The 15 Best New Fast Food Innovations of 2023

15. Fans Are Begging Taco Bell to Bring This Item Nationwide

Starting our list in the 15th spot, Taco Bell released a completely new item this year that surprised and divided fans. It was really more of a test, and the verdict is still out. The new item: Mountain Dew Baja Blast Gelato. This is the first gelato Taco Bell has ever released, and it follows on the heels of their Mountain Dew Baja Blast Hot Sauce released earlier in the year.

The gelato was only available at their Irvine location, so a viral trend was born for those who weren’t able to get their hands on the new item. Grab some ice cream and a Baja Blast, and make yourself a Mountain Dew Milkshake Blast.

14. Panda Express' New Chicken Is My Favorite Item I've Ever Ordered From the Chain

Panda Express joined forces with Hot Ones to make a spicy, Taiwanese spin on a southern classic: blazing bourbon chicken. The sauce that gives this chicken its kick is made by the interview show, Hot Ones. It is a match made in heaven, and it changed the way we order at Panda Express. While we think it should stay on the menu full-time, blazing bourbon chicken is only available until Jan. 2. If you haven’t grabbed this sweet and spicy meal yet, you need to try it ASAP.

On a related note, check out our most saved recipe of 2023: Bourbon Chicken.

13. Chick-fil-A Is Changing Its Original Chicken Sandwich for the First Time Ever

Chick-fil-A knows what they do, and they do it well. For nearly 60 years, they’ve been serving simple yet irresistible chicken sandwiches and waffle fries. But this year, they decided to switch things up. In August, they released the Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich as a seasonal offering. This sandwich, a classic in and of itself, includes pimento cheese, honey, and pickled jalapeños, all atop the famous Original Chicken Sandwich. Once we tried it, we couldn’t stop ordering it.

12. Panera’s New Breakfast Sandwich Combines Two Unexpected Favorites

“While [Panera’s] breakfast menu is packed with classic sandwiches on brioche, ciabatta, and even the beloved asiago bagel, you’ve never been able to get your sandwich on Panera’s best-seller: the Cinnamon Crunch Bagel,” writes our own Bailey Fink. “The new offering, which is the perfect harmony between sweet and savory, will feature black forest ham, aged white Cheddar, scrambled eggs, salt, and pepper on a toasted Cinnamon Crunch Bagel.”

11. Taco Bell Is Releasing a New Taco Nationwide

The best new release for Taco Bell this year is a hard decision to make, but the cake might go to the Grilled Cheese Dipping Taco. Added to menus in August and inspired by the “hearty, rich flavors of birria,” the taco comes on a grilled white corn shell stuffed with slow-braised shredded beef, creamy jalapeño sauce, and lots of melted Cheddar, mozzarella, and pepper Jack cheese. Served with a red sauce and warm nacho cheese, ordering this was a no-brainer.

10. Subway's Newest Footlongs Are Not Sandwiches

Coming in at number 10, Subway released not one, not two, but three footlongs we didn’t know we wanted. Similar in spirit to their footlong potato chip, the sandwich shop released three footlong creations that make us reconsider why we go to Subway: a pretzel, a churro, and a cookie. The salted pretzel is made in collaboration with Auntie Anne’s, and the churro is made in partnership with Cinnabon, two of the best at what they do. And the creator of the footlong cookie? Subway itself.

9. Just In: Dairy Queen Has a New Blizzard Flavor Coming in June

Dairy Queen drops a new blizzard every month. That gives us a good reason to go back. There were some memorable ones this year, like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Pie Blizzard and Oreo Hot Cocoa during the cooler months. Still, the blizzard that made the most noise in 2023 was Cake Batter Cookie Dough, released for the month of July. Summer was in full swing, and this pairing of cake batter and cookie dough was the ultimate comfort combo on a hot day. Hopefully we can see a return next year.

8. Burger King Has a New Permanent Menu Side Dish

Onion rings or French fries? It’s always a troubling dilemma. This year though, Burger King found us a way around it. They let us have it our way...literally. Their new side, a combination of French fries and onion rings, is called “Have-sies,” a clever riff on their long-time slogan, “Have It Your Way” and the phrase “halfsies.” Here to stay on the menu permanently, this might be the best news since sliced bread.

7. Taco Bell Is Putting a Highly Requested Cult Favorite Back on the Menu

Taco Bell released a lot of favorites this year. To much excitement, they brought back their ​​Volcano Menu for the summer. In July, they reintroduced the Crispy Chicken Taco, and in August, we got the Beefy Crunch Burrito as well as the delicious Grilled Cheese Dipping Taco, which also made this list. The highlight of the year for Taco Bell fans looks to be the Enchirito though, a cross between a burrito and an enchilada that first arrived in 1970. The beloved item, removed from the permanent menu in 2013, made a 14-day comeback in 2022 thanks to a fan vote. We got lucky, not having to wait nine years to try it again when it returned this summer.

6. Arby’s Is Releasing a First-Of-Its-Kind Fast Food Burger

Arby’s has come far since its original days serving roast beef. Now, they have expanded their menu to include a little something for everyone. You can find fish, chicken, corned beef, gyro meat, and turkey on their menu. There's even a Wagyu Steakhouse Burger. Following in those footsteps, Arby’s released another burger this year that piqued our curiosity, and our appetites. The Big Game Burger, which is a brand-new item in the fast food restaurant world, includes a patty with a blend of ground beef, elk, and venison. Arby’s really raised the bar with this innovation.

5. Meet the Newest McDonald's Menu Additions

“If you're a McDonald's connoisseur like us, you know that the best part (or at least one of the best parts) of McDonald's is its dipping sauces,” writes editor Courtney Kassel. So when McDonald’s released two new sauces, we just about dropped what we were doing to try them. Arriving at participating locations in October, the Sweet & Spicy Jam Sauce was a red-pepper-based jam and the Mambo Sauce was McDonald’s rendition of the famous condiment that is ubiquitous in the Washington D.C. area. They did not disappoint.

4. Chick-fil-A Is Launching 2 New Holiday Menu Items

Just as Chick-fil-A releases a Peach Milkshake over the summer, they also release a set of items to ring in the holiday season. The first: a peppermint milkshake that has been running for 15 years now. They also brought back their Chicken Tortilla Soup for its 11th year. But those are not the items that made the most news. Chick-fil-A outdid themselves by releasing two brand new holiday drinks: a Peppermint Iced Coffee, which included cold-brewed coffee, milk, cane syrup, and peppermint syrup, and a Frosted Peppermint Chip Coffee, which combines cold-brewed coffee with Chick-fil-A Icedream, peppermint syrup, and peppermint bark chips. Grab them before the holidays are over.

3. Krispy Kreme’s 3 New Doughnuts Might Be the Best Flavors We’ve Seen All Year

Number three on our list comes to us from none other than Krispy Kreme. So classic and so delicious, this chain does doughnuts right. And when they surprise us with three brand-new autumnal flavors, along with three returning flavors, doughnut lovers couldn’t be more excited to try them. What were these new flavors that got us off the couch? A Caramel Pecan Brownie Doughnut topped with brownie batter icing, candied pecans, and salted caramel, a Classic Blackberry Crisp Filled Doughnut coated with cinnamon icing and granola, and a Cinnamon Latte Lover Doughnut dressed with cinnamon icing, cinnamon latte buttercream, and a leaf candy piece. Our only wish is that they return next year.

2. McDonald’s Just Introduced a Brand-New Meal to Menus

Is there a fast food chain that has had as much a presence in popular culture as McDonald's? We don’t think so. This year, the second season of Loki dropped, and if you watched, you might have noticed an '80s-style McDonald’s got its own cameo. To go along with this appearance, the fast food giant released a brand new meal: the “As Featured In Meal,” which commemorates the long history of menu items that have been featured in television, film, and music.

1. We Tried the Viral Jersey Mike’s Sandwich and It Changed the Way We’ll Order Forever

Rounding out our list of the best fast food innovations of 2023 is a viral Jersey Mike’s sandwich that makes us second guess our usual order. This trend took the internet by storm, and Allrecipes' own Bailey Fink investigated to see what all the hype was about.

“The now-viral order originated on @allyvhenderson's TikTok,” writes Bailey. “It's a #7 Turkey and Provolone sandwich, Mike’s Way (which includes onions, lettuce, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, olive oil blend, salt, and oregano), but with added mayonnaise and cherry pepper relish, all on the Rosemary Parmesan Bread.”

“Turkey and provolone is a classic combination, mayo always belongs on a sub, and Mike’s Way is guaranteed to be delicious. But the Rosemary Parmesan Bread and the cherry pepper relish are the game changers—this is what they write love songs about.” One thing is for certain: we’ll be eating this sandwich all of 2024.