Taco Bell is adding new menu items and each of them promises to be Red Hot!

Frank’s RedHot Diablo Sauce menu items will be available at Taco Bell locations nationwide starting October 16

Taco Bell is set to raise the heat in its lineup starting this week when it rolls out a new collaboration with Frank’s RedHot - a new “Diablo” flavor.

Taco Bell will launch new menu items on October 16 featuring Frank’s RedHot Diablo sauce, a blend of Frank’s original heat with Taco Bell’s smoky Diablo and Spicy Ranch flavors. The lineup includes a Crispy Chicken Burrito, Crispy Chicken Soft Taco, Soft Taco Nacho Fries and Crispy Chicken Strips.

Each of the new items uses the chain’s Crispy Chicken Tender base. For example, the burrito features the tender marinated in jalapeño-buttermilk, coated in tortilla chips and breadcrumbs, topped with shredded lettuce, purple cabbage, pico de gallo, cheddar cheese and the choice of Diablo sauce.

The soft taco mirrors that topping set in a soft shell. Meanwhile, the Nacho Fries pile seasoned fries, slow-roasted chicken, nacho cheese sauce, pico de gallo and a drizzle of the Diablo sauce.

For those wary of the tangy heat, Taco Bell offers Avocado Ranch as a milder substitute for Frank’s RedHot Diablo sauce on any of the new menu items.

Starting October 16, Taco Bell's Frank’s RedHot Diablo sauce menu lineup includes a Crispy Chicken Burrito, Soft Taco, Nacho Fries, and Chicken Strips. (Taco Bell)

Though this rollout carries fan-favorite appeal, Taco Bell said that the new items and the sauce are limited-time only.

“For decades, our sauces have become a core part of the Taco Bell experience,” Liz Matthews, Taco Bell’s Global Chief Food Innovation Officer, said in a news release. “Crispy Chicken is our stage for flavor innovation, with every new sauce collaboration breaking new ground. We take our sauces seriously – they’re the hero of our continued success and reinforces there’s no limit to how we reimagine the classics.”

Taco Bell’s focus on crispy chicken and bold sauces reflects a broader strategy to expand dipping options, guided by customer feedback. Over the past year, the chain has tested tortilla-breaded nuggets and launched collaborations like a Mike’s Hot Honey glaze, following KFC’s similar heat-and-sweet trend.

Other fast food chains are making it hot, too. In June, Wendy’s teamed up with Takis for a fiery limited-time offering, the Takis Fuego Meal, offering the Takis Fuego Chicken Sandwich and Fuego Fries. These items appear to no longer be available.

Also over the summer, Chipotle unveiled its Adobo Ranch on June 17, marking the e Tex-Mex chain’s first new dip in five years.