10 Popular Takis Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

What is the best flavor of Takis? Or, more accurately, what flavors of Takis are still around? Both are valid questions, as this line of rolled-up corn snacks has boasted a bevvy of flavors over the years. These days, it's down to six, which makes taste testing them pretty manageable, at least it does in theory.

The thing about Takis is, eating them is not like eating a bag of light, crispy Lays. Or even a salty selection of Doritos. Takis are snacks for the hard-core snack eater. They're thick, deep fried, roll-up corn chips, covered in flavor powder that's about as subtle as an SEC pep rally. A 4 oz. bag packs a heart-stopping 560 calories, and grabbing a bag of these for a quick snack is kinda like stepping into a bar for a quick, refreshing Triple IPA. Not for the faint of heart -– literally and figuratively -– Takis have developed a cult following nonetheless. We used a combination of customer reviews, social media popularity, and our own taste buds to determine the ranking of the Takis on our list, from worst to best.

Watch any online review video of Takis Crunchy Fajitas, and you'll see someone sitting in front of a camera, crunching as they look off into the distance, then eventually saying something along the lines of, "These are ... they're pretty good. They taste like ... I dunno. Something." And as nondescript as those rousing endorsements might sound, they couldn't be more accurate. Because when tasted next to the absolute flavor bombs that are the other five flavors of Takis, these just kinda taste like ... chips. But since we here at Mashed like to think we're a little more eloquent than a YouTube food taster, we'll give describing these a shot.

Probably the most accurate name for Takis Crunchy Fajita would be "Generic Mexican Flavor," like the corn chip equivalent of indiscernible mariachi music. It's a little bit of pepper, a note of nacho cheese, some salt, a little corn, and probably a blend of cumin, chili powder, and paprika somewhere along the way. It's not bland, per se, but it just seems like fajita was an afterthought along the Takis line. Or, more likely, their taste-testing department had fried tongues from trying other flavors all day.

You know Taki's take on Buffalo flavor is going to be a total miss by looking at the bag, which includes a giant side of ranch dressing. Which, to a Buffalonian, is as offensive as asking for steak sauce with a prime filet. The looks are not deceiving, as Wild Takis have about as much to do with Buffalo as Super Bowl championships. But life is all about expectations, and much like Bills fans don't ever go into a season expecting much, don't go into a bag of Wild Takis expecting anything that resembles Buffalo wing sauce.

Wild has a little bit of a hot sauce kick, if you give them some time to roll around your mouth. But lacking the buttery smoothness one finds in wing sauce, it's left as more like a Frank's Red Hot snack than anything else. It's definitely got some kick, probably about as much as the original Fuego flavor, but minus the delicious lime. If you're not into citrus flavors in your fried corn snacks, this might be a good move. But it's essentially equal heat to Fuego with less flavor, so no reason to go here unless you've got an aversion to lime.

If there were one flavor of Takis that could maybe, possibly describe itself as "fresh," it would be Guacamole, which greets its lucky eater with a nice blast of jalapeno when you open the bag. It's a nice change from the usual assault of spice and citrus that comes in a Takis bag, and lets you know you're definitely in for something different. But does different mean better? Well, that depends.

If you're a Takis purist, and eat the stuff because you love a crunchy, greasy mouthful of spice and salt, this might not be your jam. But the Guacamole Takis have definite notes of avocado, tomato, and cilantro. Dare we say, they almost approximate actual guacamole flavor. If we were ranking guacamole-flavored snacks, they actually would rate pretty highly. But they're kind of a green sheep in the Takis family, and while they might excel when mixed with snacks that are more like them, among its brothers and sisters it just doesn't measure up. A good snack, yes. But not really a great Taki.

The aggressively red packaging on Takis Nitro screams, "If Hell had 7-11s, this is what they'd be selling." And whether or not you dream of stopping in for a bag as you float down the River Styx to eternal damnation, there's no arguing Takis is setting the heat bar pretty high. It ups the description from simple "chili lime" to "habanero lime," which as anyone who's ever chopped a habanero can tell you makes one wonder if they should be handling these things with latex gloves.

But much like the "Friends" reunion special and the new album from Kanye West, Takis Nitro are more hype than substance. Are they hot? Yes. Are they significantly hotter than the original Fuego flavor when tasted side by side? Not even remotely. The only real difference you might notice is the lime flavor, which stands out substantially more in the Nitro. So if you're big into lime, you might prefer these. There's a slightly smoky finish at the end, that we suppose was put there to make you feel like a fire just went out in your mouth. But for real heat heads, you're gonna need a lot more to get your tastebuds going.

Just the name Nacho Xplosion is enough to set queso lovers' hearts aflutter. The European name Queso Volcano is pretty swoon-worthy, too. Finding this classic flavor combination in a tightly rolled Taki tube could very well make their minds explode too. The familiar mix of fiery jalapeño pepper essence with the cheddar goodness of nacho cheese is such a beloved blend that one false move in the recipe could also be enough to make a snack brand lose some of its most loyal fans. Does Takis have what it takes to please customers looking for a step up from Doritos and a side step from the usual Takis selection?

Well ... it depends on who you ask. A Reddit thread highlighted commenters' excitement at seeing this flavor appear on the market while also bagging on the flavor, which one commenter listed as one of their three all-time least favorites, due to the chemical-adjacent flavor they detected. Meanwhile, YouTuber Ron Reviews Canada thinks these tightly-wound treats deliver the classic taste of thoroughly-topped nachos with a fantastic texture to boot and he gives the snack an 8.5 out of 10. That's a wild swing between love and hate for these cheesy crunchers. We have no choice but to drop them squarely in the center of our ranking.

From the name on the bag, it's hard to get a solid read on what sort of flavor Zombie Takis is presenting. Is it rotting flesh or fetid brains? Will you be tasting what zombies can taste, or what zombies taste like? The gory hand clutching a moldy green Taki on the front of the package doesn't help clarify things. With a limited-edition Halloween flavor, the snack company leaves little wiggle room to get its customers on board with such an abstract flavor concept. Skittles tried something similar in the past, with a stinker of a hidden flavor that tasted rancid among the sweeter pieces. Luckily, Takis Zombie flavor is just habanero and cucumber, a blend of cool and peppery that sounds much more pleasant than the zombie-specific possibilities.

TikTok reviewer SevenHunnidX says that though the aroma is non-distinct, the lemon cucumber top notes and lingering habanero flavor are tasty, rating this seasonal special an 8.5 out of 10. One Redditor was surprised by the sour bite that comes with an inner-cheek sting and the blast of moderate heat that follows. And YouTuber Chris Frezza loves the Zombie flavor enough to review it every time it appears on shelves, though his son rates them as mid. Though they seem to show up every few years, they're not part of the regular line-up, so we'll slot these near the middle of our list as well.

Just because Blue Heat owns its blues like a deep fried B.B. King doesn't mean this flavor is a runaway hit. Yes, the color is pretty. And it turns your hands a less upsetting color than original Takis. But if Takis was going to artificially color these things, they picked the wrong color.

Blue Heat tastes a lot like a tomatillo salsa, which if you're not familiar with complimentary Mexican restaurant appetizers is decidedly green. Maybe the green flavor dust just didn't look good on a chip, or maybe they were so inspired by the success of Blue Gatorade they thought, "Should work for snacks!" But either way, much like Crystal Pepsi the eyes don't match the tongue.

Blue Heat is marked "Extreme," but it ranks a distant third in the spiciness department. It doesn't have near the kick of Fuego or Nitro, though the flavor is a bit more pleasant than the latter. We'll put it #2, because the soft taste here is probably a little more universally enjoyable. But if you're big into traditional chili-lime, you may rank it lower.

Anyone picking up a bag of Dragon Sweet Chili Takis would be justified in expecting a tongue-tingling Asian twist on the usual fiery flavor of these crunchy crisps. The Oriental-style neon dragon on the front of the package backs up the theory pretty solidly. With dragons universally known for their fire-breathing abilities, it's also safe to assume there's some mighty heat being thrown by this Takis taste twist. A stroke of sweetness would also be desirable to offer a combination of sugar and heat to win over picky Takis tasters.

So which direction does Dragon Sweet Chili cast its flavorful flames? Some reviewers describe the combination as being similar to Honey BBQ Frito Twists, a classic sweet-and-slightly-spicy blend that doesn't bring too much heat to the snack table. Commenters on Reddit also called out the more-sweet-than-spicy nature of the dragon here. Meanwhile, TikToker NikMetcalf opened a bag and took a big whiff before digging in and declaring this blend sweet with a touch of heat, but nothing so bold as to suggest a dragon is part of the recipe, even figuratively speaking. While the lack of prominent flame essence does call into question the use of dragon imagery, it sounds like sweetness is a welcome element to the Takis blueprint.

There's nothing but nacho talk on the Intense Nacho package, and no reference to heat whatsoever, which is a distinct difference from the other flavors in the family. That's because this Takis selection is the one option that doesn't make use of the fun fiery essence the brand has come to be known for. The label drives this home by announcing Intense Nacho as a non-spicy flavor, which means the bag is essentially filled with tightly-curled Doritos. But without the heat, does Takis offer a satisfying snacking experience? Can a treat known for its heat compete in the crowded cheese-flavored tortilla chip market?

The Intense Nacho page on the Takis website promises these queso crisps are power-packed, even without the enticing spice, and our review of the flavor confirms that this savory shake-up has legs. The impact is similar to Cheddar and Sour Cream Ruffles, a more tart take on a cheesy flavor that distinguishes itself from the sweeter cheese treats on the shelf. Reddit commenters have mixed opinions about whether this works or not; some express their surprise that the flavor is so bland, while others declare them a top-shelf snack. But over 600 promotion-based customer reviews on the CVS website garner a 4-star average, with one reviewer titling their write-up "The Perfect Snack." It's hard to argue with words and numbers like that.

Fuego is the bright red, hand-turning flavor of Takis that stands as the brand's flagship. Like so many flagship flavors, it's the leader for a reason: Fuego is flat out the best. Maybe it doesn't have the most spice, or the strongest lime, but it has the most rounded flavor profile of anything in the Takis line, and for that, it comes out on top. If you've never had one, the first bite is a blast of lime, that soon gives way to a mouthful of highly-processed and fried corn. Is it delicious? Not particularly. But if you're already in the habit of eating your snacks out of brightly colored bags, that probably doesn't matter.

Once the corn goes away, there's an overwhelming heat to the Fuego Takis, which mercifully subsides after a few seconds. You can feel the chili on the way down though, as it sits in your stomach along with the oil from the fried corn. What we're saying is, yes, these things taste pretty good. But they're not going to necessarily make you feel "good," so maybe don't have them right before a workout.

To rank the Takis flavors in order of awesomeness, we consulted online shopping sites to find review profiles for each member of the Takis family. We also searched food review sites for input and used our prior experience with the snacks to gauge how the flavors stack up.