Every Doritos Flavor, Ranked Worst To Best

Back in 1990, Jay Leno assured us that when it comes to Doritos, we could "crunch" all we wanted because they would make more. And boy, was he right. 

Since 1966, the Frito-Lay brand tortilla chips have expanded from humble beginnings as Disneyland trash to mainstream supermarket success — now offering a vast array of flavors. While some feel that you can never have too much of a good thing, and Doritos are definitely a good thing, not all flavors bearing the trusted logo can be trusted to deliver. 

In turn, hiding within the confines of the classic flavors is not only personally limiting, but can seriously affect your review as a Super Bowl party host. But how will you ever have the time to sample all the Dorito flavors in your lifetime? Fret no longer, beloved chip enthusiast, as we have compiled a list of everything you need to put the hip back in chip.

Here is a list of every Doritos flavor, ranked worst to best.

Some like it hot, and if you are one of them then Doritos' Flamin' Hot Nacho flavor, which hit shelves in 2019, may have seemed like a dream come true. Combining the beloved and classic taste of Nacho Cheese with the "Flamin" of Flamin' Hot Cheetos fame is sure to be a killer, right? Unfortunately, this attempt to rein in the spicy snack food lover fails on several fronts. 

Despite the promise its name makes, this chip is not that hot, let alone flamin'. It essentially tastes like the regular Nacho Cheese with a kick at the end. If something is going to market itself as flamin', then we expect to need at least a tissue to get through the bag. That being said, foragers of the Doritos' Flamin' Hot Nacho should be prepared with a boat load of napkins to wipe down their mouth and fingers, which will be instantly and thoroughly stained by an aggressive dose of Red 40 food coloring. 

Another strike against the Doritos' Flamin' Hot Nacho is that whatever ingredients it contains that attempt to set you on fire, succeed only in just scorching your taste buds. While this phenomenon is not uncommon with very spicy foods, it is a bit surprising to find in a not-that-spicy food. So, if you are looking for a killer hot chip, the Doritos' Flamin' Hot Nacho is one can leave on the shelf. 

The main reason Doritos' Spicy Nacho chips fall so low on our list is because of their false advertising. Not only do they lack the spiciness suggested by the name, but there is virtually no taste differentiation between these chips and the classic Nacho Cheese flavor. 

Seriously, if there is any variation among these two snack foods, it is undetectable to the untrained palate. It is almost as if Doritos made too many Nacho Cheese chips and figured they could sell more if they threw some into slightly different packaging and slapped "spicy" on the name. 

Don't get us wrong, these chips are good, but only because they taste pretty much exactly like Nacho Cheese Doritos and not at all because they are spicy. Because they are not. So as far as we can tell, the only reason to buy Spicy Nacho Doritos is because Nacho Cheese are sold out.

We combined these two flavors because, while they are technically different (one is spicy, one is not), they seem to have an equal impact on the taste buds. Both flavors are good, a decent choice if when looking for something a bit more intense than your typical Dorito, but neither can really hold its own on the full-throttle Doritos spectrum. 

Furthermore, the "Simply Organic" label is a bit deceiving for those not accustomed to reading food labels and knowing what they mean. What snack food consumers should know that "organic" does not necessarily mean healthier. All it means is that the ingredients used for these chips are certified organic by the USDA, of which qualifications are somewhat confusing and probably not as strict as you might think. 

Fact is, when it comes to sodium, fat, and calories, Doritos' Simply Organic White Cheddar and Spicy White Cheddar are not much different than the rest of the lot.

If you're a fan of cheese dip and corn chips, then Doritos' Ultimate Cheddar chips are the snack for you. 

Putting aside the absence of the creamy deliciousness of warm cheese, these chips come pretty darn close to delivering the winning combo of sharp cheddar and hearty tortilla that we all love so much. 

Because of their closeness to the real deal, Doritos' Ultimate Cheddar chips pair nicely with a helping of chili or a jalapeno dipping sauce. Unlike some other cheddar-flavored snacks, their cheesiness is distinct but do not overpower the chip. Nor are they drenched in orange cheese dust (we're talking to you, Cheetos), so your mouth and fingers are safe from visual evidence of consumption. 

The only downside to Doritos' Ultimate Cheddar chips is that, depending on where you live, they may be hard to find (we had to visit five stores to locate a bag).

All the hotness that was missing from the Flamin' Hot Nacho Doritos can be found in Doritos' Blaze. In fact, these chips should probably be sold with tissues (for eyes, nose, and fingers) and a can of soda (to put out the fire between bites). 

And heat isn't the only area where the Blaze outshines the Flamin' Hot Nacho Doritos — there is substantially less red powder to contend with on the Blaze Doritos. And what there is of it does not result in a henna tattoo to your extremities. 

All this aside, the Blaze Doritos are truly delicious. They offer a good ratio of corn to spice, and are exactly what heat-seeking snack foodies are looking for. It's kinda crazy that it took Frito-Lay until 2018 to really bring the heat to Doritos.

Flamas Doritos have a flavor that combines Doritos' traditional corn tortilla chips with the zest of red chile pepper with a twist of lime. The amalgamation of zesty spice and tart citrus in this chip creates a harmonious and balanced flavor that leaves you wanting more. 

While not as aggressive in their heat as the Blaze chips, the Flamas earn their name and are definitely not for the faint of heart. In fact, their flavor is so pungent that it would be hard to eat more than a snack-sized bag of these Doritos without losing feeling in your mouth. 

Nevertheless, these chips are like everything you wanted Tostitos Hint of Lime to be, only better (and much hotter). Even if you are not typically a fan of spicy chips, these are worth a try — even though, like the Flamin' Hot Nacho Doritos, they will leave you stained and messy.

Putting aside the fact that these Doritos are not actually Doritos but more like FrioLay's attempt to get in on Takis action, the Dinamita chips are an excellent and tasty snack. Trading in Doritos' typical triangle shape for something that more closely resembles a mini taquito, these rolled tortilla chips are crunchy as all get-out. 

What makes them particularly "Dinamita" is the spicy chile limon powder they are doused in, which packs a real flavor punch. The heat of the chile is nicely balanced by the tartness of the lime, tangy to the point of almost being sour (in a good way). If you're in a snack food doldrums and need something to catapult your taste buds into beast mode, then Doritos' Dinamita Chile Limon is the chip for the job. But greatness often comes at a price so buyer beware: the red chile powder is sure to leave you looking like you had a serious make-out sesh with a clown.

If Cool Ranch Doritos are the king of the chip world, then Nacho Cheese are most certainly the queen. In fact, choosing how to rank of these two equally classic and equally delicious Doritos flavors was a difficult task, but someone had to do it. For nothing more than mere seniority, Nacho Cheese Doritos ranks in at number two with the pungent and satisfying cheesiness that we have all come to know and love. 

Although they are famous for giving you orange fingers, there seems to be a general consensus among snack foodies that this minor inconvenience is more than worth what they get in return. The surprising satiation derived from Nacho Cheese Doritos is probably why they have been a fixture on American supermarket shelves since 1972. Party hosts looking to win points for offering A-list finger foods will always be well-served by the universally guest-approved Nacho Cheese Doritos.