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Top 10 Doritos Flavors Ranked Worst to Best
Doritos make people happy so it only seems fitting that the chip actually originated in the early 1960s at the happiest place on earth – Disneyland. The Casa De Fritos restaurant used extra tortillas they had, fried them up, seasoned them and that was that. They became so popular, they garnered the attention of Frito-Lay who, like Rafiki introducing Simba at Pride Rock, in 1966 introduced the chips to a nationwide audience – making Doritos the first tortilla chip to be launched nationally in the United States. Today there are so many Doritos flavors to choose from it can be overwhelming standing in the chip aisle at your local grocery store. But, before you get run over by all the options like Mufasa and the Wildebeest stampede, allow us to provide you with a list of the top 10 Doritos flavors ranked worst to best.
10. Mountain Dew
As any gamer will tell you there might not be a more perfect snack combination to get you through a long day of hardcore gaming than Doritos and Mountain Dew. Both brands have found big time fans among the video game crowd and with that in mind, PepsiCo (the company that owns both brands) released a Mountain Dew Doritos earlier this year in Australia. Yes, this wacky flavor is a limited edition Aussie exclusive. And although the taste test reviews have come back with mixed results, how could this crazy flavor idea not make our top 10 list. Just the idea of it has us wanting to grab our snowboard and hit the slopes then fall back into our gaming chair and spend the day with our beloved PS4s and XBOX Ones (until we can get our hands on the PS5 and Series X). The true Dorito connoisseurs among you are probably thinking that this isn’t the first time the company has given the world Mountain Dew Doritos. And you would be correct! Back in 2008 Doritos did a whole “mystery flavor” campaign in which they released unmarked bags of chips for people to guess the flavor. And sure enough those mystery chips were Mountain Dew flavor. There is no indication that this Australia limited edition version will be coming to North America this time around. So, while it is definitely very intriguing, whether it is worth the lengthy flight – or the expensive shipping costs – well that we will leave up to you
9. Collision Hot Wings/Blue Cheese
In the early 2000s Doritos tried a lot of different things, including the introduction of “collision” flavors in which a big bag would feature two different – but complementary – flavors of chips. One of the most popular of those collisions was the Hot Wing and Blue Cheese bag. We have seen other chip manufacturers do a wing and blue cheese flavor chip, but in those cases each chip is infused with the combined flavor. The idea of putting two different flavor chips in the same bag was pretty cool and while it didn’t do well enough to become a staple in the Doritos lineup, it did manage to build quite an impressive following. So much so that any remaining bags that can be found out there are selling online for a pretty good price. The collision of flavors concept also reminds us of what Pringles is doing these days with their big “stack the chips” campaign in which they encourage people to stack different pringle flavors on one another to create brand new flavors. Although, Doritos put it all in the same bag, whereas Pringles wants you to purchase multiple containers to make your combo flavor chip stacks (a smart move to push more sales).
8. Sour Cream and Onion
When it comes to regular chips Sour Cream and Onion is one of the most divisive flavors. There are lots of people that go crazy for this flavor profile but some other chip enthusiasts just don’t get it. And this is pretty much how things went for the short-lived Sour Cream and Onion Doritos as well. Given their popularity in the potato chip world, we totally understand why Doritos decided to jump on the Sour Cream and Onion train – which they rode out of the station and onto store shelves back in 2013. They were released as a limited edition. But as we all know, if a limited edition is a big enough success, there is a good chance they will become a permanent edition – or at least make another limited return to store shelves in the future. Neither which happened with Sour Cream and Onion. There was definitely a cult fan base for these Doritos and you can still find people online singing their praises. But the flavor just didn’t work well enough on a tortilla chip to get more people on board. You can still find bags being sold online, but at this point (seven years later) you are going to want to check that expiration date should you decide to purchase one of those bags.
7. Taco Flavor
This is one of the OG Dorito flavors. There was the original flavor (toasted corn) released in 1966 but just one year later America was given Taco flavor Doritos. And besides Nacho Cheese flavor in 1972 there weren’t any new flavors added to the line until the late 1980s. So, there is no denying that these are good chips. The problem is they are a little plain – given what many people expect from doritos these days. There is also a huge amount of tortilla chip competition these days. If you want a more classic tortilla chip, like what you would find in a mexican restaurant, Doritos probably isn’t your first choice. But, the good news is that these Taco chips are good enough that they can totally hold their own and work great as a dipping vessel and flavor accompaniment for salsa. In fact, it would seem that this is how the company expects you to eat them given that they are generally only available in larger bags (perfect for parties, etc). They aren’t as easy to find in snack-size bags which most of us like to grab for on the go eating (generally without any dipping partner). And we can’t mention the Taco doritos without also mentioning the awesome retro-looking bag they come in. This is a great touch that appeals to the vintage-lover in all of us.
6. Spicy Nacho
The Spicy Nacho Doritos might be the most difficult ones to position on any list of Doritos flavors. And it isn’t because they aren’t any good. In fact they are delicious. Nacho Cheese Doritos are the most iconic flavor the brand has so adding a little spice to them makes perfect sense (as you may know, Doritos has a history of creating spicy flavors). The problem with these, and why they don’t make it higher up on our list (given how much we enjoy them) is the “little” amount of spice! The heat factor on these puppies is almost non-existent. On a heat scale of 1-10, those who can’t take a lot of heat might rank them a 2 or a 3, while those of you who carry a bottle of hot sauce around with you at all times would be more likely to give these chips a 0.5. You can find people online who claim that in a taste test between Nacho Cheese and Spicy Nacho they would be hard pressed to actually taste a difference. While that’s the bad news for those of you fixated on the “spicy” part. Those of you who identify more as hot sauce wimps, can go ahead and grab these knowing they are classical Dorito delicious and the “spicy” on the bag will make us – we mean you – feel like a bit of a tough guy.
5. Tapatio
You know when they make a movie based on a book that you love and you are so excited to see the film but it never is as good as you expected. Well, that is what could have happened to fans of Tapatio hot sauce. Those that love the sauce would no doubt be super psyched to see a Tapatio flavored Dorito. However, one might also be a little hesitant that the chip wouldn’t live up to expectations of ones love for the sauce. But have no fear Tapatio hot sauce fans, these Doritos are a case of the movie being just as good as the book! They definitely have a nice spice kick, but it isn’t too hot and there is a nice full flavor – which is often something that is missing when a food item attempts to go spicy. This is also one of the most consistently enjoyed flavors among Dorito munchers. And you will see it landing high up on many lists of people’s favorite flavors. Another reason why it may be so popular is that it seems to appeal to both lovers of spice and those that aren’t as into hot things. The hot kick and the flavor all work together to make Tapatio Doritos a must try flavor.
4. Dinamita Chile Limon
With the Dinamita Chile Limon Doritos the company gave the people more than just a new flavor. They also gave them a whole new look. In fact, if you didn’t see the big Doritos logo on the bag no one would fault you for thinking that these rolled tortilla chips were Takis chips. We don’t know if this was a conscious effort to go after Takis fans, but we sure wouldn’t be surprised if it was. If you are a triangle-or-nothing person then we probably couldn’t convince you to give these a try, but if you can just roll with it (pun totally intended) these Dinamita Chile Limon Doritos will make you and your mouth very happy. The chile and lime flavor combine to give your taste buds a really nice spicy/sour one two punch that just works. A word of warning though. You probably don’t want to dig into a bag of these without plenty of hand wiping options available that don’t include your pants and shirt. The Dinamita Chile Limon Doritos are one of the most heavily seasoned Doritos available and you will find your fingers covered with “flavor” in no time and we all know how easy it is to subconsciously wipe our hands on your shirt without even thinking about it. We recommend having wet wipes at the ready!
3. Doritos 3D
The rolled Doritos weren’t the only time the company played around with the iconic shape of their chip. Another such experiment was the Doritos 3D! Described by some as “Doritos meet Bugles,” Doritos 3D were a puffed Dorito and they came in multiple flavours, including the iconic Nacho Cheese. Doritos introduced the 3D chip with a big ad campaign back in 1998. They remained in the Doritos family for a few years but by the mid-2000s sales weren’t what Doritos had hoped for and they discontinued the 3D chips. They would bring back 3D in 2015 with Jacked 3D chips. However, these were not the same puffed/bugle style, but instead are three-dimensional triangles with raised edges (as if the chip had been working out and gotten “jacked”). As for the original 3D Doritos they still do make them, but they are only available in Mexico. So, on your next all-inclusive vacation in Cancun, Acapulco, Los Cabos, etc take a break from the free drinks by the pool and the all you can eat buffets and go find yourself a bag of Doritos 3D deliciousness.
2. Cool Ranch
Comedian Jim Gaffigan calls Ranch dressing the Blue Cheese dressing imposter and is “made with buttermilk and sadness.” Well, sadness has never tasted as good as it does on a Dorito. Which is why the Cool Ranch Doritos find themselves so high up on our list – and on many others as well. While it does have its detractors, there are few flavors that are more universally loved than this one. Cool Ranch is one of the oldest Dorito flavors still on the market and have been around since 1986. Most people eating them today probably weren’t even born in 1986! There are also people eating them that aren’t as familiar with Ranch dressing as we are here in North America. For that reason, in the UK, the Cool Ranch Doritos are called “Cool Original” and elsewhere in Europe they are called “Cool American.” So many Doritos flavors try to slap you with spice and heat but a nice cool hit of ranch is maybe the more perfect flavor profile for this triangled chip. And keeping your fingers clean factor can’t be underestimated here either. Unlike some other players on the Doritos team, Cool Ranch is one of the cleanest and easiest to eat – no flavor powder to worry about with these guys. If you are trying to be sneaky about your chip consumption, with Cool Ranch Doritos at least your fingers won’t give you away.
1. Nacho Cheese
Not only are Nacho Cheese Doritos the best tasting Doritos ever, they also set you up for some pretty awesome “not your cheese” dad joke puns. Nacho Cheese was also the first ever real “flavor” burst introduced into the Dorito line. The first flavor released in 1966 was toasted Corn, then in 1967 you got Taco. But in 1972 everything changed when the world was given Nacho Cheese Doritos. Everything about these are iconic. So much so, that if you asked most people to describe a Dorito and the bag they would almost undoubtedly describe the classic orange triangle chip and the red bag they come in. Nacho Cheese is a flavor so associated with Doritos that you don’t even have to ask for a flavor. If someone says they want Doritos those are the ones you are going to get. The reason the brand is so popular and can make commercials all about how they don’t need to name the chip or show a logo, is because of Nacho Cheese Doritos. There are plenty of great Dorito flavors out there, but this classic nacho cheese still stands tall among the fancy new flavors and combos and puffs and rolls and everything else. Whether you are eating them plain or with a dip, Nacho Cheese Doritos are always satisfying.