Taco Bell is planning the national launch of a 'healthy' taco with a fried-chicken shell

(A location in Bakersfield, California, selling the fried-chicken shell.Redditor Cheez4444)

Taco Bell is planning the national launch of a taco that swaps a tortilla for fried chicken.

The "Naked Chicken Chalupa" is set to launch across the US next year, reports Brand Eating. The item will be priced at $2.49 when it debuts.

The fried menu item has been sold in test markets as the "Naked Crispy Chicken Taco" and the "Naked Crispy Chicken Chalupa."

The Naked Chicken Chalupa is stuffed with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and avocado ranch sauce — a combination that is resulting in some surprising customer reactions.

"We were getting feedback like, 'It's so healthy. It's so fresh,'" Kat Garcia, Taco Bell's senior manager of marketing, told BuzzFeed News in May. "That really surprised us because it's fried chicken."

According to early reviews, the taco is tasty as well.

"It was a little salty initially since you bite into the fried chicken first but balances out once you hit the filling," writes Brand Eating. "The chicken shell had a substantial crunch as well as a solid kick of spicy heat; much more so than any other current Taco Bell meat option."

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