Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno Review: It Shouldn't Be A Confusing Flavor, But It Is
Now in its third year, the Doritos' SOLID BLACK initiative continues to celebrate and highlight black changemakers doing bold things in various communities across America. To honor the community service of Houston-based Chef Chris Williams of Lucille's, who has helped feed those in need with his Lucille's 1913 collective, Frito-Lay has donated money to his organization, and given him the honor to craft the next bold SOLID BLACK flavor of Doritos. Chef Williams paid homage to the tastes of Texas when crafting the new limited-time flavor, Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno.
Jalapeño is not a novel ingredient to Doritos, as we've seen at least eight flavors utilizing its taste and name, including Doritos Jalapeño & Cheddar, and Poppin' Jalapeno. Fruit flavors, however, have been rare and unique infusions for the brand. Caribbean Citrus, Flamin' Hot Limón, Twisted Lime, and Tangy Tamarind are the only ones of recent memory that have been tasked to sweeten the rainbow of spices on Doritos.
Now that Chef Williams has married jalapeno with pineapple in this truly Texan twist, are the results within the bag as bold as the SOLID BLACK initiative itself? Or are the Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno nothing to sweat about? We've torn open a bag, taken a bite or two or six, and are ready to reveal if these Doritos are solid in their own right (or wrong).
What do Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno chips taste like?
Chef Williams explained in a video that Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno's "flavor was inspired by Texas. We do tons of grilling here, and we're known for our use of jalapeños. So we wanted to have that with pineapple for a little bit of sweetness."
Cracking open a bag, a waft of jalapeño emanates immediately into the air, which can even be smelled from a distance. Up close, however, a direct smell of the yellow chips — that look a bit like Doritos Cool Ranch — only offers a hint of the heat to come. A first crunch opens up with a refreshing blast of the promised pineapple and slowly follows through with a sharp turn to the jalapeño, which hangs around with a strong, spicy aftertaste. The allure of that juicy pineapple taste invites an immediate taste of another chip, but the pungent jalapeño keeps overriding that great fruit flavoring. Further bites become a hunt for sweetness, which keeps getting chased away by the heat.
What are Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno chips made of?
Like standard Nacho Cheese Doritos, this Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno variety is also made of corn, vegetable oil, maltodextrin, salt, whey, citric acid, onion powder, and garlic powder. To achieve its namesake flavor, jalapeño pepper, pineapple juice, and spices are included in the mix, along with sour cream and other ingredients.
A serving size is 11 chips, and there are nine servings per bag. A single serving size nets 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 18 grams of carbohydrates, and 150 milligrams of sodium. The chips are cholesterol-free and you'll get 2% of the daily recommended value of both calcium and iron.
What is the story behind the Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno packaging?
One aspect that truly stands out, and stands above all other Doritos flavors in the SOLID BLACK line is the unique and stunning packaging design. For the third year running, in lieu of showing what the chips actually look like on the outside — like other Doritos bags — the space on the Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno's exterior is reserved for a work of art.
For the second connective year for the SOLID BLACK initiative, Frito Lay once again tapped the anonymous art collective called Mz. Icar to design Doritos packaging. Mz. Icar, who has also worked with the likes of Lauryn Hill, Essence Magazine, and Nickelodeon, said of their latest creation, "We centered the artwork around the concept of thriving, which means to grow, prosper and flourish. We channeled these concepts into this piece and offer it as a hope for the present and future," it was noted in a press release.
How, when, and where to buy a bag of Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno?
Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno hit shelves July 24, 2023, and are now available for a limited time only. It can be found for sale in grocery and convenience stores nationwide and can be delivered via services like DoorDash and Instacart.
A small, 2.625-ounce bag runs around $2.49, while a 9-ounce bag is $5.99. If all else fails, eBay has got you covered, but expect to pay three times the retail price.
How to best enjoy Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno?
Initial tastes of the Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno made us wonder how many we could actually stomach in one sitting. A serving size of 11 may be a tough number to reach, and at about halfway in, it's possible to even start showing signs of head sweats. Taking a break from eating these chips is recommended, then return later on for a second helping with a better idea of how it unleashes its mighty flavor duality.
A cool way to enjoy these Doritos is to offset the sweet heat with some sort of dairy-based dip, like a ranch sauce or even blue cheese dressing. Another good option is guacamole, which in turn transforms the Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno chips into an upgrade over a standard tortilla chip. Whichever way you enjoy it, be sure to drink plenty of water, before, during, and after, because you might need it.
The final verdict
Crunch time and crunch time again, the Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno chips are a Jekyll and Hyde of flavor profiles. The pineapple flavoring alone is an instant classic taste, and since the brand doesn't usually get all that fruity, it's a temporary novelty treat and a welcomed breath of citrus air. But, overall, this chip is just okay. The spicy overpowers the sweet, and the two flavors just don't mingle the way we'd hoped. Which one is supposed to stand out the most?
We don't doubt Chef Williams' choice to juxtapose jalapeño to counterbalance the luscious pineapple juices, but we wonder if choosing a milder spice would have made this a truly magical chip, and one that's worthy of keeping around beyond its limited time. Pairing the pineapple with the chili-lime seasoning of Tajín smells like a winner to us. It probably would taste like one too. Can't wait until 2024 to see what flavor comes next!