Every Doritos Flavor, Ranked Worst To Best

Back in 1990, Jay Leno assured us that when it comes to Doritos, we could "crunch" all we wanted because they would make more. And boy, was he right. 

Since 1966, the Frito-Lay brand tortilla chips have expanded from humble beginnings as Disneyland trash to mainstream supermarket success — now offering a vast array of flavors. While some feel that you can never have too much of a good thing, and Doritos are definitely a good thing, not all flavors bearing the trusted logo can be trusted to deliver. 

In turn, hiding within the confines of the classic flavors is not only personally limiting, but can seriously affect your review as a Super Bowl party host. But how will you ever have the time to sample all the Dorito flavors in your lifetime? Fret no longer, beloved chip enthusiast, as we have compiled a list of everything you need to put the hip back in chip.

Here is a list of every Doritos flavor, ranked worst to best.

As a dip, salsa verde is a nice alternative to the typical red tomato-based salsa, offering a lighter and more earthy taste. As a chip, however, this flavor is no bueno. 

In theory, Doritos' Salsa Verde should work. It combines all the necessary components of the  salsa verde experience: the tangy tomatillo, the slight kick of the pepper, the fresh essence of the cilantro, and the crunchy corn tortilla chip. 

The only thing missing is the actual texture of salsa — cold, wet, and lumpy with ingredients — and perhaps that is where the problem lies. Because biting into a Salsa Verde Dorito is a confusing and disappointing experience. For a hot second, it seems like it might be Cool Ranch, but then the pepper and cilantro hit and boom, you've got a mouth full of spicy dirt. 

What is possibly the most interesting thing about Doritos' Salsa Verde is that while the essence of cilantro seems to be the chip's downfall, there's no mention of cilantro in any form in its ingredients. This is one of those things that you go hmmm.

Some like it hot, and if you are one of them then Doritos' Flamin' Hot Nacho flavor, which hit shelves in 2019, may have seemed like a dream come true. Combining the beloved and classic taste of Nacho Cheese with the "Flamin" of Flamin' Hot Cheetos fame is sure to be a killer, right? Unfortunately, this attempt to rein in the spicy snack food lover fails on several fronts. 

Despite the promise its name makes, this chip is not that hot, let alone flamin'. It essentially tastes like the regular Nacho Cheese with a kick at the end. If something is going to market itself as flamin', then we expect to need at least a tissue to get through the bag. That being said, foragers of the Doritos' Flamin' Hot Nacho should be prepared with a boat load of napkins to wipe down their mouth and fingers, which will be instantly and thoroughly stained by an aggressive dose of Red 40 food coloring. 

Another strike against the Doritos' Flamin' Hot Nacho is that whatever ingredients it contains that attempt to set you on fire, succeed only in just scorching your taste buds. While this phenomenon is not uncommon with very spicy foods, it is a bit surprising to find in a not-that-spicy food. So, if you are looking for a killer hot chip, the Doritos' Flamin' Hot Nacho is one can leave on the shelf. 

If you're the kind of person who puts Sriracha sauce on everything (you know who you are), then it's hard to say with ultimate certainty that you won't like Doritos Screamin' Sriracha chips. However, for recreational Sriracha users, the flavor of this snack is not the tasty treat you may have imagined it would be. 

Although Sriracha is good, and tortilla chips are good, the combination of these two flavors create a taste that's kind of strange. There's something about crunching down on a tortilla chips that signals to your senses that things are about to go South of the border. By the same token, the spicy zing of Sriracha tells your taste buds that what is to come will be of the Asian persuasion. Which is why, upon trying Doritos Screamin' Sriracha chips, you'll find yourself with a mouthful of confusion.

The main reason Doritos' Spicy Nacho chips fall so low on our list is because of their false advertising. Not only do they lack the spiciness suggested by the name, but there is virtually no taste differentiation between these chips and the classic Nacho Cheese flavor. 

Seriously, if there is any variation among these two snack foods, it is undetectable to the untrained palate. It is almost as if Doritos made too many Nacho Cheese chips and figured they could sell more if they threw some into slightly different packaging and slapped "spicy" on the name. 

Don't get us wrong, these chips are good, but only because they taste pretty much exactly like Nacho Cheese Doritos and not at all because they are spicy. Because they are not. So as far as we can tell, the only reason to buy Spicy Nacho Doritos is because Nacho Cheese are sold out.

While it appears the goal of Doritos' Jacked [Ranch Dipped Hot Wings] chips are to emulate the popular hot-wings-dipped-in-ranch-dressing flavor, the outcome is less than encouraging. Though the Jacked chips are not bad, they fail to meet the flavor expectations set forth by their title. 

On the positive side, the tangy-ness of the buffalo sauce does come through, albeit somehow without any heat at all. Perhaps a more refined palate would be able to sense the presence of ranch in this chip, but we somehow don't think that is a common characteristic of Doritos' customers. 

Additionally, while there is no clear evidence that these chips are baked, they definitely have that flat, dryish consistency often found in baked chips. And if none of this info is enough to deter you, we would also like to point out that, like the Flamin' Hot Nacho Dorito, these chips also fall into that "caught red-fingered" category.

We combined these two flavors because, while they are technically different (one is spicy, one is not), they seem to have an equal impact on the taste buds. Both flavors are good, a decent choice if when looking for something a bit more intense than your typical Dorito, but neither can really hold its own on the full-throttle Doritos spectrum. 

Furthermore, the "Simply Organic" label is a bit deceiving for those not accustomed to reading food labels and knowing what they mean. What snack food consumers should know that "organic" does not necessarily mean healthier. All it means is that the ingredients used for these chips are certified organic by the USDA, of which qualifications are somewhat confusing and probably not as strict as you might think. 

Fact is, when it comes to sodium, fat, and calories, Doritos' Simply Organic White Cheddar and Spicy White Cheddar are not much different than the rest of the lot.

Doritos' Taco flavor tortilla chips have both a rich taste and a rich history. 

As the original flavored Dorito, Frito-Lay celebrates its legacy by adorning these chips in retro packaging, which definitely makes them stand out on the supermarket shelf. Mainly available in grocery stores in the full 9.75 ounce size, the Taco flavor chip is a great choice for parties. Its strong corn flavor, with just a dusting of taco seasoning, make them a more interesting alternative to your standard tortilla or corn dippers for salsa, queso, or guacamole. 

These chips have a nice, very slight spice that makes them easy to enjoy without overwhelming your taste buds. Honestly, it is a bit of a wonder why Doritos Taco flavor chips haven't been more popular over the last 50 years, or at the very least earned the right to be more commonly sold in snack size.

If you're a fan of cheese dip and corn chips, then Doritos' Ultimate Cheddar chips are the snack for you. 

Putting aside the absence of the creamy deliciousness of warm cheese, these chips come pretty darn close to delivering the winning combo of sharp cheddar and hearty tortilla that we all love so much. 

Because of their closeness to the real deal, Doritos' Ultimate Cheddar chips pair nicely with a helping of chili or a jalapeno dipping sauce. Unlike some other cheddar-flavored snacks, their cheesiness is distinct but do not overpower the chip. Nor are they drenched in orange cheese dust (we're talking to you, Cheetos), so your mouth and fingers are safe from visual evidence of consumption. 

The only downside to Doritos' Ultimate Cheddar chips is that, depending on where you live, they may be hard to find (we had to visit five stores to locate a bag).

As the name suggests, Doritos' Poppin' Jalapeno chips are modeled after the beloved jalapeno popper appetizer. A staple in just about any bar and grill worth its salt, the bite-sized snacks are jalapenos filled with cheddar, dipped in batter, and deep-fried to drunk-food perfection. The richness of the gooey cheddar cheese perfectly offsets the spicy kick of the pepper, both of which are complemented by the neutrality of the batter. 

While there is nothing quite like a warm plate of jalapeno poppers, Doritos' Poppin' Jalapeno chips might just be the next best thing. They definitely succeed in capturing the winning flavor combination of this delicious dish, and for at least half the price. So if you find yourself hankering for a plate of poppers but can't find your way to the nearest tavern (or Jack in the Box drive thru), then Doritos' Poppin' Jalapeno chips are sure to suffice.

All the hotness that was missing from the Flamin' Hot Nacho Doritos can be found in Doritos' Blaze. In fact, these chips should probably be sold with tissues (for eyes, nose, and fingers) and a can of soda (to put out the fire between bites). 

And heat isn't the only area where the Blaze outshines the Flamin' Hot Nacho Doritos — there is substantially less red powder to contend with on the Blaze Doritos. And what there is of it does not result in a henna tattoo to your extremities. 

All this aside, the Blaze Doritos are truly delicious. They offer a good ratio of corn to spice, and are exactly what heat-seeking snack foodies are looking for. It's kinda crazy that it took Frito-Lay until 2018 to really bring the heat to Doritos.

While the sentiment of Doritos' Blazin' Buffalo & Ranch seems to be the same as the Jacked [Ranch Dipped Hot Wings], these two flavors actually taste quite different.

The Blazin' Buffalo & Ranch chips are killer, but they are more well-suited for folks who love Cool Ranch Doritos but are looking for something with a little more kick. Despite the title listing "Buffalo" first, these chips seem to favor the ranch flavor over the buffalo. This may also be why, while the Jacked chips are mega-dosed in red power, the Blazin' Buffalo & Ranch chips maintain a color closer to Cool Ranch with just a hint of pink. 

And this fact definitely wins them points as the preferred mainstay when hosting a chips and dips event. Even the most gracious party-thrower will be disgruntled when they find their couch smeared with red food coloring.

Flamas Doritos have a flavor that combines Doritos' traditional corn tortilla chips with the zest of red chile pepper with a twist of lime. The amalgamation of zesty spice and tart citrus in this chip creates a harmonious and balanced flavor that leaves you wanting more. 

While not as aggressive in their heat as the Blaze chips, the Flamas earn their name and are definitely not for the faint of heart. In fact, their flavor is so pungent that it would be hard to eat more than a snack-sized bag of these Doritos without losing feeling in your mouth. 

Nevertheless, these chips are like everything you wanted Tostitos Hint of Lime to be, only better (and much hotter). Even if you are not typically a fan of spicy chips, these are worth a try — even though, like the Flamin' Hot Nacho Doritos, they will leave you stained and messy.

Doritos' Sweet Spicy Chili chips are a delightful and a welcome diversion from the typical flavor profile that Doritos puts out. Only slightly spicy, with a hint of sweetness, these chips truly hold their own and do not need (and should not be subjected to) any kind of dip or salsa to enhance the eating experience. 

And you don't have to take our word for it, the popularity of this flavor is evident its widespread availability at gas stations, convenience stores, and supermarkets, where it is sold in a variety of sizes. The only possible criticism of Doritos' Sweet Spicy Chili might be that it really doesn't taste anything like bean chili. But do we really care? It's kind of hard to justify arguing this point when the flavors in this chip works so well. 

Perhaps Dortios chose to use chili as an anchor because it easily supports the notions of both "sweet" and "spicy"? Whatever the reason, we forgive them.

Putting aside the fact that these Doritos are not actually Doritos but more like FrioLay's attempt to get in on Takis action, the Dinamita chips are an excellent and tasty snack. Trading in Doritos' typical triangle shape for something that more closely resembles a mini taquito, these rolled tortilla chips are crunchy as all get-out. 

What makes them particularly "Dinamita" is the spicy chile limon powder they are doused in, which packs a real flavor punch. The heat of the chile is nicely balanced by the tartness of the lime, tangy to the point of almost being sour (in a good way). If you're in a snack food doldrums and need something to catapult your taste buds into beast mode, then Doritos' Dinamita Chile Limon is the chip for the job. But greatness often comes at a price so buyer beware: the red chile powder is sure to leave you looking like you had a serious make-out sesh with a clown.

Arriving on the scene in 1986, Cool Ranch Doritos seem to be what really put flavored tortilla chips on the snack food map. It's no secret that stoners, gamers, and junk food enthusiasts alike agree that Doritos are the perfect chip, and that among all the flavors, Cool Ranch reigns king. 

One bite and its immediately clear why these iconic chips are so revered. Their subtle ranch flavor is well-paired with the grainy corn of the chip, making this flavor combination a definite keeper. While less exciting and adventurous as some of the newer Doritos offerings to hit the shelves, when trying to choose a chip that the whole family will love, you really can't go wrong with Cool Ranch. 

Not only does this adored chip deliver in taste, but it spares its feasters the messy inconvenience of stained body parts that so many other Doritos flavors are guilty of.

If Cool Ranch Doritos are the king of the chip world, then Nacho Cheese are most certainly the queen. In fact, choosing how to rank of these two equally classic and equally delicious Doritos flavors was a difficult task, but someone had to do it. For nothing more than mere seniority, Nacho Cheese Doritos ranks in at number two with the pungent and satisfying cheesiness that we have all come to know and love. 

Although they are famous for giving you orange fingers, there seems to be a general consensus among snack foodies that this minor inconvenience is more than worth what they get in return. The surprising satiation derived from Nacho Cheese Doritos is probably why they have been a fixture on American supermarket shelves since 1972. Party hosts looking to win points for offering A-list finger foods will always be well-served by the universally guest-approved Nacho Cheese Doritos.

For our number one pick, Doritos' Tapatio definitely pop the pinata. These chips are so delicious that we feel confident even non-hot sauce people will enjoy their flavor. 

Not too hot or spicy, the Tapatio chip delivers a full-bodied taste with just the right amount of tang, corn, and salt. Tapatio is made using red peppers, and the low heat of this "hot sauce" might be what makes the chip work so well. Unless you're strictly looking for something bland, Doritos' Tapatio chips should not be overlooked. 

Since we aren't easily seduced by marketing gimmicks or other tomfoolery designed to boost sales, we were initially skeptical of the agenda behind this flavor. Needless to say, we were pleasantly surprised to discover just how fantastic the combination of corn chip and Tapatio tasted, and even more shocked to realize how effortless they won our top ranking.