We tried Taco Bell’s controversial new fried chicken shell chalupa — and we were shocked by the results

This is it: the long-awaited Naked Chicken Chalupa from Taco Bell is here.

After two years of tests, the Mexican fast-food chain is finally launching the most controversial chalupa yet.

Instead of a traditional tortilla shell, the Naked Chicken Chalupa uses just that – a fried chicken shell wrapped around lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.

As news of the product’s test leaked, many found themselves puzzled or disgusted by the concept.

So when Taco Bell gave us a chance to try it days before its January 26 launch, we jumped at the chance to discover if it lives up to the infamous hype.

Taco Bell has launched a pop-up speakeasy in Manhattan to host reporters, Instagrammers, and influencers, giving them a chance to taste the Naked Chicken Chalupa before it hits menus nationwide.

Rob Poetsch, a Taco Bell spokesperson, told Business Insider that the chain’s biggest obstacle for the controversial new menu item’s launch was convincing customers to give the unorthodox chalupa a chance.

While we arrived with doubts, the aroma alone persuaded us to look at it in a new light. The scent of fried chicken — with a hint of spice — buoyed our hopes.

The size is manageable, not overwhelming nor disappointingly puny. It comes in a specially crafted cardboard carrier, which helps catch errant tomato chunks and lettuce. It also provides increased portability to the item, something sacrificed with the loss of the traditional shell.

For the chalupa to work, so must the chicken. Lo and behold, the chicken surpasses what is required of it; it’s tender, crunchy, and very well seasoned. This chicken doesn’t have the run-of-the-mill fast-food chicken taste so often found, thanks to its well-calibrated spiciness.

The filling serves as a reminder: you’re at Taco Bell. It’s the classic iceberg lettuce shreds, tomato chunks, and cheese that grounds it and firmly places within the Taco Bell canon.

What makes this better than just a strangely shaped chicken patty with sandwich toppings dropped on it? The sauce. The subtle yet crucial avocado ranch sauce serves as a smooth counterpoint to the heat of spicy chicken shell. It’s the unsung hero of the whole chalupa.

While we wouldn’t call fried chicken healthy, the Naked Chicken Chalupa is a fresher, less ostentatious menu item than we originally assumed. It avoids becoming a grease bomb, a common oily quagmire that many fast-food chains stumble into (lest we forget KFC’s Double Down). As we finished ours, we found ourselves not stuffed, but satisfied.

For $2.99, this quirky chalupa is a surprisingly solid and reliable meal. Taco Bell says that this may just be the start of its venture into the fried chicken arena. If so, they’re off to a winning start.