The Unexpected Doritos Flavor That Outshines OG Nacho Cheese, According To Our Taste Test

If you haven't been keeping up with the latest news in Dorito world, you might be surprised to learn that these chips have evolved far beyond the Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch flavors you remember from childhood. We put in the hard work of trying and ranking 15 different Doritos flavors, and we found that most of them (12, to be exact) beat out the original Nacho Cheese flavor. If you haven't tried our top pick yet — Golden Sriracha — you'll definitely want to toss a bag into your grocery cart the next time you're perusing the chip aisle. We considered multiple factors, including seasoning strength and whether the chips actually tasted like the flavors listed on the packaging. Golden Sriracha Doritos were the clear winner, although our second-place pick, Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos, wasn't far behind.

When you think of sriracha, you likely think of the super-spicy, bright red Thai condiment that adds a serious kick of heat to your favorite dishes. The Golden Sriracha Doritos, surprisingly, don't pack the heat. Instead of channeling the flavor of red sriracha, they combine the flavors of yellow and green sriracha, offering a less spicy bite. When we noticed molasses at the end of the ingredients list, it made sense — the chips had a layered sweetness with depth, rather than a generically sweet taste. These Doritos are great on their own, but their unique flavor profile makes them an especially delicious base for walking tacos, fool-proof nachos for game day, and other crunchy creations.

We're certainly big fans of the Golden Sriracha Doritos, and we took some time to see whether social media posters felt the same way. On Reddit, people have thoughts — most of them positive. Some say that they taste like a general assortment of flavors from Chinese cuisine (Panda Express was mentioned more than once). Others say that they aren't thrilled with the flavor level. While we were happy with the amount of seasoning, it might not be heavy enough for those who want a super-strong sriracha flavor.

If you'd like something with a higher heat level, you'll likely be happy with the Spicy Nacho or the Flamin' Hot Limón varieties. You can also kick up the heat of the Golden Sriracha Doritos by using them as a base for tacos or nachos, as we mentioned, and then hitting your creation with a heavy-handed squeeze of spicy red sriracha to ramp up the spice. One more thing: If you love the Golden Sriracha Doritos flavor, hunt them down while you can, as the flavor is only available for a limited time.