Bottom Line: Tapatio Doritos may not be the hottest selection from that line, but they achieve that perfect sweet spot where Fire meets Flavor.
Doritos has offered quite a number of spicy versions over the years, but the ones that you typically see on the shelves these days are the Spicy Nacho (which are not too spicy) and whichever are the latest Flamin’ Hot variations. (One of those is Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch which is actually not bad. More on that here.) But there is one that I see on the shelves from time to time (sadly not very often at my local HEB) which I usually pick up when I find it. That is the Tapatio Doritos, and lovers of that sauce–and spicy snacks in general–should certainly seek that variety out. It combines the flavors of Tapatio with the iconic tortilla chip, and I consider it a spicy classic.
As you would expect, the taste of these Doritos is very much like the sauce they are named after, but not like drinking it straight out of the bottle. (What? You never did that? Why not?) There is cheddar cheese seasoning added to the chips, so consider them sort of like Nacho Cheese Doritos meet Tapatio. They deliver a nice tang along with a very peppery kick and then offer that creamy cheese flavor in the background to balance things out. There is also a little bit of that earthiness that you get from the sauce which gives them that little something extra. The flavor of these is definitely leaps and bounds above the standard Nacho version, and I count these among my favorite Doritos flavors.
Heat-wise, these deliver a bite right away and I would put them at the Medium level on my scale. The burn remains fairly steady as you continue to munch on them, and it does linger a bit after you finish chomping. But these are not just about the heat, as it is the combination of the spice and flavor that really makes them stand out. These reach that perfect sweet spot that I am always looking for where fire meets flavor. I still long for the return of the Blaze Doritos, and the Screamin’ Sriracha are darn good if you can find them (more on those here), but I will always pick up a bag of the Tapatio flavor if I see them on the shelf.
Unfortunately, even though these are not considered limited-time-only items that I am aware of, finding them in the stores is not easy. My local HEB has them once in a while, but typically there are long gaps between when I can find them on the shelves. Both Target and Walmart show them on their websites, but I don’t consistently see them in the stores. I have found them in Kroger, but unfortunately that chain does not have any locations in San Antonio. When I make it Hempstead, Texas, though, I usually have good luck finding them at Arlans (a local chain in South Texas). If you do happen to see them, I highly recommend picking up a bag or two. They are definitely not the hottest version that Doritos has put out, but certainly one of the best.
Nutrition Info:
Ingredients: Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil), Tapatio Seasoning (Spices, Maltodextrin [made from Corn], Cheddar Cheese [Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes], Salt, Whey, Monosodium Glutamate, Natural Flavor, Buttermilk, Romano Cheese [Part Skim Cow’s Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes], Whey Protein Concentrate, Onion Powder, Sodium Diacetate, Corn Oil, Citric Acid, Dextrose, Artificial Color [Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5, Blue 2 Lake], Garlic Powder, Sugar, Lactic Acid, Skim Milk, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, and Sunflower Oil)
Serving Size: 28g (About 12 Chips)
Calories: 150
Fat: 8g (1g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 17g
Sodium: 170mg