LAKE FOREST, Calif., Sept. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Del Taco, the nation’s second-largest Mexican quick service restaurant*, is cranking up the heat with a new lineup featuring Flamin’ Hot® flavored Queso on some of the brand’s most popular menu items. Available for a limited time, the lineup brings together the distinctive heat of CHEETOS® FLAMIN’ HOT® and Del Taco favorites, giving guests new ways to turn up the intensity on their go-to orders.
“New FLAMIN’ HOT® flavored Queso adds an unmistakable flavor and signature heat to many popular Del Taco menu items,” said Noah Chillingworth, Chief Marketing Officer at Del Taco. “The best collaborations create something new while staying true to what guests already love, and the intense heat of FLAMIN’ HOT® flavored Queso does just that.”
The star of the lineup is the all-new FLAMIN’ HOT® flavored Queso, the perfect blend of Del Taco’s creamy queso blanco seasoned with the intense heat of FLAMIN’ HOT® for a signature combination of cheesy and spicy richness that can only come from Del Taco. From burritos and Beef Rollers to Crinkle Cut Fries, loaded nachos and queso with chips, the lineup gives guests a lot of ways to turn up the heat and new menu experiences to enjoy. Whether adding FLAMIN’ HOT® flavored Queso to a handheld, loading it onto a favorite side or digging into a shareable option, there’s a combination for every Del Taco fan.
The limited-time lineup adds FLAMIN’ HOT® flavored Queso to an array of Del Taco favorites:
- FLAMIN’ HOT® Queso Beef Roller: Seasoned beef, new FLAMIN’ HOT® flavored Queso and fresh house-grated cheddar cheese rolled in a warm flour tortilla.
- FLAMIN’ HOT® Queso & Chips: Our signature creamy queso blanco seasoned with the flavor of FLAMIN’ HOT® served with fresh, house-made tortilla chips.
- FLAMIN’ HOT® Queso Crispy Chicken Burrito: Crispy chicken strips, our famous Crinkle Cut fries, new FLAMIN’ HOT® flavored Queso, fresh house-grated cheddar cheese, and cool sour cream, wrapped in a warm flour tortilla.
- FLAMIN’ HOT® Queso Loaded Fries: Crinkle Cut Fries topped with seasoned beef, new FLAMIN’ HOT® flavored Queso, fresh house-grated cheddar cheese, fresh diced tomatoes, cool sour cream and sliced jalapeños.
- Epic FLAMIN’ HOT® Queso Grilled Chicken Burrito: Loaded with freshly grilled, marinated chicken, Crinkle Cut Fries, new FLAMIN’ HOT® flavored Queso and fresh house-grated cheddar cheese, wrapped in a warm, oversized flour tortilla.
- FLAMIN’ HOT® Queso Loaded Nachos: Loaded with choice of seasoned beef, freshly grilled, marinated chicken or carne asada steak, fresh house-made tortilla chips, slow-cooked beans made from scratch, and new FLAMIN’ HOT® flavored Queso, topped with cool sour cream, fresh diced tomatoes, and sliced jalapeños.
- CHEETOS® FLAMIN’ HOT® Crunchy Cheese Flavored Snacks: A 2 oz bag of Cheetos® FLAMIN’ HOT® Crunchy Cheese Flavored Snacks.
“Bringing together two iconic brands produces new, innovative menu items that are impossible to ignore” said Ulyses Camacho, Chief Transformation Officer at Del Taco. “The FLAMIN’ HOT® flavored Queso LTO represents a major step forward in the expansion of the innovation pipeline at Del Taco and we’re focused on improving our brand relevance as part of Project Del Sunrise.”
The FLAMIN’ HOT® flavored Queso lineup is available at participating Del Taco restaurants for a limited time through Nov. 18, 2026. For more information and to find the nearest Del Taco location, visit www.deltaco.com.
Del Taco Launches New FLAMIN’ HOT® flavored Queso LTO Lineup
*By number of units.
About Del Taco
Voted Best Fast Food Restaurant in USA Today’s 2025 and 2026 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards, Del Taco offers a unique variety of Mexican and American favorites, such as burritos and fries, prepared fresh in every restaurant’s working kitchen with the value and convenience of a drive-thru. Del Taco’s menu items taste better because they are made with real, quality ingredients like freshly grilled chicken and carne asada steak, fresh house-made guacamole, fresh house-grated cheddar cheese, slow-cooked beans made from scratch, and signature creamy Queso Blanco.
Founded in 1964, Del Taco operates more than 550 restaurants across 17 states. Del Taco’s commitment to providing guests with real food at a real value for their money originates from cooking, chopping, shredding and grilling menu items from scratch. For more information about the Del Taco brand, and to find your nearest location, visit deltaco.com.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated nearly $94 billion in net revenue in 2025, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and drinks, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that places sustainability at the center of our business strategy, seeking to drive growth and build a stronger, more resilient future for PepsiCo and the communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.
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CONTACT: Media Contact Kristyna Otto Powerhouse+Co. [email protected]

