11 Popular Doritos Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

There are few chips more iconic or immediately recognizable than Doritos. Some flavors like Cool Ranch or Nacho Cheese have been around since I was a kid growing up in the 1990s, so they invoke a certain nostalgia in me that I'm sure other people feel. But, in recent years, the brand has greatly expanded its flavor offerings to include an abundance of unique profiles, so there's sure to be something for everyone. Of course, that doesn't mean every new flavor the company puts out is a hit. So, that led me to wonder: Which popular Doritos flavors are actually worth purchasing, and which ones deserve to remain on the grocery store shelf?

If you've been asking yourself the same question when you wander down the chip aisle of your local supermarket, you've come to the right place. I was given the opportunity to try 11 popular Doritos flavors side-by-side and use my food industry background to see how they stack up to each other. Then, I ranked them from worst to best based primarily on their flavor, so that you can skip the guesswork and get straight to picking the best possible options. You can find my full methodology at the end of this article, if you're interested. Now, ready to discover your new favorite Doritos flavor? Let's get into it.

These are the only Doritos available that come in a different shape. Instead of the triangle we all know and love, these come in rolls, which I thought was interesting. At the very least, it made this flavor stand out against the other popular flavors on this list. Unfortunately, they ended up being a terrible disappointment. I'd even go so far as to say they were truly disgusting.

The most obvious issue from the beginning was actually that unique shape. While the traditional triangles are perfect for biting, offering a nice crunch with only a little resistance, I found these rolls to be nearly inedible because of how hard they were. And, this was only the first problem. Once I managed to take a hard-earned bite, I was greeted by the unappealing combination of heavy artificial citrus flavor punctuated by a mildly bitter hot sauce. The heat level here was so overwhelmingly hot that I couldn't enjoy it, and I don't like pure heat with no flavor in my foods. In fact, that's a big pet peeve for me.

Needless to say, I won't be buying these again. Not only that, but you couldn't pay me to eat it again. Skip these in favor of one of our top Doritos flavors.

I've heard from a few people that they really enjoy the Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili, so my opinion here might be controversial. But, honestly, I'm just not thrilled with the taste of these chips. They aren't the most horrible thing I've ever eaten by a long shot, but they're pretty bad.

I think it's important to let you know that I'm a big fan of sweet-and-sour sauce in general. But these chips taste like they've been drenched in sweet-and-sour sauce and heavily saturated with soy sauce. The result is an overly salty combination of flavors that feel very contradictory to me rather than balanced. This strange contradiction made me grimace, and I could barely stomach one chip. The only reason these ranked higher than the Doritos Chile Limon Dinamita is that they did actually have some flavor instead of pure heat — even if that flavor was poorly conceived.

I wouldn't buy these chips again, nor would I eat them if offered to me. While I understand some people enjoy Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili (because I've been told as much), I can't recommend them in any good faith based on my own experience.

Doritos Cool Ranch is one of two classic flavors I remember eating as a child. As an adult, I've predominantly enjoyed other flavors, so I haven't had many opportunities to indulge in this recently. Unfortunately, this ranking showed me that nostalgia alone isn't enough to make a flavor good.

To be fair, I wouldn't say that Cool Ranch is a disgusting flavor by any means. In fact, the initial flavor profile is a bold infusion of savory and tangy, heavily seasoned ranch dressing, and I love this. But the flavor doesn't stay around to be enjoyed for very long, which is the primary problem I have here. After only a chew or two, these just taste like plain tortilla chips, and if that's what I wanted to eat, I would buy those.

I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase these again, but I would eat them again. After all, I'm a fan of tortilla chips overall — I just expected more flavor. If you're looking for a long-lasting, bold taste profile, skip this and opt for a better ranking flavor.

There are two things I've taken away from this ranking. First, I at least minimally enjoy most Doritos flavors enough that I'd eat a few if someone offered them to me. Second, the ones I don't enjoy are those featuring citrus taste notes — which I find disappointing because I adore real lemon and lime flavors.

Once again, the strong citrus taste is heavily artificial here, as though they'd used heavily sweetened lemonade powder to create the profile. This is paired with an okay hot sauce taste that's not quite bitter, but rather bordering on it. While I wasn't a fan of the flavor overall, I did enjoy the heat itself. That heat began at the higher end of mild, allowing the flavor notes to come through clearly, and slowly built to moderately hot as I ate them. Eating these was a messy endeavor, which is slightly annoying, but not enough to really knock it down any extra spots.

I'm not a huge fan of these, so I wouldn't purposefully seek them out at my local grocery store. But I would probably snack on a few if they were offered to me. If you're looking for a spicy chip, there are significantly better options on this list, so I recommend grabbing one of those instead.

The Simply NKD line of chips is a relatively new thing. Introduced in November 2025, I hadn't noticed them in stores before this ranking. As far as I can tell based on the packaging, the big difference between this line and the standard Doritos line is that Simply NKD chips are made without any artificial dyes, colors, or flavors. This is a great idea for those who are more health-conscious and looking for an easy snack. If that's you, you should know that the Simply NKD line also includes Cheetos.

While I didn't expect them to, these Doritos Simply NKD Cool Ranch taste nearly identical to the standard option. You still get the big blast of heavily-seasoned ranch, but the flavor profile lasts considerably longer for some reason. Instead of disappearing nearly immediately, that delicious ranch profile sticks around long enough for me to finish chewing. This seemingly small difference significantly improved the eating experience for me, which is why these ranked higher than the standard option.

If I were craving Cool Ranch Doritos, these would be the bag I grab from now on, and I recommend you do the same. I suggest pairing these with your favorite hot dogs and potato salad for a real "taste of summer" combination.

Doritos Nacho Cheese is the second of two classic flavors gracing our list. Based on its higher ranking, you can rightly guess that I enjoyed this one significantly more than the Cool Ranch option. The biggest reason? This one has a flavor that actually sticks around longer than it takes to raise the chip to your mouth.

The scent of these was especially bold and delightful, offering a distinct cheesy smell accented with a touch of spice. I didn't find this spice to be apparent in the actual flavor itself, but there's no mistaking the scent. What was apparent in the taste was a kick of seasoning that I can't quite put a name to, which was streaked throughout a robust cheesiness. The flavor stuck around through the whole chewing process, which made me really happy.

I'll definitely buy this flavor again, and I suggest trying it. If you're a fan of upgraded bologna sandwiches, I highly recommend trying a few of these chips on one because the flavor and textural contrast is simply unbeatable.

With the Simply NKD line of Doritos, I suppose I saved the best for last without knowing so because these were definitely better than the Cool Ranch option. Why? Because they taste just like the standard Nacho Cheese, which I like better than the Cool Ranch. Since both Simply NKD chip flavors were identical to their standard variants, I'm eager to try the Cheetos options to see if the same holds true for them.

I don't have much to say about these that I didn't already say about the standard Nacho Cheese Doritos. There's the same bold, cheesy flavor and smell, with just a hint of spice. With them being so similar, the only reason these Simply NKD chips ranked better is that they're potentially healthier — after all, they contain no artificial dyes, flavors, or colors. This could be a boon for some individuals who are sensitive to such things, or who go out of their way to avoid them.

I would buy these again, and will likely choose them over the standard out of principle. If you're looking for a "naked" chip devoid of artificial ingredients, this is your best option.

Unlike some of the other popular Doritos flavors on this list that I'm already familiar with, this was my first experience with Doritos Spicy Nacho. I wasn't really sure what to expect going into it, but it still somehow didn't go as expected. Not that it turned out to be a bad thing, just interesting.

What I found so interesting is that these are somehow nearly identical to the standard Nacho Cheese flavor, and yet also quite different. The base flavor profile is exactly like the standard Nacho Cheese, with an intense cheesiness mixed with an unknown seasoning combination. But, over this is layered a mild but noticeable kick of heat. It's mild enough that my son (who's only eight) was able to eat it without issue, but strong enough to distinguish it from the regular Nacho Cheese flavor. And, for me, the spicy addition made this flavor just slightly better than the original.

I'll definitely be buying these again as part of my weekly chip rotation. If you're looking for a spicy snack to cure that craving, you'll really enjoy these.

Doritos Sweet and Tangy BBQ chips are another option that I've had a lot of experience with since the new flavor debuted in 2023. This popular flavor topped my previous ranking of BBQ potato chips, and since then, it's become a standard snack in my home. Thanks to this, I already knew the flavor would rank well. Of course, the fact that different flavors took the top two spots in this ranking was a slight surprise to me, but that doesn't mean I won't continue buying these.

One of my favorite things about these Doritos is the scent — it's a robust combination of sweet and tangy that's not only mouthwatering, but also fairly indicative of the taste. Since I value the smell of my food so much (which you know if you've read almost anything I've written), this is a big bonus for me. A sweet tomato flavor profile was dominant when I took my first bite, which was streaked through with a moderate tangy vinegar and some subtle earthy hints. As I chewed, this faded away to a faintly sweet and sour taste.

I'll continue buying these Doritos Sweet and Tangy BBQ Chips regularly because not only do I enjoy them, but my whole family really likes them. If you're looking for a great barbecue chip, these are your best choice.

I'm a huge fan of Buffalo sauce because of the buttery, vinegary notes that distinguish it from standard, somewhat bitter hot sauce. For me, the combination of ranch and Buffalo sauce is even better than either alone, so it doesn't surprise me that I enjoyed the Doritos Blazin' Buffalo and Ranch Chips so much.

From the first bite, I really enjoyed how dead-on this flavor was. The Buffalo and ranch combination is very authentic, offering a creamy heat that pairs nicely with the tortilla's crunchy texture. The ranch was much more creamy and realistic than the heavily seasoned version we get with the Cool Ranch Doritos. These were so good that it was a close call for the top spot. However, I felt like this one was a little less suitable for most people because of the heat aspect, and the top option is more suited to everyday snacking — thus, I ranked this one second.

I'll definitely buy these again and highly recommend giving them a try, because they're truly amazing. My suggestion? Pair these with Buffalo chicken dip to elevate the flavor profile.

There are few foods I enjoy more than tacos — from authentic pork carnitas and barbacoa to Americanized ground beef, I've rarely met a taco I didn't enjoy. So, when I saw that Doritos made a taco-flavored tortilla chip, I was so excited to try it that I'd hardly gotten home before popping open the bag. And when the verdict turned out really positive? I was overjoyed in a way that words can't accurately express.

My first thought when I popped one of these Doritos Late Night Loaded Taco chips into my mouth was: "Wow, this tastes surprisingly like tacos." Honestly, I didn't expect it to be so accurate. While it's a far cry from authentic tacos, it was a dead ringer for the Americanized ground beef versions. I could taste taco seasoning at the forefront, accented heavily by a meat-like savoriness and tomato sweetness. Perfectly, the tortilla chip itself offers a taste vaguely reminiscent of a crunchy taco shell.

Hands down, these taco-flavored Doritos are my new favorite option, and I'll be eating them perhaps too frequently moving forward. I highly suggest grabbing yourself a bag of these so you can experience how fantastic they are for yourself. Once you do, you'll have zero doubts about why they ranked as our top popular Doritos flavor.

I chose every Doritos flavor available to me in my local ShopRite's chip aisle at the time of my visit for inclusion in this list. While this primarily included options from the standard Doritos line of chips, I made the decision to include the differently shaped Dinamita option, as well as two more "wholesome" options from the new Doritos NKD line. I believe including these helps offer the most comprehensive listing of popular flavors possible. Each flavor was ranked primarily based on taste, with scent playing a smaller role.

To make my judgments, I mostly relied on my more than 15 years of food industry experience, as well as a decades-long love affair with Doritos. Previous work creating similar food-based rankings also helped me decide where each flavor should fall on this list. These previous articles include a ranking of popular Capri Sun flavors and a ranking of store-bought queso dips. Although personal preference played a role in this ranking, I aimed to be as unbiased as possible about product quality.