Taco Bell Power Bowl and Current Taco Bell Bowls Menu

The Cantina Chicken Bowl is Taco Bell's current chicken bowl and the closest successor to the old chicken power bowl. It contains slow-roasted chicken, seasoned rice, black beans, Avocado Ranch sauce and sour cream. It is topped with fresh lettuce, shredded purple cabbage, fresh pico de gallo, guacamole and shredded cheese, and it comes with an Avocado Verde Salsa packet.

It lists at $10.97+ on delivery and 630 calories. The chicken is slow-roasted, which gives it a softer, juicier texture than grilled chicken strips, and the Avocado Ranch and sour cream make the bowl creamy.

How does it differ from the old bowl? It has more toppings, a salsa packet and a higher calorie count. The old chicken bowl was reported at about 470 calories, so you are getting roughly 160 more calories with the Cantina version, mostly from the sauce, guacamole and sour cream.

The same chicken appears across a whole range of items. See the full Cantina Chicken menu for the burrito, tacos and quesadilla that use it.

The Veggie Bowl is a meat-free bowl built on seasoned rice and black beans, with lettuce, purple cabbage, pico de gallo, guacamole, Avocado Ranch sauce, reduced-fat sour cream and cheddar cheese. It lists at $10.97+ and 510 calories.

It contains dairy because of the sour cream, the cheese and the ranch sauce, so it is vegetarian but not vegan. Taco Bell notes on many vegetarian items that preparation methods may lead to cross contact with meat, so if you avoid meat for strict reasons, read the allergen and ingredient notes before ordering.

You can add protein in a few ways. Ask whether your location can add extra beans, or order a side of Black Beans at $3.04+ and 50 calories. Another idea is to pair the bowl with a Bean Burrito, though that adds 360 calories and makes the meal heavy.

For more meat-free picks, see more vegetarian Taco Bell items.

The protein bowl at Taco Bell is the Cantina Chicken Bowl today, because it is the only current bowl built around chicken. Taco Bell's menu data does not print protein grams, and third-party nutrition sites list numbers that do not match the delivery calories, so I will not quote a firm protein figure. Use Taco Bell's official nutrition calculator for exact values.

Some context helps. The old Power Bowl was reported at more than 20 grams of protein. The Cantina Chicken Bowl uses slow-roasted chicken plus black beans, so it should land in a similar range, but check the calculator.

Here are simple ways to boost protein in a bowl order:

• Ask for extra chicken if your location offers it, knowing it may add a charge.
• Add a side of Black Beans or Black Beans and Rice.
• Pair the bowl with a Cantina Chicken Soft Taco at $4.26+ and 260 calories.
• Skip extra sauces, which add calories but not protein.

For more ideas, read about lighter and higher-protein orders.

A side-by-side view shows how the two current bowls compare with the old Power Bowl and with one salad-style alternative. Delivery "from" prices are not in-store prices, and the old bowl figures come from earlier reports.

The comparison shows why bowls feel expensive on delivery. For the same $10.97+, the Cantina Chicken Bowl gives you 120 more calories than the Veggie Bowl, so it is the better value if you want more food. A Cantina Chicken Burrito at $7.92+ and 570 calories gets you close to the same amount of food for about $3 less, though it comes in a tortilla.

For other numbers, see calories across the Taco Bell menu.

Taco Bell Power Bowl Calories vs Current Bowls

The old chicken bowl was reported at about 470 calories and the steak version at about 485, while today's Veggie Bowl lists 510 and the Cantina Chicken Bowl lists 630. The current bowls are heavier than the old one.

Part of the gap comes from the extra toppings. Guacamole, Avocado Ranch and sour cream all add fat, and the Cantina Chicken Bowl has all three plus extra cheese. If you want to bring the number down, ask to skip the sour cream or the ranch, since sauces are an easy place to save.

Taco Bell Power Bowl Nutrition: Protein, Sodium and Allergens

Reports on the old bowl listed more than 20 grams of protein and around 1,200 milligrams of sodium, which is a high amount for one meal. The current bowls should be checked in the official calculator, because the recipes changed.

Allergens matter too. The bowls contain dairy from cheese, sour cream and ranch sauce, and some third-party sites list egg as well. Wheat and gluten depend on the tortilla and sauces, and the bowls skip the tortilla, but cross contact in the kitchen is always possible. Read allergen and gluten-free guidance before you order if you have an allergy.

Taco Bell Power Bowl Price vs Delivery Prices Today

The old bowl was reported at a lower in-store price than today's bowls, but I could not verify exact figures, so avoid relying on them. Today's bowls both list at $10.97+ on delivery.

Delivery apps add service markups, so the same bowl often costs less when you order at the counter or in the Taco Bell app. If price is your main concern, a burrito is the better buy, since a Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito lists at $2.43+ for 400 calories.

You can shape a bowl order by asking for changes, and the app often lets you remove or add ingredients before you pay. Availability depends on your location, so check what the app offers.

Useful changes include:

• No rice: removing rice cuts carbs and calories. You can double up on beans or lettuce if the app allows it.
• Extra chicken: adds protein to the Cantina Chicken Bowl, usually for an extra charge.
• Sauce swaps: ask for the Avocado Verde Salsa packet instead of extra ranch to keep it lighter.
• No sour cream: saves calories without changing the main flavor.
• Guacamole on the side: lets you control how much you use.

If you do not want a bowl at all, a few alternatives work well. The Mini Taco Salad at $3.53+ and 280 calories gives you a crispy tortilla bowl of beef, beans and lettuce for much less. Browse the full list of salad options for more. If you want chicken in a handheld form, burrito alternatives to a bowl include the Cantina Chicken Burrito at 570 calories.

For a bowl-style meal at home, you can also order a Cantina Chicken Soft Taco and eat the filling with a fork. It is a small hack, but it works when you want fewer carbs.