Crispy Potaco
The potaco was a standout star among the international tacos — and one that needs to hit American menus as soon as possible.
Filled with standard vegetarian fillings (lettuce, tomato, salsa, cheese, and spicy ranch), the hash brown-esque shell is the star of the show. Similar in consistency to a McDonald's hash brown, the shell is nicely crisp and seasoned. It's easy to imagine this hitting American menus as a breakfast taco option, filled with eggs and beans.
Paneer Taco
The Paneer Taco is another attempt by Taco Bell to find new fillings to win over India's vegetarian customers. Instead of beef or chicken, the taco is filled with paneer, a cheese that pairs nicely with the chipotle sauce.
Bulgogi Taco
When Taco Bell launched in Korea, not every customer was won over by the menu. So, the chain leaned heavily on familiar flavors, launching the Bulgogi Taco in 2015.
Bulgogi beef, a local favorite, is folded in with classic Taco Bell toppings in a soft flour tortilla to create a taco that is significantly spicier than what you'll find on an American menu. While Taco Bell has found that Americans customers like to be able to add their own hot sauce, via packet, many in other countries questioned why they were being served an incomplete meal.
So, Taco Bell turned up the heat to fit local tastes and kept the sauce packets in the US.
Kickin' Chicken Taco
Taco Bell revamped the popular lava sauce for the Kickin' Chicken Taco, which will launch in a yet-unannounced Southeast Asian country that does not currently have Taco Bell locations by the end of 2018.
The sauce is great — the perfect level of heat with nacho cheese undertones — but the standout is the full crispy chicken strip. The result, in a flour tortilla, is closer to a Buffalo chicken wrap made in Taco Bell's kitchens than a typical taco, a classification intended entirely as a compliment.
Tico Taco
Taco Bell's Tico Taco hit menus in Costa Rica in 2012. "Tico" refers to people from Costa Rica or Costa Rican-style food. Costa Rican-style tacos, therefore, would be Tico Tacos.
Taco Bell's dish draws from how locals prepare their tacos, with shredded instead of ground beef and sweet-and-spicy Lizano sauce. It's a completely different flavor profile than Taco Bell's American hardshell classic, and the difference between ground and shredded beef is stark, but it works.
