Taco Bell, a unit of Yum Brands Inc, said on Monday it would launch its own version of a chicken sandwich this year, becoming the latest fast food chain to take a bite out of a category that is soaring in popularity.

Taco Bell will compete against rivals including McDonald's Corp and Restaurant Brands International Inc's QSR.TO Burger King. The category was set alight in 2019 by a social media war between loyalists of chicken sandwiches from and Popeyes, another unit of Restaurant Brands.

Taco Bell's Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco, which is served in a puffy bread shaped like a taco, will be tested in Nashville and Charlotte starting March 11 for $2.49. A nationwide rollout is planned for later this year.

(Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel) ((UdaySampath.Kumar@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S.+1 646 223 8780; Twitter: https://twitter.com/sampath_uday ;))