You May Have To Pay Up For Taco Bell’s New Sauce Packet, The Avocado Verde Salsa

Taco Bell is shaking things up with a new condiment, called the Avocado Verde Salsa, but there’s a twist – it might cost you. Unlike their classic sauce packets that come free with your order, this premium salsa comes with a 20-cent price tag unless you specifically order from their new Cantina Chicken Menu (which made its debut on March 21st). And even then, you only get one.

With Taco Bell positioning the sauce as a more premium offering compared to their standard sauces, pairing it with the Cantina menu, and offering only one complimentary packet – Taco Bell may be hoping to create a level of desirability in the “new guy” that’s not been seen in the the other options.

But, does a 20-cent charge for each packet sound kosher? They could be banking on the fact that the new sauce is a bigger size than their standard sauces…it comes in at .5 ounces, compared to the approximate .2174 ounces in a standard sauce packet. Does that difference warrant a price tag?

According to a press release from earlier this month: “One packet of avocado verde salsa comes with every order off the cantina chicken menu.”

So, as long as you order one item off the Cantina Menu, you will receive exactly one packet. Any more than that, and expect an additional 20-cents per sauce.

This move has some people wondering if Taco Bell is testing the waters for charging for other sauces in the future – which would be a low blow as far as condiments go.

Some customers may appreciate the new flavor and be willing to pay a small fee, but the majority will find it a hassle, preferring instead to stick to the classic free sauce system. It remains to be seen if this is a one-time experiment or a glimpse into the future of Taco Bell’s condiment policy.

They note that the Avocado Verde Salsa is “best chilled, shaken, and sauced”. And that it “should be kept refrigerated”. So no hoarding the packets in your car for a rainy day (unless you stick ’em in the fridge)!