Best New Fast Food Items To Try This Month — Taco Bell Chicken Nuggets, McRibs, and More

Fast-food restaurants are always innovating (and competing), and that means there's always some new menu item to try. McDonald's, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, Subway, and other big chains regularly introduce limited-time offerings to entice customers to keep coming back. Here's what's new this month in the fast-food world. 

Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.

Burger King will bring back BK Melts starting on Dec. 19. There's three different varieties, all with two Whopper Jr. patties on toasted bread.

• Classic Melt: American cheese, caramelized onions, and Stacker sauce
  
• Bacon Melt: American cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, and Stacker sauce
  
• Shroom 'n Swiss: Swiss cheese, roasted mushrooms, and Royal sauce

Plus, sweet Churro Fries covered in cinnamon sugar are returning at the same time.

There's a new crust on the menu at Pizza Hut. The Chicago Tavern-Style pizza is modeled after the thin, cracker-like crust that's most popular in parts of the Midwest, including Chicago. The toppings go to the edge of the crust and it's cut into squares. Try it with new pesto margherita or spicy chicken sausage toppings, or build your own. 

Plus, the Triple Treat Box is back for the holidays. It comes with two medium pizzas, breadsticks, and dessert all in one festive box.

Taco Bell announced all kinds of new items for 2024, and you can get your taste of some of them right now. The Decades Menu includes five nostalgic discontinued items, one from each decade TB has been open, but it's only around through Dec. 19 so you have to hurry. 

After that, Crispy Chicken Nuggets will hit menus nationwide. They're marinated in jalapeno buttermilk and breaded with tortilla chips. Get them with a new lineup of dipping sauces, including Hidden Valley Fire Ranch, Bell Sauce, and Jalapeno Honey Mustard.

Get hyped, because the McRib is back again for the millionth time at McDonald's! This year, the chain also released half-gallon jug of McRib sauce, but if you didn't already snag one, you're too late. 

Arby's brought back a fan favorite. Fried mac and cheese bites are made with noodles blended with four cheeses that are breaded and deep fried for a gooey, crunchy snack. For dessert, try the pumpkin pie turnovers topped with cream cheese icing.

There's all kinds of new limited time items at Dunkin' this month for the holidays.

• Holiday Cookie Signature Latte: espresso and milk with buttery cookie and toasted almond flavors, topped with caramel and cookie butter crumbs
• Almond Croissant: croissant stuffed with almond paste and topped with flaked almonds
• Hash Brown Biscuit Scramble Bowl: hash browns mixed with shredded brisket, scrambled eggs, smoked cheddar, caramelized onions, poblano peppers, and queso
• Cookie Butter Cold Brew: cold brew with brown sugar cookie flavor topped with cookie butter cold foam
• White Hazelnut Bark Coffee: white chocolate and toasted hazelnut flavors in hot or iced coffee

There's plenty of delicious new items at Wendy's right now. Salted caramel is the latest Frosty flavor, which sounds amazing. (Don't forget to get a $3 Frosty Key Tag to score free Frostys for all of 2025!) There's also a mushroom bacon cheeseburger, which has bacon, roasted mushrooms, muenster cheese, and creamy garlic spread. And finally, the chains brought back the fan favorite taco salad, but this time it's got a new creamy salsa dressing along with chili, tortilla strips, and corn.

The Shaq-a-Roni pizza is back at Papa Johns. It's named after Shaquille O'Neal, who owns some of the chain's franchises. It's an extra large pizza with New York-style crust topped with extra cheese and extra pepperoni.

Chicken tender lovers have a new reason to head to Dairy Queen this month. You can now get your chicken strips tossed in honey BBQ or parmesan garlic sauce. On the sweet side, here are the current limited-time Blizzard flavors.

• Peppermint Hot Cocoa
• Reese's Pieces Cookie Dough
• Caramel Java Chip
• French Silk Pie
• Oreo Fudge Brownie
• Salted Caramel Truffle

Candied bacon, and all the menu items that go along with it, is back at Hardee's. The bacon is coated in caramelized brown sugar and black pepper, and you can get it on a biscuit and egg and cheese, on a Frisco burger, or on a fried chicken Frisco sandwich. On the sweet side, the chain also brought back the popular cinnamon and raisin biscuits.

You can always count on Sonic to have some seasonal treats available. Here's what's new.

• Double Sonic Queso Smasher: two smashed beef patties, American cheese, white queso, tortilla strips, jalapeños, diced onions, and creamy Southwest sauce
• Red Velvet Cake Batter Shake: vanilla soft serve blended with red velvet cake batter, topped with red velvet cream cheese whipped topping
• Buttery Brew: root beer swirled with caramel and cream
• The Paris: Sprite, dragon fruit syrup, lemon, lime, whipped topping, and Nerds candy
• The Nicole: Dr Pepper, cream, vanilla, strawberries, and whipped topping

If you're in search of more Sonic deals, check out our ranking of the Sonic Value Menu.

Panera has rolled out two new sandwiches that are perfect for fall, because they include a side of soup for dipping. The French Dipper has steak topped with melted provolone and asiago with garlic aioli and comes with French onion soup on the side, and the Spicy Chicken Dipper has grilled chicken topped with melted provolone and creamy salsa verde spread and comes with creamy tomato soup on the side.

There's a big new burrito in town at Del Taco, and it's over a half-pound in size. The Chipotle Carne Asada Steak Burrito is filled with grilled carne asada, beans, cilantro lime rice, chipotle sauce, and sour cream, and it's grilled after wrapping. The chain is also hopping on the dirty soda trend with the new Dirty Del, a drink made with Dr Pepper, vanilla shake mix, and a lime wedge.

Popeyes is jumping on the ghost pepper train this month. The new Ghost Pepper chicken sandwich includes the chain's famous crispy fried chicken breast, pickles, and a new spicy ghost pepper sauce. It's also available with bacon and havarti cheese on top. Plus, there's also new chocolate chip biscuits and caramel apple cheesecake cups.

Chick-fil-A brought back its fan favorite cold weather classic. Chicken tortilla soup has shredded chicken breast, two kinds of beans, peppers, and crispy tortilla strips in a spiced broth. If you're feeling festive, the peppermint chip shake is back as well.

Zaxby's has brought back a popular salad for the fall. The Asian Zensation salad has mixed greens, red cabbage, carrots, Asian slaw, crispy wonton strips, honey-sesame teriyaki glaze, citrus vinaigrette, and your choice of chopped fried or grilled chicken. It comes with an eggroll on the side, which you can also purchase separately. 

Whataburger is looking to heat things up for the cooler weather with its latest limited time menu item. The Bacon Blaze Jalapeno Double burger has two beef patties with jalapeno ranch and jalapeno cream cheese, plus sharp cheddar, bacon, and jalapeno slices. To get you in the holiday spirit, grab a white chocolate peppermint shake.

Things are extra "crazy" at Little Caesars right now with one new menu item. Crazy Puffs are like little mini pizzas. They're made with the chain's pizza crust plus mozzarella, pizza sauce, buttery garlic drizzle, and Italian herb and parmesan seasoning. They come four to an order, and you can get them with pepperoni or plain cheese.

Jack in the Box never lets anyone who wants new, unusual menu items down. Here's what's new for the holidays.

• Noggy or Nice Biscoff Shake: vanilla shake with eggnog flavors and Biscoff cookie crumbs
• Noggy or Nice Sweet Cream Iced Coffee: Arabica coffee with sweetened cream and eggnog flavoring, topped with whipped topping and Biscoff cookie crumbs
• Biscoff Donut Holes: donut holes filled with Biscoff spread and rolled in cookie crumbs
• Birria Tiny Tacos: bite size fried tacos filled with beef birria and served with birria-flavored ranch
• Sauced and Loaded Wedges: crispy potato wedges topped with cheese sauce, shredded cheddar, ranch, and bacon crumbles

There's a new sandwich in town at Jimmy John's. The Smoked Cheddar Bourbon Club comes with either roast beef or turkey, plus bacon, smoked cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and a new creamy sriracha bourbon sauce.

Noodles & Co. has three new pasta dishes this month and they all sound great.

• Crispy Chicken Bacon Alfredo: fettuccine with alfredo sauce, bacon, spinach, broccoli, and parmesan-crusted chicken
• Chipotle Chicken Cavatappi: cavatappi with creamy chipotle alfredo sauce, roasted red pepper, spinach, corn, gouda, grilled chicken, and lime
• Lemon Garlic Shrimp Scampi: fettuccine with garlic butter sauce, spinach, artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, shrimp, parmesan, herbs, and lemon

There's a new bread at Subway. Ghost pepper bread is Italian bread coated with ghost pepper, habanero, and paprika seasoned breadcrumbs and baked with jalapeno slices and cheese on top. You can get any of your sandwiches made on it, or try it in the new Spicy Nacho Steak or Fiery Meatball subs. Plus there's a new double chocolate peppermint footlong cookie for dessert. 

KFC has introduced new Original Recipe Tenders. They're double breaded and seasoned with the chain's famous 11 secret herbs and spices, of course. Try them with the new Comeback Sauce, the chain's take on the Southern creamy, spicy dip. After your meal, try Cherry Pie Poppers, mini cherry pie snacks. 

Soup season is in full swing at Qdoba. The chain just brought back its Loaded Tortilla Soup, which comes with vegetable broth flavored with roasted tomatoes, peppers, and onions. It's ladled over your choice of protein and other toppings, like beans, cheese, guacamole, and crispy tortilla strips. 

Shake Shack is getting fancy this month. Here's everything new on the Black Truffle menu. 

• Black Truffle Burger: the chain's signature burger patties topped with gruyere cheese, crispy onions, and creamy black truffle sauce made with black truffle oil
• Black Truffle Shroom: a cheese-filled deep fried portobello mushroom topped with blue truffle sauce and lettuce
• Black Truffle Shack Stack: beef patties, cheese-filled deep fried mushroom, and black truffle sauce
• Black Truffle Parmesan Fries: crinkle cut fries topped with parmesan cheese and served with black truffle sauce on the side

Plus, there are new holiday shakes: apple cider donut, Christmas cookie, and chocolate yule log.

Is there anything better than a deep fried hand pie? Grab one at Church's that's perfect for the holidays. The Pumpkin Cheesecake Fried Pie has a filling of cream cheese, graham cracker crumbs, and spiced pumpkin pie that would be hard to resist.

Things are starting to feel a lot like Christmas at Taco John's. Nachos Navidad are back, and it's got red and green tortilla chips topped with beef, refried beans, queso, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream. The Apple Grande is also back, which is like a sweet dessert tostada with a crunchy cinnamon sugar-covered shell that's topped with apple filling, red cinnamon candy dust, and, get this: cheddar cheese. If you've ever tried sharp cheddar on apple pie, then you won't think it's too crazy.

Of course Starbucks has a huge winter menu. Here's what's on it this year.

• Cran-Merry Orange Refresher: orange, cranberry, and spices like cardamom and cinnamon shaken with ice and cranberries. Also available in a lemonade or creamy coconut milk version
• Peppermint Mocha: espresso with steamed milk, mocha sauce, and peppermint syrup
• Caramel Brulee Latte: espresso with steamed milk, caramel brulee sauce and topping
• Chestnut Praline Latte: espresso with steamed milk, caramelized chestnut and nutmeg flavors
• Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte: blond espresso with sugar cookie flavored syrup, almond milk, and ice
  
• Iced Gingerbread Oat Milk Chai: chai spices, oat milk, and ice with non-dairy gingerbread flavored cold foam
  
 

Smoked brisket is back as a protein option at Chipotle. It's made with smoked beef seasoned with serrano and chipotle chiles, then chopped and coated with a smoky brisket sauce. You can get it in burritos, bowls, tacos, and quesadillas.

Smoothie King may be the first fast-food chain to launch a menu especially designed for people who are using the popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. The GLP-1 Support Menu was created with the help of a registered dietitian and includes five smoothies.

There are two brand new toasted sandwiches on Potbelly's menu. The Sweet Heat Pork BBQ includes pulled pork, cheddar cheese, pickles, and a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. The Cubano includes pulled pork, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and deli mustard. And you can get an eggnog shake for a limited time.

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