The 6 Best Doritos Chips Flavors Ranked From Worst to Best

Photo by Brian Kachejian

Some of the greatest food inventions happened by accident. I still think about that old 1970s commercial where two people collide on the street, chocolate meets peanut butter, and something unforgettable is born. You know what happened next.

The origin of Doritos followed a similar path, except this one was real. In the early 1960s, Casa de Fritos at Disneyland began frying stale tortillas instead of throwing them away. A Frito-Lay executive named Arch West recognized the potential in 1964 and helped turn those fried scraps into the first nationally distributed tortilla chip by 1966. The name came from the Spanish word doradito, meaning little golden thing.

In this Doritos taste test, I ranked six of the most popular Doritos flavors from worst to best to see which ones truly deliver.

# 6 – Spicy Nacho Doritos (1997)

This was my least favorite chip flavor of the group. It’s a good ship, just a little bit too spicy for me, without any other rewards, unlike the Golden Sriracha, which I reviewed later on and ranked much higher. By the late 1990s, consumer preferences were shifting toward higher heat levels. Frito-Lay responded by releasing Spicy Nacho, which served as an evolution of the 1972 classic. Rather than reinventing the wheel, they layered the original cheese base with a sharper kick of jalapeño and red peppers. It was designed for fans who loved the original but wanted a more aggressive, tingling finish. I am definitely not one of them.

# 5 – Sweet & Tangy BBQ Doritos (2023)

If there’s one flavor that I think the potato chip industry is gone overboard with it’s barbecue. Doritos makes it work, but how well does it make it work? I have mixed feelings about that. Though Doritos experimented with various barbecue iterations in the 1990s, the “Sweet & Tangy BBQ” found in modern variety packs is a recent addition. Launched as a permanent flavor in early 2023, it was created to bridge the gap between corn chips and traditional potato chip flavors. This one definitely has a smoky backyard barbecue flavor. Which isn’t bad because that’s the type of barbecue flavor I tend to like the most.

# 4 – Cool Ranch Doritos (1986)

This is definitely the outlier in this bunch. There is no spice at all to this, which makes complete sense because it’s ranch dip that people always go to to help ward off the heat in wings. In the mid-1980s, Frito-Lay took a massive risk by moving away from Mexican flavor profiles. Ranch dressing was not yet the staple it is today, but Doritos bet on its creamy, zesty potential. Cool Ranch was an immediate success. I am up and down with this flavor; it depends on my mood.

# 3 – Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos (2008)

As I get older, my taste buds have changed and probably weakened a bit, just like the rest of me. However, the upside of that is I can now tolerate spicier food more than I ever have before. Launched in the late 2000s, Spicy Sweet Chili is one of the few permanent flavors to be “accidentally vegan,” relying on soy sauce, onion, and garlic for a savory “umami” base. I love the purple bag.

# 2 – Golden Sriracha Doritos (2025)

This is the flavor that would have taken the number one spot if I could withstand eating more than just a couple of these chips. I really, really like the flavor of these chips, but they’re just so freaking hot that I can only eat a couple, and that’s why they landed in second place instead of first. Golden Sriracha is a recent addition to the Dorotos line, which officially hit shelves in January 2025. Unlike the previous “Screamin’ Sriracha” limited runs, this version was inspired specifically by yellow and green sriracha sauces found in Southeast Asian kitchens. If you have never tried this flavor I highly recommend it just make sure you have a glass of water next to you.

# 1 – Nacho Cheese Doritos (Original) 1972

This is definitely the sentimental favorite. Even though I’ve been eating these chips my whole life, every time I taste one, it brings me back to being a teenager sitting on a park bench along Mosholo Parkway in the Bronx, eating a huge bag of them I’d paid 25 cents for. I never get tired of these chips, and it’s my go-to chip whenever I’m having friends over or watching a ball game with some choice beverages made of barley and yeast.

After ranking six Doritos flavors, the original Nacho Cheese still stands tall. Trends come and go, spice levels rise and fall, but the classic formula remains hard to beat. That balance of corn, cheese, and crunch is what built the brand in the first place.

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