Taco Bell Quietly Discontinued 5 Fan-Favorite Menu Items This Year

For budget-conscious fast food fans, there’s nothing on the scene quite like Taco Bell’s Cravings Value Menu. With 10 items that all ring up to less than $3, you can assemble as big or as small of a meal as you desire on the cheap.

Recently, there's been some upheaval in regards to the Cravings Value Menu. Earlier this year, Taco Bell quietly discontinued five items in order to make room for new ones. The chain confirmed to Eat This, Not That! that the older items were replaced with six newer ones, including three that were previously only seen in test markets.

Discontinued Taco Bell Menu Items in 2024

1. Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito

For many fans, the biggest omission among the five dishes was the Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito. The loss inspired more than one Change.org petition urging Taco Bell to reinstate it.

One poster lamented, “The removal of this beloved burrito has not only affected me but also countless other customers who found joy in its unique flavor profile.” The petition reached 788 signatures.

What was so great about the Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito? "It was cheap and fire," one poster on the petition page said. "Two of these made a great lunch for under $5.” The burrito combined grilled chicken, rice, Cheddar cheese, sour cream, crunch tortillas (Fiesta Strips), and a chipotle ranch sauce.

2. Beefy Melt Burrito

The simple burrito combined seasoned ground beef. seasoned rice, nacho cheese sauce, Fiesta Strips, a three-cheese blend, and sour cream. While it may be gone in its original form, according to Taco Bell Wiki, it’s still available, but with a new name—the Cheesy Double Beef Burrito. The updated version is a bit pricier, but it does have more beef although it comes with less Fiesta Strips and cheese, according to Redditors.

3. Fiesta Veggie Burrito

According to the Change.org petition to return this menu item, it was a rare treat for vegetarians who have challenges finding fast food options. “We urge Taco Bell not only as customers but also as advocates for accessible plant-based dining options in mainstream establishments," the original poster said, "Please bring back our beloved Fiesta Veggie Burrito or introduce another equally satisfying vegetarian burrito option.”

The Fiesta Veggie Burrito featured black beans, seasoned rice, Fiesta Strips, sour cream, a three-cheese blend, tomatoes, guacamole, and a creamy chipotle sauce. “This was the absolute best fast food menu item ever created, had depth of flavor and many ingredients to keep it fresh," declared one Change.org signer.

4. Chicken Chipotle Melt

Chipotle sauce was also the centerpiece of the now-gone Chicken Chipotle Melt, a flour tortilla filled with grilled chicken and Cheddar cheese. When it debuted, the melt was only $1 and attracted a huge fanbase.

Fans took to TikTok to air their dissatisfaction with Taco Bell’s choice to discontinue it. "This item was the only thing I would get here," one Redditor said, "It made me love Taco Bell. But now that it’s gone. I feel like I’m lost in space with a flavor I can only dream about now.”

5. $5 Classic Combo

Not so much an item as a collection of favorites, this combo featured a drink; a specialty item (such as the Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme, Black Bean Chalupa, or Cheese Quesadilla); a smaller Classic Item (such as the Bean Burrito, Spicy Potato Soft Taco, or the Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito); and a choice of side or dessert, all for $5. One Redditor commented that there is now a “worse version for $6.99 in the app.”

What’s New to the Taco Bell Cravings Value Menu in 2024

We’ve already established that the Cheesy Double Beef Burrito is just an upgrade of the Beefy Melt Burrito, but what are the other items that replaced some of the others? Here’s the rundown.

The Stacker

This take on a quesadilla features seasoned beef, a melted three-cheese blend, and nacho cheese piled into a grilled flour tortilla.

Double Stacked Taco

Nacho cheese sauce also plays a major role in this taco—it's the glue that binds a crispy taco shell to a flour tortilla (Double Decker style), filled with seasoned beef, lettuce, Fiesta Strips, and Cheddar cheese.

3-Cheese Chicken Flatbread Melt

The fluffy flatbread used for this melt (yes, the same one that's in our favorite Taco Bell menu item of all time) is thicker than a tortilla, making it a bit more substantial than a quesadilla. It's filled with marinated and grilled chicken, a melted three-cheese blend, and creamy chipotle sauce—a possible stand-in for the retired Chicken Chipotle Melt.

Chicken Enchilada Burrito

Unlike a conventional enchilada, this wrap has red sauce inside the tortilla rather than being smothered in it, for an easier on-the-go option. It's stuffed with marinated and grilled chicken, sour cream, seasoned rice, and a three-cheese blend.

Loaded Beef Nachos

At $2.99, the priciest new addition is just what it sounds like—a layer of tortilla chips covered in seasoned beef, refried beans, sour cream, nacho cheese sauce, red sauce, and guacamole.

Since these six items were added, Taco Bell has also introduced a Decades section to the Cravings Value Menu featuring vintage faves as far back as the 1960s. It includes the Tostada, Green Sauce Burrito, Meximelt, Gordita Supreme, and the Caramel Apple Empanada. While we are thankful for all these new menu additions, we'll be keeping an eye out for any of these discontinued fan favorites making a return.

Read the original article on ALLRECIPES