Review: Taco Bell Teamed Up With Tajín To Bring Us The Zesty Gordita Of Our Dreams

There are so many brand collabs happening these days it's hard to keep track of them all. Some confuse, others surprise, but this one just makes perfect sense. From the creators of legendary menu items like the Cheesy Gordita Crunch and Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, Taco Bell presents its newest collaboration menu with Tajín.

We love to sprinkle Tajín all over fruits, drinks, and meals alike, and now, the zesty, spicy, salty seasoning blend is being incorporated into a special-edition menu at Taco Bell. Designed to incorporate the flavor of Tajín seamlessly into some of the chain's biggest hits, this is a menu I just couldn't miss. A fan of both of these brands, I ventured out to a tasting held at a Taco Bell Cantina in New York City to be one of the first to try the new menu. Will it disappoint, will it underwhelm, or will it bring all of my Tajín-taco dreams to life? As I write this, only time will tell, but for you, dear reader, you need only read on to find out.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

These tacos were provided by Taco Bell as part of a tasting held in New York. As always, I try my best not to let any generosity on the part of a brand have influence over my honest opinion of the product.

When I tried these items, the main thing I was looking for was how well the collaboration worked in terms of flavor. Like a judge on Chopped, I was looking for the star ingredient (Tajín) to really shine and set these menu items apart from their non-Tajín counterparts.

Aside from this, the overall flavor and preparation of the taco did play a role. Given that I was attending a prepared tasting, I was looking for the best Taco Bell had to offer instead of something thrown together on the fly. Price and nutrition didn't play a role in my judgments — just taste.

First up was the Tajín taco. A play on Taco Bell's Crunchy Taco — which is easy to make at home – this treat is designed to turn a basic option into something zesty. The Tajín version features a crunchy taco shell pre-seasoned with Tajín, Taco Bell's signature ground beef that fans have found the key to replicating, a spicy ranch sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and a mango salsa. You get an additional Tajín Clásico Seasoning packet on the side, just in case you need to take things up a notch.

The first bite I took came in from the side. Right off the bat, the Tajín that was coating the outer shell hit my tongue with a pop, and like a delicious sour candy gave my mouth a bit of pucker. The ground beef at the bottom was as expected, nothing new there, but my second bite at the top of the taco hit that new mango salsa — and what a treat it was.

The mango salsa is barely even noticeable to the naked eye, but as I was eating, the pleasant sweetness was impossible to ignore. It blends seamlessly with the lime zest in the Tajín. The only disappointment was that once you get through the mango salsa at the top of the taco, the seasoned beef at the bottom can seem a bit plain. Good thing you have that extra seasoning packet easily accessible to add a little more punch.

Taco Bell's Cheesy Gordita Crunch may bear little resemblance to an actual Mexican gordita, but it is no less delicious, and has become a legend among Taco Bell fans. The recipe: A crunchy taco shell is placed inside fluffy flatbread, with a layer of melted cheese snuggling the two shells together. This taco's got layers like it's getting ready to go outside in the wintertime.

The Tajín version takes it up a notch with that mango salsa and Tajín-seasoned inner taco shell. It's essentially the same as the Tajín Taco, with the added addition of the flatbread exterior and extra cheese. Perhaps the problem with the extra cheese and shell is that they drown out the flavors I loved in the Crunchy Taco — the mango salsa is barely detectable, and the Tajín on the shell is difficult to taste under the extra melted cheese. Am I really going to complain about extra melted cheese, though? 

The Tajín Cheesy Gordita Crunch is still downright delicious, despite the general lack of Tajín-ness. The textural satisfaction of that pillowy outer bread coupled with the crunch of the inside shell is just fantastic, and thankfully you've got that extra Tajín packet to take things up a notch zest-wise.

The new Taco Bell x Tajín is available now, nationwide, for a limited time. There hasn't been an announcement as to how long this menu will last, so get yours as soon as possible. This collab also includes a Tajín Pineapple Strawberry Freeze which is also available nationwide. Unfortunately, the Freeze machine at the location I visited wasn't working (I'll add that to the list of customer complaints at Taco Bell) so it wasn't included in the taste test. I can tell you, however, that at most Taco Bell Cantinas you should be able to add your choice of spirit to the new Freeze, which I think is pretty fantastic.

Each Tajín Crunch Taco contains 12 grams of fat (4.5 grams of which are saturated fat), 690 milligrams of sodium, 8 grams of protein, and 210 calories. Meanwhile, one Tajín Cheesy Gordita Crunch clocks in at 22 grams of fat (9 grams of which are saturated fat), 1,150 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of protein, and 460 calories.

For the true Taco Bell and Tajín fans, it's worth noting that rewards members have a chance to get some free merch to commemorate this collab. On August 18, 2026, at 2pm PT, 400 Drop Bags will be up for grabs that include tiny Tajín bottles and other Taco Bell-themed bag charms — race you there.

I've been a fan of Taco Bell for many, many years. Tajín, likewise, has long been a pantry staple. This brand collab just makes sense — but perhaps my hopes were a little too high.

The thing is, Tajín is bold, zesty, salty, spicy. It makes things pop, and that's fully what I expected of any taco or gordita that included the iconic seasoning. Don't get me wrong — the Tajín Taco was fantastic. The mango salsa shined, the Tajín on the shell was flavorful, and it had everything I wanted. The Tajín Cheesy Gordita Crunch, on the other hand, left me wishing for more mango salsa, more Tajín on the shell, more oomph, more bang. It was delicious as a Cheesy Gordita Crunch, texturally delightful, and exactly what I love about Taco Bell, but the star ingredient didn't shine, and sprinkling more Tajín on as an afterthought just doesn't cut it for me.

All of that to say, I'd go back for the Tajín Taco when I'm in the mood for something zesty, but I'd just stick to the regular Cheesy Gordita for now. And as for the Tajín Pineapple Strawberry Freeze, my hopes are still high, but the taste test will have to wait for another day.