This year’s new fast-food releases have truly been exciting and surprising. Crossover items and collaboration menus have been a significant trend this year, and spicy dishes have been particularly popular. Bringing back old favorites has also been a trend this year, with several fast-food establishments reintroducing some discontinued items. Here are the best new fast-food items that debuted so far this year.
- Shake Shack’s French Onion Soup Burger features a smashed beef patty with caramelized onions, crispy onions, gruyere cheese, and roasted garlic parmesan aioli. This sandwich has all the savory and cheesy flavors of French onion soup, and some food critics claim this is the best fast-food burger ever.
- Chick-fil-A's Pretzel Cheddar Club Sandwich is a twist on the classic fried chicken sandwich. This new sandwich has a pretzel bun, cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and dijon mustard sauce on the side. This well-reviewed new fall sandwich is a hit and is great either grilled or spicy as well!
- McDonald's Snack Wraps was a discontinued fan-favorite food that McDonald’s brought back this summer! It’s a chicken strip rolled up in a tortilla with lettuce, cheese, and sauce. With updated ingredients, this new snack wrap might be even better than fans remembered.
- Wendy's Pop-Tarts Strawberry Frosty Fusion is a hit with crunchy pieces of strawberry Pop-Tarts and a swirl of strawberry syrup. The Frosty Fusion is also available in Caramel Crunch and Oreo Brownie.
- Taco Bell Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa is a fusion of a Taco Bell Chalupa and a crispy grilled cheese sandwich. This limited time chalupa is packed with chicken or steak, onions, cilantro, and Chile Lime Crema Sauce inside a chalupa shell coated in crispy, toasted cheddar cheese.
- Popeyes x Hot Ones Smokin' Rojo Sandwich features crispy fried chicken, pickles, and Los Calientes Rojo spread in a brioche bun. The sandwich ranges from mildly spicy to "Last Dab"-level hot, and the spice doesn’t cover up the smoky, tangy, and meaty flavors!
- KFC Nashville Hot Loaded Fries Bowl features a bed of fries piled with coleslaw, pickles, chicken nuggets, and Nashville Hot Sauce. The peppery, sweet, salty, and tangy elements unite perfectly.
Source: Tasting Table