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TACO Bell has quietly been testing new versions of its famed Crunchwrap Supreme this month.
The fast food giant offered New Yorkers a chance to get a taste of three different variations of the menu item on Wednesday.
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Two pop-up food trucks — one at Washington Square Park in Manhattan and the other on North 6th Street in Brooklyn — were serving the fresh Crunchwrap Supreme takes, per Nation’s Restaurant News.
It’s all part of Taco Bell’s TBX Program, a new initiative to encourage customers to start an “innovation journey” and customize Crunchwraps using different ingredients.
In November of last year, the chain also reached out and contacted three award-winning chefs to work with their team and develop versions of the Crunchwrap Supreme to be released to the masses through the New York City Food Trucks.
It was an opportunity that each didn’t believe was real.
“I literally thought it was a scam,” Reuben Asaram, a chef based in Philadelphia who serves Indian-Mexican tacos, told the publication.
CRUNCHWRAP CREATIVITY
Asaram helped create the Indian Buffet Crunchwrap Supreme, made with cucumber mint sauce, spiced rice, lettuce, pico de gallo, and roasted chicken doused in a tomato curry.
It also has the signature Taco Bell tostada shell and flour tortilla with a grilled finish.
The second chef, San Antonio’s Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, leads her team at Best Quality Daughter, an Asian-American restaurant in the area.
She created the Crispy Thai Noodle Crunchwrap Supreme with Taco Bell for the New York City food truck pop-up.
It comes with grilled chicken and a khao soi aioli with crunchy wheat noodles, along with onions, cilantro, sour cream, and an avocado basil ranch sauce.
While Asaram and Dobbertin’s Crunchwrap Supremes deviate from the traditional Mexican flavors customers know and love, the third chef, Lawrence “L.T.” Smith out of Phoenix, elevated the original outline of the menu item further.
Smith works at Chilte, an award-winning Mexican restaurant in the city.
He created a Crunchwrap Supreme with fried chicken nuggets, salsa macha, purple cabbage slaw, cilantro, apricot hot sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, and Oaxaca-style mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheeses.
HIGH PRAISE
Smith and Dobbertin were also hesitant to move forward with Taco Bell and the TBX program initially but praised the chain for its efforts.
Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap Supreme
- First introduced in 2005
- Made with seasoned beef, nacho cheese sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and reduce-fat sour cream
- Wrapped in a tostada shell and a flour tortilla
- Folded in a hexagonal pattern before griddled
- Typically priced around $5.59 depending on location
“I asked so many questions upfront — I was like I’m not getting on this [Zoom] call until you tell me what’s up,” Smith told Nation’s Restaurant News.
“You’re cooking for real in the test kitchen, and then how they translate that to their line in every Taco Bell is cool.”
Dobbertin also called Taco Bell’s R&D team “amazing.”
LOYALTY PERK
Customers can also try their hand at creating a Crunchwrap Supreme variation, per Taco Bell’s TBX page.
Those who are loyalty rewards members can get up to $3 toward customizations on a Crunchwrap Supreme order until October 21.
There’s also TBX-branded merchandise for sale from Taco Bell, including t-shirts, hats, and more.
Taco Bell also recently made waves among customers for bringing back a $2 discontinued fan-favorite offering.
