13 BBQ Potato Chips, Ranked Worst To Best

BBQ potato chips are a classic, affordable side that's perfect for everything from hot dogs and the best burgers to barbecue wings and pulled pork shoulder. To me, they're a bite-sized embodiment of the best tastes of summer. That being said, there are dozens of different BBQ chips you could choose as a side for your next meal, and not all of them are mouthwateringly delicious — some are downright unpalatable. How do you know which bags are worth your hard-earned money and which would leave you feeling unsatisfied?

Thankfully, I have the answer to this pressing question because I was given the opportunity to taste 13 different types of BBQ potato chips. Then, I ranked them from worst to best based on their texture, taste, and aftertaste (if applicable). To do this, I used my food industry background and decades of potato chip consumption. You can find a full explanation of my methodology at the end of this article. Now, ready to discover your new favorite BBQ potato chips? Let's get into it.

Bowl and Basket is Shoprite's store brand and in my past taste tests, there have been mixed results — for example, their green beans ranked okay, while their bread was ranked among the worst store-bought white breads. So, I wasn't sure what to expect from their barbecue kettle chips. Unfortunately, this was another disappointing product from Bowl and Basket.

For starters, these chips are so crunchy they're hard to eat. While I understand that kettle chips will be crispier than standard options, it's my personal opinion that you shouldn't struggle to bite down on them. And, this was only the start of my issues with these Bowl and Basket Specialty Mesquite Barbeque Kettle Chips.

Once I'd managed to actually chew them a bit, I found the flavor to be dull and lacking. If anything, there was a mild woody taste devoid of anything sweet, spicy, or tomatoey like I'd expect from barbecue chips. Skip these in lieu of better ranking options — I know I will be.

This was my first experience with the Cape Cod brand — and this experience doesn't make me excited to try them again. Here, we have another brand of kettle chips that go beyond crunchy and stray into unchewable territory. In fact, these cut my mouth a bit, which really started us off on the wrong foot and left my palette feeling a bit sore for the rest of the day.

These do at least have some taste to them, which is why they ranked higher than the previous option. But, it was just a big burst of flavor at first, quickly followed by nothing. During that big, quick burst of taste, the Cape Cod Kettle Cooked Sweet Mesquite Barbeque Chips were actually quite good. There is a deep sweet tomato taste heavily accented with woody overtones and a tiny kick of spice that I found delightful. But, despite this, I won't be purchasing again and can't recommend them.

Utz is a popular brand in my local area and I've usually chosen other options so I don't have much experience with them — but I was happy to dive in to Utz's Ripples Barbeque chips and see what the fuss was about. And, this one left me a little confused. If I were judging based on general chips alone, this one could have easily been in the top three, hands down. But, we're judging barbecue chips and these just don't taste much like barbecue. That's the only real reason these ranked low and I'm sure that other Utz chips are delicious based on this experience.

So, from my first bite, I notice the chips are well seasoned and heavily coated, so every bite has a big burst of flavor. It's a lingering taste, which is wonderful when so many chips on this list had quickly disappearing flavors. However, it tastes much more like cheddar and sour cream with the slightest hint of barbecue on the side — like the chips were in the same room with the barbecue without actually being them. But, there was also a nice crispy texture without being too much, and overall, I actually really enjoyed these. I'd buy them again, but I don't recommend them if you're looking for the perfect barbecue chip.

I was really excited to try these after the other Utz chips, but the Utz Honey Barbeque Chips left me feeling disappointed — based on this, it's my assumption that the brand is one of those that are hit or miss with their products. But, this opinion is based on very limited experiences with them.

That being said, I find the taste to be overwhelmingly honey sweet with only the faintest hints of smoky barbecue and zero spice or kick. It's like the proper flavor profiles were reversed, and I'm not a fan. Plus, the overall taste is very light and it fades super quickly, leaving behind a bad aftertaste reminiscent of musty cardboard. Despite these negatives, the texture was fantastic and wonderfully crispy. If the taste had been as wonderful as the texture, these chips could have ranked much higher. But, as it is, I won't be purchasing these again and can't recommend them in any good faith.

These Wise Golden Potato Honey BBQ Chips aren't nearly as good as a different option from the brand on this list (which, spoiler alert, ranked really well). That's disappointing and makes me wonder if Wise is another of those hit or miss brands I've encountered all too often during my taste tests.

From my first bite, my tastebuds are overwhelmed with a sickly sweet honey taste — honestly, this mostly tastes like pure honey rather than a BBQ chip. There are no savory, earthy, spicy, or smoky notes here, which is really disappointing. The texture is fantastic and perfectly balanced, however. While this is nice, it's not enough to make up for the unbalanced taste, so I really can't recommend it. I know I won't be buying it again because if I wanted something honey sweet, I'd opt for milk and honey or biscuits topped with honey syrup, not potato chips.

I'm a big fan of Lay's, and it's the brand I most often purchase for my family. However, this taste test showed me that not all of their chips are a homerun. I will say that, unlike lower ranking options, these had a really nice texture to them — the Lay's Wavy Hickory BBQ Chips had a thicker crunchy texture that has become synonymous with the whole range of wavy chips.

Unfortunately, there just isn't any taste when I bite into them. I might as well have just bought the classic Lay's Wavy Potato Chips instead. Then, once I was finished, I was hit with a straight hickory aftertaste that I found overwhelming — it was as though I was chewing on tree bark instead of salty, delicious potato chips. Even worse, the aftertaste was hard to get out of my mouth and took the longest time to fade. Unless you want to know what it's like to eat a tree, skip these and choose better ranking BBQ chips instead.

The first thing I noticed when opening this bag of chips was the distinct smell of ketchup. It was overpoweringly so, and since I'm not a huge fan of ketchup, I found this just a little off-putting. Nonetheless, I continued on to take my first taste and was rewarded with a super sweet barbecue flavor lightly punctuated with a vinegary tang. While I found the flavor much more enjoyable than the smell alluded to, it faded super fast — the taste disappeared while I was still chewing to be replaced by nothingness. This fast fading taste is the primary reason these chips ranked lower, despite the flavor profile itself being fine.

The texture was really satisfying and in line with what I've come to expect from standard Lay's chips. It was thin and crunchy without being overly hard, and it broke apart nicely when I bit into it. Unfortunately, the good qualities here simply don't outweigh the bad and I won't be purchasing again. I can't recommend them in any good faith and suggest opting for a better-ranking barbecue chip instead.

Herr's is another great brand that I've had experience with previously and really enjoyed their chip varieties without significant complaint. Here, the potato chips weren't awful, but rather mediocre. The texture is a nice standard thin potato chip with a satisfying crunch as I bite down.

The taste isn't bad, but it's nothing to write home about. It's light and mildly sweet, but without a lot of defining flavor — it's not quite like I'm eating a plain potato chip, but it doesn't offer much more than that. Based on this first test, I thought it may have been a chip that wasn't fully coated, but my next few chips had the same lacking flavor. I won't be buying these again and don't recommend them to BBQ chip enthusiasts who are looking for a full flavored option. However, if you're looking for a very light BBQ flavor, you may like these just fine.

These Herr's Barbecue Chips had a strong smoky tomato scent when I opened the bag, promising a lot of flavor during my taste test. And, true to those expectations, there was a whole lot of flavor — maybe a bit too much, because I found the profile a little overwhelming. Don't get me wrong, it's really good, but it is possible to have too much of a good thing. That being said, the flavor is predominately smoky with sweet tomato tones and earthy herbal notes throughout, all punctuated with a kick of spice that I found to be delightful.

The texture here was the best of all the chips I tried, with a perfect balance of crispy and thin. The only reason this chip ranked lower is because of how overpowering the taste is. If Herr's cut down on the amount of seasoning mix they used, these could easily be a top-ranking chip. As it is, I won't be buying them again but can recommend them if you want a really strong, bold barbecue flavor.

I actually didn't know that Pringles had a BBQ flavor before this taste test. In my mind, I naturally associate the brand with flavors like sour cream and onion, cheddar cheese, and pizza — a natural bias I didn't know I had, but overcame here. The mouthfeel was drier than standard potato chips, which is fairly common among Pringles chips, with a crunchy texture that makes a loud crunch when it's bit into. I appreciate both of these aspects, alongside the hearty BBQ smell, so we were off to a great start.

The taste test only went up from there as I was greeted with a full-bodied sweet and smoky BBQ flavor. It's not quite my personal preference as I prefer a very light heat in these types of chips, but it was fantastic nonetheless. Each chip was heavily coated, so my next few chips were equally as delicious, and there was no lingering aftertaste. Although I personally prefer other options more, anyone looking for a sweet and smoky BBQ chip without any heat will appreciate these.

The Lay's Baked Chips line has a reliable texture that's somewhere between the thin crispiness of standard potato chips and the drier, slightly thicker structure of Pringles. Although they're hard, these chips aren't challenging to eat like the kettle chip options at the bottom of our ranking. However, they still offer a satisfying crunch when I bite down, making them feel like the perfect balance to me.

The taste is even better than the texture. There's a woody flavor with strong sweet notes throughout that combines to create a nice flavor profile despite there being no spice whatsoever. This fades with no lingering aftertaste, which was appreciated after suffering through several terrible aftertastes during this taste test. There's a pleasant smell indicative of the taste when I raise these towards my mouth. Overall, I'd eat these again and recommend them for anyone looking for a sweet, woody barbecue with decent aromatics.

Wise is another brand of potato chips I hadn't eaten much of prior to this taste test — and during this test, I realized I've generally stuck to the same few brands without straying from them. That being said, straying from my normal turned out to be a fantastic thing and I discovered that there are brands I actually like more, and this was one of them.

The Wise Golden Potato BBQ Chips had a nice, faint smell of BBQ as soon as I opened the bag, which was subtle yet mouthwatering. The flavor is predominately smoky with notes of sweet brown sugar and faint hints of a ketchup-esque tomato. Best of all, the flavor isn't quick to fade and remains while I eat the whole chip. The texture was a perfect balance of crispy and easy to eat. Overall, I loved these chips and will definitely be buying them again — the only reason they didn't rank higher is because I personally prefer the top option a little more. But, I recommend these to anyone looking for a sweet and smoky BBQ chip.

I didn't even honestly know that Doritos made BBQ chips, but now that I've tried them, they're my new go-to. Like other chips from the brand, these have strong aromatics and a thick, crunchy texture. The smell is sweet and tangy, as promised by the bag, and makes my mouth water in anticipation.

From the first bite, I'm hooked. Following that hallmark crunch, the Doritos Sweet and Tangy BBQ Chips offer a sweet tomato laced with a vinegary tang and the subtlest hints of earthiness — it's not quite the woody notes of other brands, but rather a distinct herbal tone. This flavor profile makes me think these chips would be the perfect pairing for barbecue chicken. And, as this initial taste fades away, I'm left with a pleasant sweet and sour taste that makes me crave more. I definitely recommend buying these for yourself. Once you do, you'll have zero question as to why they ranked in our top spot.

I chose BBQ potato chip brands and types for this ranking based on their availability at my local Shoprite in Vineland, New Jersey — attention was paid to selecting a wide variety of BBQ varieties and brands, and not every option available to me was chosen.

Each chosen BBQ potato chip was judged based on its texture, taste, and aftertaste. To do this, I relied on more than fifteen years of experience in the food industry and decades of potato chip consumption. Although personal preference played a role in this ranking, I aimed to be as unbiased as possible about potato chip quality.