Hear Us Out: You Should Freeze Your Doritos
People have done a lot of wild things with Doritos, from combining Doritos with cottage cheese to putting Doritos in a pepper grinder. Of course, the internet has brought us yet another odd Doritos hack, though, thankfully, this one might be a little less weird — putting Doritos in the freezer.
Yes, at first this sounds just as strange as every other Doritos hack brought forth by TikTok, but this one has roots stretching back as far as ten years ago. According to a 2013 Reddit post, stashing Doritos in the freezer prior to eating them is the best way to experience the chips because "the coldness of the chip enhances its flavor." The post argues that many drinks taste better cold, so why should Doritos be any different?
And it's not just Reddit recommending you freeze Doritos, either. In an interview with Food & Wine, chef PJ Calapa also praised the concept, calling it "a game changer." Calapa added that freezing the chips makes them crunchier, and we can't deny we're intrigued.
What makes Doritos tastier when frozen?
Although no one has conducted research into specifically why Doritos seem to taste better after being frozen, we can piece some things together. For starters, a 28-gram serving of Doritos contains approximately only 2 grams of water. Because the water content is so low, freezing the chips doesn't alter their structure or taste, and at most, the microscopic ice crystals make the chips feel crunchier.
What's more, another Reddit user theorized that their love for frozen chips had to do with a "delayed response to the spices used in the chips." This could very well be true, as colder foods essentially slow down the rate at which receptors in our mouths respond to flavor, per Happy Spicy Hour. As a result, we might perceive cold Cool Ranch Doritos as having a delayed flavor kick.
Whatever the case may be, if you want to try this without sacrificing an entire bag of Doritos, simply put a handful of Doritos in a separate, sealable bag and pop them in the freezer. Give the chips an hour or two to cool, and then enjoy!