Taco Bell provides vegan crunchwrap choice to its menu

Taco Bell is looking to bolster its vegan options with a plant-based spin on a fan favorite.

The new vegan crunchwrap will be available for a limited time starting Thursday, June 8, at select restaurants, the fast-food chain announced in a news release.

Taco Bell is testing the new entree in three cities this summer:

• Los Angeles, California
• New York City
• Orlando, Florida

Inspired by the classic crunchwrap, the vegan version features plant-based protein “topped with cool vegan blanco sauce and warm vegan nacho sauce,” according to a product description. It also comes with lettuce, tomato and a crunchy tostada shell.

The vegan entree will be available while supplies last and will cost the same as the classic crunchwrap, the release said.

Taco Bell said it hopes to gauge customer response to its latest menu test.

“Such a large part of our fandom is vegan or vegetarian, and we’re as committed to them as they are to us and our menu,” Liz Matthews, global chief food innovation officer at Taco Bell,” said in a statement. “That’s why we took so long, months and years … we wanted and needed to get it exactly right

The new crunchwrap’s ingredients are “certified vegan,” according to the restaurant. However, Taco Bell advised that some locations use the same frying oil to prepare vegan- and vegetarian-friendly options, increasing the risk of contact with animal byproducts.

KFC faced a similar issue when it launched its plant-based fried “chicken” in 2022.

Taco Bell is known for its veggie-forward offerings and was once dubbed “one of the healthiest fast-food chains,” Business Insider reported in 2016.

Its varied options allow customers to tweak their orders as they see fit, swapping out meat for black beans or potatoes.

“We just really encourage people to customize to however it fits their lifestyle,” Missy Nelson, dietitian and menu developer for Taco Bell, told the outlet.