did taco bell get rid of the chicken chipotle melt

The Vanishing of a Taco Bell Fan Favorite What Happened to the Chicken Chipotle Melt?

Taco Bell is known for its creative menu items that keep customers coming back for more. From the famous Crunchwrap Supreme to the elusive Nacho Fries, Taco Bell is always adding new items and limited-time deals. However, with each new addition, older items have to be taken off the menu. Many Taco Bell fans are upset that the Chicken Chipotle Melt, a burrito-like dish with grilled chicken and melted cheese smothered in Taco Bell’s creamy chipotle sauce, has been taken off the menu. The Chicken Chipotle Melt is no longer there, which makes me wonder what happened to it.

The History of the Chicken Chipotle Melt

In the early 2000s, Taco Bell added the Chicken Chipotle Melt to their menu. It quickly became a favorite among people who like spicy food. It had grilled chicken breast marinated in Chipotle sauce, melted cheddar cheese, and crispy red tortilla strips all wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla. It was a unique and tasty menu item because it had savory chicken, smoky and slightly spicy sauce, and gooey cheese. The Chicken Chipotle Melt gained a devoted following of fans who would order it over and over for almost twenty years. Fans loved the simple pleasure of biting into the melted cheese and chipotle sauce, even though it wasn’t the flashiest thing on the menu.

Why Taco Bell Discontinued the Chicken Chipotle Melt

In late 2020, Taco Bell decided to quietly remove the Chicken Chipotle Melt from its menus. There was no big announcement or send-off for this unsung hero of a menu item. So what happened that led to its abrupt discontinuation? Industry experts speculate a few possible reasons:

• Menu simplification – With a huge array of items, Taco Bell was likely looking to streamline offerings. The Chicken Chipotle Melt wasn’t a major seller, making it easier to cut.

• Performance issues – It’s possible the product wasn’t meeting internal performance benchmarks for sales, operations, or quality standards.

• Cost of ingredients: Some of the most important ingredients in the Chicken Chipotle Melt may have become too expensive compared to how much the item sold for.

• New product push: Taco Bell often gets rid of older items to make room for new items and sales. The Chicken Chipotle Melt may have been collateral damage.

Regardless of the reason, Taco Bell felt the time had come to say goodbye to the Chipotle Melt.

Customer Reaction to the Discontinuation

Unsurprisingly, not all Taco Bell customers were happy with the decision to remove the Chicken Chipotle Melt from menus. Many fans took to social media to express their disappointment, passionately calling for its return. Loyal customers missed the smoky chipotle flavor that gave the item its signature kick. Others appreciated the simple, no-frills combo of chicken, sauce, and melted cheese in a burrito-style format. For those who had been ordering it for years, it was the end of an era. Some even tried to recreate it at home, but found it was never quite the same.

While Taco Bell likely expected some backlash, the sustained customer response underscores the popularity of the Chicken Chipotle Melt. And it begs the question – could this cult favorite ever make a comeback?

Is There Hope for the Return of the Chicken Chipotle Melt?

Taco Bell has brought back retired legacy items in limited-time promotions, so fans holding out hope for the return of the Chicken Chipotle Melt aren’t completely off-base. After all, customer demand and nostalgia are powerful forces. However, Taco Bell hasn’t given any indication that a comeback is imminent. Fans’ best bet is to keep up the social media buzz and direct feedback to Taco Bell. If interest reaches a fever pitch, perhaps Taco Bell would consider a limited-run promotion. But the company has countless new creations in the works, so focusing resources on an unpopular discontinued item remains a long shot.

Still, crazier things have happened in fast food. Just look at the mass hysteria caused by McDonald’s briefly selling a limited number of Rick and Morty Szechuan sauce packets. McDonald’s had discontinued that promotional sauce years earlier, but overwhelming customer demand brought it briefly back. So while a Chicken Chipotle Melt revival isn’t guaranteed, hope springs eternal for some Taco Bell devotees.

How Fans Can Get Their Chicken Chipotle Fix Today

While awaiting a potential comeback, disappointed customers have a few options to get their hands on the flavors they crave:

• Try existing menu items with substitutions – Order a standard chicken burrito and ask for chipotle sauce and extra cheese to mimic the Chicken Chipotle Melt.

• DIY it – Grab Taco Bell’s grilled chicken and chipotle sauce on the side to make a homemade version.

• Petition for permanent availability of key ingredients – Asking Taco Bell to keep chipotle sauce and grilled chicken regularly available improves the odds of “hacking” a substitute.

• Look for copycat recipes online – Several fan-created copycat Chicken Chipotle Melt recipes exist which customers can try replicating at home.

• Request one-off batch orders – Some have had luck ordering Chicken Chipotle Melts by the dozen directly through their local Taco Bell restaurant. But this is not a guarantee.

While not perfect substitutes, these options can help satisfy the craving for that smoky chipotle flavor in the meantime.

The Future of Taco Bell Menu Innovation

While the disappearance of the Chicken Chipotle Melt still stings for some fans, Taco Bell shows no signs of slowing down menu innovation. In just the past couple years, the chain introduced creative new options like:

• The Naked Chicken Chalupa, with a fried chicken shell replacing the regular taco shell

• Reaper Ranch Fries loaded with spicy reaper pepper sauce

• A taco featuring a fried egg as the shell

• Crispy Chicken Wings dusted with flavorful seasonings

And its popular Doritos Locos Tacos and Nacho Fries keep making limited-time comebacks by customer request. Taco Bell even recently launched an ambitious foray into breakfast burritos as it competes for morning customers.

So while the Chicken Chipotle Melt may be relegated to fast food history, Taco Bell continues pushing boundaries. Fans never know what mashup, remix, or innovation might hit menus next. And if interest in the Chicken Chipotle Melt reaches critical levels, who knows? This discontinued favorite could one day rise from the ashes like a phoenix, ready to reclaim its rightful place among Taco Bell’s elite menu items.