking here.

Priced at $4.49, the Crispalupa feels like Taco Bell playing with one of its most reliable formats and pushing it a little further. More crunch, more cheese, same handheld energy.

For now, it’s a Chicago-only test, which means the rest of us are just watching to see if this one makes the jump nationwide.