TACO BELL® TEAMS UP WITH ZAB'S HOT SAUCE TO TURN NACHO FRIES INTO A CANVAS FOR SWEET HEAT

Meet Zab's Chicken Ranch Nacho Fries — Taco Bell's latest collaboration with Zab's featuring the "slow burn" of the Datil Pepper in Zab's "St. Augustine Style" Sauce.

TLDR:

• Taco Bell is introducing the all-new Zab's Chicken Ranch Nacho Fries, a limited-time collaboration with Zab's Hot Sauce, available beginning April 16.
• Nacho Fries continue their legacy as Taco Bell's go-to canvas for bold sauce innovation — entering a new sweet and spicy era through this partnership with Zab's and its signature Datil Pepper sweet heat and slow burn
• Zab's Chicken Ranch Nacho Fries deliver sweet heat up front and a friendly, gradual burn from Datil Peppers featured in Zab's "St. Augustine Style" Sauce, which is then balanced with Taco Bell's signature Spicy Ranch to create the Zab's Ranch that is layered over seasoned Nacho Fries and slow-roasted chicken for a craveable flavor experience that builds with every bite.
• Some lucky Taco Bell Rewards Members can score a limited-edition Zab's Saucy Gift Bag on April 21 via the Tuesday Drops page in the Taco Bell app.
• Zab's Chicken Ranch Nacho Fries assets can be found HERE.

IRVINE, Calif., April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Taco Bell is turning it up a notch. The brand's iconic Nacho Fries are getting a sweet heat remix with the debut of Zab's Chicken Ranch Nacho Fries, a limited-time topped fries experience that features Zab's "St. Augustine Style" Sauce combined with Taco Bell's fan-favorite Spicy Ranch. This collaboration marks Taco Bell's first-ever Datil Pepper hot sauce partnership, hitting menus April 16.

A Sweet Heat Made for Topped Nacho Fries Fans
At the center of this latest flavor drop is a first for the topped fries lineup: a sweet-heat profile that builds with every bite, offering the highly craveable sweet and spicy combo. Zab's Ranch is a first-of-its-kind sauce at Taco Bell that blends the signature sweetness and slow burn of Zab's "St. Augustine Style" Sauce with Taco Bell's fan-favorite Spicy Ranch. The result is a craveable flavor journey — golden, Mexican-spiced Nacho Fries are layered with slow-roasted chicken, warm Nacho Cheese sauce, a three-cheese blend and pico de gallo, all finished with Zab's Ranch for a kick that lingers just long enough to keep fans coming back for the next bite and available for $5.49*.

"We're always exploring partnerships that can bring a different kind of flavor experience to our menu, and collaborating with Zab's delivered exactly that," said Liz Matthews, Global Chief Food Innovation Officer at Taco Bell. "Together we created a new take on ranch for Taco Bell: creamy, balanced, and layered with a sweet heat thanks to the inclusion of the Datil Pepper that adds a whole new dimension to Nacho Fries."

Made with rare Datil Peppers, a culinary treasure in St. Augustine, Florida where the pepper has been harvested for over 200 years, Zab's "St. Augustine Style" Sauce delivers sweetness up front and a smooth, approachable burn.

"Datil peppers have a one-of-a-kind flavor profile—sweet and tangy with a slow-burning heat," said Miles Soboroff, Zab's Co-Founder and CEO. "By blending our 'St. Augustine Style' hot sauce with Taco Bell's Spicy Ranch, we created a sweet-heat flavor that feels right at home on their beloved Nacho Fries, while advancing our mission to celebrate and preserve the endangered Datil pepper and establish it as a staple American ingredient."

The Nacho Fries Legacy Continues
Nacho Fries have become one of Taco Bell's most iconic menu items and a go-to stage for bold flavor mashups. From unexpected sauce collaborations to craveable topped fry creations each new iteration reimagines the fan-favorite fries with new ingredients and flavor twists.

As anticipation builds around what might come next, Zab's Chicken Ranch Nacho Fries add a sweet and spicy ranch twist to the legacy – signaling that this fan-favorite format is evolving into something even bigger, with more flavor moments still to come.

Heat You Can Rep
Taco Bell Rewards Members can score a limited-edition Zab's Saucy Gift Bag through Tuesday Drops on April 21. Available for 500 lucky fans, members can enter from 2–3 PM PT on the Tuesday Drops page in the Taco Bell app—guests can unlock up to 5 additional entries to win with each purchase of Zab's Chicken Ranch Nacho Fries they make in the app on April 21 only (see Official Rules for details, including how to obtain an alternate method of entry)**. The gift bag includes a custom Zab's x Taco Bell bag, bandana, two collectible patches and a bottle of Zab's "St. Augustine Style" Sauce.

Join Taco Bell Rewards to unlock exclusive access to Tuesday Drops. Follow @TacoBell to stay in the loop on what's heating up next.

* At participating locations for a limited time only, while supplies last. Contact restaurant for prices, hours and participation, which vary. Taxes extra. Prices higher with delivery.

** NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. NON-PURCHASE AND PURCHASE ENTRIES HAVE AN EQUAL CHANCE OF WINNING. The Taco Bell Tuesday Drops x Zab's Saucy Gift Bag Sweepstakes is open only to Taco Bell Rewards program members who are legal residents of the 50 U.S./D.C., 16 years of age or older who possess a web-enabled mobile device as of 4/20/26. Minors must have parent's permission to enter. The Registration Entry Period begins at 2:00 p.m. PT & ends at 3:00 p.m. PT on 4/21/26. The Overall Entry Period begins at 12:01 a.m. PT & ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on April 21, 2026. Limit one (1) Registration Entry and up to five (5) Bonus Entries (received either through purchase or non-purchase during the Overall Entry Period) per person, email address or Account regardless of Entry method. Establishing an Account is free. Terms apply. Five Hundred (500) Prizes: One (1) Zab's Saucy Gift Bag containing of one (1) 6 fl. oz. bottle of Zab's St. Augustine Style Hot Sauce, one (1) bandana, and two (2) embroidered patches. ARV: $37 each. Total ARV of all Prizes: $18,500. Prize details are at Sponsor's sole discretion. Limit one (1) Prize per person, email address or Account. Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received. Winners will be notified by Administrator on or about 4/24/26 to the email address provided in their entry (which must be the same email address that is associated with the Account used for entry). U.S. Law governs this Sweepstakes. Void where prohibited or otherwise restricted by law. See Official Rules for details on qualifying purchase or non-purchase method for bonus entries. Subject to complete Official Rules and Taco Bell's Privacy Policy. Sponsor: Taco Bell Corp., 1 Glen Bell Way, Irvine, CA 92618. Administrator: Don Jagoda Associates, Inc., 100 Marcus Drive, Melville, NY 11747. For non-purchase method for bonus entries, iOS users click here: tacobell://promotions/zabsdrop-amoe and Android users click here: https://www.tacobell.com/promotions/zabsdrop-amoe

About Taco Bell Corp.
For more than 64 years, Taco Bell has brought innovative, craveable Mexican-inspired food to the masses, and was recently recognized as one of Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies, one of TIME's Most Influential Companies, and Nation's Restaurant News' Brand Icon. For more information about Taco Bell, visit our website at www.TacoBell.com, our Newsroom at www.TacoBell.com/news, or check out www.TacoBell.com/popular-links. You can also stay up to date on all things Taco Bell by following us on LinkedIn, TikTok, X, Instagram, Facebook and by subscribing to our YouTube channel.

About Zab's
Established in 2019, Zab's makes hot sauces using rare datil peppers, an American treasure said to have first been discovered in St. Augustine, Florida over 200 years ago. Endangered and protected by the Slow Food Foundation, Datil Peppers are beloved for their signature slow burn and naturally sweet heat, enhancing each bite and moment with a bit of depth, flavor and feeling.  Zab's mission is to help preserve these special peppers and make them the heart of a new classic American hot sauce.

Jacqueline Cisneros – Taco Bell Corp.
[email protected] 

Rosie Herzog – Edelman
[email protected] 

SOURCE Taco Bell Corp.