Last updated 3 weeks ago | Originally Published: August 5, 2024
Considered by millions as the holy grail of chip flavors, hot chips are, indeed, one of the most sought-after flavors in the world, including here in the United States! Agree or disagree, but we sell a lot of hot chips here at Candy Retailer, and if there’s one thing I can say for certain, it’s that Americans love spicy chips, including myself.
That said, I’ve tried almost every hot chip, from Andy Capp’s Hot Fries to Paqui, and yes, I even tried the One Chip Challenge—what a dumb idea that was! So, in this article, I’ll steer clear of those types of chips, if you can even call them that, and focus on only the hot chip brands and products that we all know and love.
Plus, I’ll share my take on each one, which will likely be different from yours, but if you appreciate honest opinions based on real experience, then keep reading because I’m about to turn up the heat. Once you’ve reached the end, I’ll invite you again to share your experiences and recommendations with us in the comments below!
40 Years of Hot Chips and Counting
The first time I had hot chips was in 1995, and they were Jay’s Hot Potato Chips; if you know, you know! Since then, hot chips have been a thing for me! Of course, I love other flavors, but there’s nothing better than flavor and heat! My favorite is Flamin’ Hot Cheetos; they just never seem to get old, and millions of people agree! Could you be one of them?
My latest experience, about 12 hours ago, was trying some Hot & Spicy Pringles, and they were fire! I already tried all the brand’s Scorchin’ flavors, including sour cream and onion, cheddar, chili and lime, and BBQ, but I think I like Hot & Spicy the best. They’re not very hot at first, so you can eat a lot at once, but be careful; after about 10-15 chips, your mouth will pleasantly be on fire! So, if you can’t handle the heat, then you may want to opt for cheesy cheese or something because these aren’t for you!
For me, it’s all about how a brand balances flavor, texture, and heat levels. Those are the three most important factors I always consider first. The flavor should be bold and exciting without overpowering the other elements. The texture should be crunchy and satisfying without being too brittle or too soft. Plus, the heat level should be just right—not too mild, not too overwhelming to where it’s no longer enjoyable. Who agrees?
The Science of Making the Best Hot Chips
I often wondered what makes hot chips so addictive, so I did some research and found out, and what I found out was quite surprising! As it turns out, the key lies in combining ingredients that trigger our brain’s reward centers! According to science, when we eat hot chips, the capsaicin from the chili peppers activates pain receptors in our mouth, sending signals to the brain that release feel-good chemicals like dopamine and endorphins, which provide a pleasurable sensation that keeps us reaching for more.
However, it’s not just the heat that makes hot chips irresistible. In fact, research suggests that the combination of sugar, salt, and fat found in hot chips triggers the release of another neurotransmitter, serotonin, which regulates mood and appetite! Furthermore, the brain’s opioid receptors, which are responsible for processing pleasure and pain, are also activated by the fatty acids present in hot chips, further contributing to their addictive nature. That said, I’m about to get myself some more of those Hot & Spicy Pringles now! You want some?
The Best Hot Chip, Tested and Ranked
Now that you know the weird, somewhat sus science behind hot chips, I’ll continue by listing all the best brands and products I tried and liked. Plus, I’ll give each one an honest rating based on flavor and heat. Here are some of the most popular hot chip brands, along with their flavor profiles and heat levels! It’s okay to disagree here, so if you don’t like my ratings or opinions, that’s cool; share yours and prove me wrong!
Flamin’ Hot Cheetos
As I expressed previously, I love Flamin’ Hot Cheetos! However, what I like the most about Hot Cheetos is all the different flavor options they offer, and I’ve had them all. My favorite is the regular Flamin’ Hot flavor, but I also enjoyed XXtra Flamin’ Hot, Limon, and the brand’s Flamin’ Hot Pop Corn! As for my overall rating, I give Cheetos an easy 10. I didn’t like the Limon flavor too much, but you might love ‘em! I also thought XXtra was a little too hot for me, but you may totally disagree! That said, regular Flamin’Hot Cheetos are the best
Flamin’ Hot Doritos
I don’t care what anyone thinks; Doritos Flamin’ Hot Chips are fire, especially Cool Ranch, it’s my favorite! However, you can also find Flamin’ Hot Dortios in three other flavors, including Nacho, Tapatio, and Flamas, which have a spicy chili pepper and lime flavor. As for Tapatito Doritos, well, they were good, but only because I love Tapatio Hot Sauce! As for a Dorito flavor, I think I’ll pass. Now, the regular Nacho Flamin’ Hot Doritos, that’s another story, as those are fire! I recommend them to anyone who loves cheesy hot chips!
Doritos Dinamita Rolled Tortilla Chips and Sticks
I’m not sure how long these will be around, but I sure hope they never go away! So, if you’ve never tried Doritos Dinaminta Spicy Rolled Tortilla Chips before, then I highly recommend giving them a shot. They come in two spicy flavors, Chile Limon and Flamin’ Hot Queso Flavored, which is my favorite of the two. The Chili Limon was good, too; they were hot, but nowhere near as hot as the queso-flavored Flamin’ Hot Doritos! Doritos also Dinaminta Sticks, which come in Hot Honey Mustard, Smokey Chile Queso, and Tngy Fiery Lime! I haven’t tried any of these yet, but if you have, let us know in the comments below what you thought of them; we’d love to know!
Flamin’ Hot Funyuns
I don’t know about anyone else, but I have this weird thing I do where I mix Flamin’ Hot Funyuns in a bowl with regular-flavored Funyuns! There’s just something about being able to switch between flavors that I enjoy, so now I can’t have one without the other! Another one of my favorite ways to enjoy Hot Funyuns is crushed up in some Ramen Noodles! Say what you want, but if you’ve never done it before, then you can’t knock it. That said, you can use any chips you want with Ramen Noodles, but Hot Funyuns will definitely take them to the next level. Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried this before and if it was a smash-or-pass experience for you!
Flamin’ Hot Fritos
Oh, my, where do I even begin? Let’s just say that Flamin’ Hot Fritos are fire! If you haven’t had them yet, then you have to make that happen, like today! I also recommend scooping up some Fritos dip. I’ve tried Hot Fritos with all four flavors, including original bean dip, hot bean dip, mild cheddar cheese dip, and jalapeño cheddar cheese dip! As for my favorite, I’m going with mild cheddar cheese dip! I thought jalapeño cheddar cheese was slightly over the top with spice and flavor, and the mild cheese dip offered the perfect balance. I also love the jalapeño cheese and both bean dips, but not with Flamin’ Hot Fritos! What do you guys think?
Lay’s Flamin’ Hot and Spicy Chips
If there’s one thing that is for certain, it’s that no other chip brand produces a more diverse range of hot chip flavors than Lay’s, especially with its line of iconic Flamin’ Hot chips. This list pretty much dominates Lay’s, as it is the #1 chip brand in the world, including here in the United States! That said, Lay’s offers five hot chip flavors, including Flamin’ Hot Flavored, Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle, Sweet & Spicy Honey, Sabritas Adobadas, which is kinda of mild, but definitely not boring, and my personal favorite, Sweet Southern Heat Barbecue! However, if you’re looking for the hottest Lay’s chips, then I recommend trying Lay’s Stax XTRA Flamin’ Hot Flavored Crisps. They’re loaded with flavor, and as the name suggests, they’re XTRA Hot!
Jay’s Hot Chips and Popcorn
As I mentioned above, Jay’s Hot Stuff Potato Chips were my first love! However, I don’t remember if they were called “Hot Stuff” when I first tried them in 1985. I was only 5 years old then, and all I remember is that those days were really hot, and I wanted some more! So, if anyone reading this remembers if they were called Hot Stuff back in the 80s, let me know in the comments; I’d love to know; thanks! In addition to Hot Stuff chips, Jay’s also makes Hot Oke Doke Popcorn, which is really tasty, but unfortunately, Jay’s Popcorn chokes me out every time, so nowadays, I have to pass, but when I was younger, I could easily smash a whole bag!
Takis Fuego
Nobody knows where the name Takis comes from or what it means; however, I did a little research and discovered that the word Takis is made up but likely stems from the word ‘taquitos’ because of how the chips are shaped. Although that’s just a theory, it’s the best one I found that makes sense, so that’s what I’m going with for now! However, back to Takis’s, how chips are—they’re so fire! My favorite Takis flavors are Fuego and Dragon Sweet Chili, but I kinda like them all, including Intense Nacho, Blue Heat (my least favorite), Nacho Xplosion, and Kaboom, which are ketchup and sriracha-flavored Takis, not my favorite flavor in the world, but certainly not the worst.
Pringles Scorchin’ Hot & Spicy Crisps
When it comes to chips or crisps as they’re officially called, Pringles is my #1 favorite go-to brand, and for many reasons! The most important reason is that they offer like a million flavors, so there’s always something new to try, and more often than not, they’re spot-on! As for hot crisps, they offer a few, including Enchilada Adobada Crisps, Spicy TNT, and Sweet Chili Sauce. However, it’s Pringle’s line of Scorchin’ Hot Crips that steal the show! These flavors include Scorchin’ BBQ, Cheddar, Sour Cream & Onion, Chili & Lime, and the hottest of them all, Xtreme Buffalo, which also has a really nice flavor, although you may want to have a cold glass of milk on standby; you’re going to need it.
Siete Fuego
Okay, now I know some of you guys will beat me up in the comments for this one, but I just didn’t like these chips too much! I mean, they weren’t bad or anything, but in my opinion, they just weren’t very flavorful. Perhaps they’re really good, and I just don’t know because I’m addicted to other flavors, or maybe it’s just that non-grain chips are less flavorful. Either way, I wasn’t too impressed, but I know many of you will disagree because this is a top-selling brand in the US, so I might be outnumbered by this one! Also, I wasn’t too impressed with their spicy fango flavor either; although they were hot, they still lacked flavor. So, what do you guys have to say? Agree or disagree, all opinions are welcome here at Candy Retailer!
Rap Snacks
First launched in 1994 by James Lindsay, Rap Snacks has since taken the snack aisle by storm! Truthfully, I didn’t hear about them or try them until 2019, and they featured Master P. I forgot the flavor, but they definitely made me say ugh! Ok, I really didn’t make that sound, but they were fire, though! I also remember, man, these are good, but they’re not going to last, not knowing that they’ve been around since 1994, but here we are in 2024, and they’re now sold nationwide at almost anywhere chips are sold. As for their hot chips, I tried three that were pretty darn spicy, and they were Lil’ Baby All In Hot Flavor, Money Bagg Yo Heat vs Hot, and Lil’ Boosie’s Louisiana Heat, which is my favorite flavor of them all, even over the not-so-hot flavors!
Andy Capp’s Hot Fries
Andy Capp’s Hot Fries are another childhood favorite that I still catch myself in a mood for every now and then. Well, I wouldn’t quite call it a mood, but every once in a while, I’ll spot a bag at a gas station on a road trip or something, and nothing else sounds good. However, if there’s one thing I can say for sure, is that these hot fries taste the same way as they always have, which is what I like about them most, even though I can’t smash a whole bag like I could 30 years ago, nonetheless, they’re still good, and can still take you down memory lane! For me, it’s all about the texture and flavor; as for the heat, I don’t think Andy Capp’s Hot Fries are all that hot, but maybe that’s just me; what do you guys think?
Terra Screamin’ Hot Vegetable Chips
As you guys may have noticed, I’m not a big fan of ‘healthy chips.’ However, I do have a thing for Terra Screamin’ Hot Vegetable Chips! Oh, my goodness, they are good and very spicy, too! They are made with parsnip, taro, also known as malanga, sweet potato, batata, which is a Cuban sweet potato, and beets. As for what makes them hot, I see here in the ingredients that they use capsicum extract, but they don’t provide any more information other than that, unfortunately. Other than that, though, the chips taste great, and they’re vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and certified Kosher. Plus, they have no cholesterol or trans fat and are made with no artificial flavors or preservatives! So, if you’re looking for a healthy hot chip, these are the ones!
Quest Hot & Spicy
Quest is another health brand that has gained much popularity in recent years, especially its protein bars and chips! As for Quest Hot & Spicy Tortilla Style Protein Chips, they were good; I liked them, but they’re not my favorite, nor will I likely ever go out of my way to buy them again unless a day comes when I seek spicy high-quality protein chips. In that case, these chips would be the one! So, if this sounds like something you’d be interested in, then give ‘em a try! They’re also baked, not fried. Plus, they’re very low on carbs and packed with like 20g of protein per serving!
UTZ Hot Chips
For many years, I avoided UTZ chips, not because I thought or heard anything bad about them; I just thought they were a low-quality gas station chip brand that I never really found appealing. However, that all changed one night when I tried UTZ Mike’s Hot Honey potato chips! The only thing I could say was, “Whoa, where have you been all my life!?” Indeed, those were some of the tastiest hot chips I ever had; not the best, but they’re definitely high up on my list. I also tried UTZ Red Hot and Southern Sweet Heat BBQ, which I really liked a lot. In fact, I just picked up a bag of these the other day; I think I will bust them open now that they’ve made my list of the best hot chips in America! Yep, I think it’s time! So, who’s with me on this one?
Uncle Ray’s Hot Chips
I was saving one of my favorites for last. That said, this list wouldn’t be complete without Detroit’s own Uncle Ray’s Hot Potato Chips! This brand offers many options, all of which I have tried and liked. As for the brand’s line of hot chip flavors, you can choose from Sweet & Spicy, Kickin’ Hot Chili & Lime, Hot Flavored, Sweet Heat BBQ, Hot Cheese Crunch, which are like Hot Cheetos, Hot Pork Rinds (I never tried these), and my #1 personal favorite goes to Uncle Ray’s 5 Alarm Cheddar & Sour Cream Potato Chips, those were fire and unlike anything else I’ve ever tried. You can find most flavors of Uncle Ray’s Chips here at Candy Retailer, so if you want to give them a try, click below to order today!
The Final Word and Verdict On the Best Hot Chips
As I wrap up this article on the best hot chips in America, I want to challenge you to try something new! It can be a different brand, flavor, or pairing combination; whatever it is, I encourage you to experiment and try out different options until you find the one! As for those who already have favorites, please share them in the comments below! I know I haven’t tried them all, so I know you guys have something for me to try! If you have any questions, suggestions, or recommendations, feel free to sound off. I’ll be waiting for your response! Thanks again for your time; stay spicy!
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