In my latest spicy snack roundup, I sample a recently released bag of chips on loan from Limited-Time-Only-Ville (Baja Fiery Mango Doritos) along with two snacks that you will likely only find while on the road (Andy Capp’s Fire Fries and Chex Mix MAX’d Spicy Dill).
Baja Fiery Mango Doritos: Doritos is going back to combining fruit and heat after experimenting with the Spicy Pineapple flavor last Fall (more on that here). This time, they are using another tropical fruit, mango, in conjunction with Baja Blast Mountain Dew (apparently, it is the 20th anniversary of that flavor). You might think that fruit, soda, chili peppers, and chips count as an odd combination, and I would pretty much agree with that.
The fruity taste hits right away along with a fair amount of sweetness. There seems to be some mango flavor in there as well as pineapple, but neither is mentioned in the ingredients, so it is something approximating those two (hello artificial flavors). The fruitiness is followed by a strong peppery flavor that acts as a counterbalance, but that initial “blast,” which does kind of taste like fruity Mountain Dew, could be off-putting to some. The more you eat, though, the more the peppery taste dominates, and they actually get to be rather addictive. I would have preferred less emphasis on the fruit, but they still work out okay as a change-of-pace chip.
Heat-wise, these come in just a little above Mild on my scale. A little more heat to act as a balance to that fruitiness would have been better, but maybe they were going for more of the Mountain Dew flavor. Similar to last year’s Spicy Pineapple chips, these are interesting and I kind of liked them, but this would not be a go-to flavor for me. These are available in Walmart, Target, Sam’s (in a big bag), and perhaps a few other retailers, and they will likely be gone by the end of Summer.
Andy Capp’s Fire Fries: The Hot Fries from Andy Capp’s are a long-time standard for snacking, and they have been around since 1973, one of the earliest spicy munchies in the markets. I have always enjoyed them, but I have also long believed that they would be a little bit better if they had more heat. And what do you know? I happened to be in a roadside convenience store while making a trip between San Antonio and Houston, and I saw the Fire Fries. These were first released in 2023, and they promise a “Fiery Flavor Punch”!
The Andy Capp’s Fries are made from corn and potato and have a consistency similar to Cheetos puffs, though a bit crispier (they “look like French fries, but crunch like chips”). The Fiery Fries have a strong hot sauce flavor with a nice tang and some richness as well. There is some sweetness in there as well, but just a touch. They are very much like a combination of the (sadly discontinued) Salsa Fries and the Hot Fries but with more heat. So these are essentially the best of both worlds from Andy Capp’s, in my opinion.
And they do pack somewhat of a punch, coming in close to Medium heat on my scale. You will definitely need something to drink with these to temper the heat that will be building in your mouth. And like any heavily seasoned snack, that red dust will be sticking to your hands, so grab some napkins. I usually only see Andy Capp’s at convenience stores, though I believe Walmart and a few other bigger retailers carry them as well. And these are generally among the cheaper snacks in the aisle, so they offer good value. As far as I know, they are a permanent addition to the lineup (as long as sales hold up), and if you see a bag on the shelf, I recommend picking it up for a spicy, tasty (and a bit messy) snack.
Chex Mix MAX’D Spicy Dill: The options for spicy versions of Chex Mix have been diminishing lately. The Hot and Spicy flavor has disappeared from shelves, the Ghost Pepper version of that went away a while back, and even the Jalapeno Cheddar flavor is hard to find. But if you happen to be traveling, you may stumble upon the MAX’D Chex Mix, and there are two spicy versions of that available. I previously reviewed the Buffalo flavor (more on that one here), and now I am finally getting around to jotting down my favorable impression of the Spicy Dill version.
This variation on Chex Mix is billed as having “two flavors, one intense taste.” That combines “zesty dill pickle” with the spicy “MAX’d” pieces which are heavily seasoned. As you would expect, these have a strong dill pickle flavor, and if you like that you almost certainly will enjoy these. They bring plenty of pucker, especially the MAX’D pieces, and they have a bite as well. I’m not a big fan of sour, but that is sufficiently balanced by some sweetness along with the heat, and these prove quite addictive.
Heat-wise, they may not seem too hot at first, but they quickly work their way up to Medium on my scale after chomping on a handful. These will not set your mouth on fire, but you will know that you are eating something with some heat. Unfortunately, I usually only find these only in convenience stores (in the 4.25 oz bag) and generally just along the highway. But if I see them, I pick them up because I really enjoy the pucker and heat they deliver. (But I will give a recommendation: don’t read the list of ingredients for these if you want to retain your sanity . . .)
Nutrition Info:
Baja Fiery Mango Doritos
Ingredients: Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, Soybean, And/Or Sunflower Oil), And Less Than 2% Of Corn Maltodextrin, Sugar, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Salt, Citric Acid, Spices (Including Red Pepper), Dextrose, Whey, Monosodium Glutamate, Paprika, Sour Cream (Cultured Cream, Skim Milk), Brown Sugar, Honey, Garlic Powder, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Artificial Color (Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake), Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Cream, Butter (Cream, Salt), And Sucralose.
Serving Size: 28g (About 11 Chips)
Calories: 150
Fat: 7g (0g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 17g
Sodium: 140mg
Andy Capp’s Fire Fires
Ingredients: Degermed Yellow Cornmeal, Vegetable Oil (Palm and/or Cottonseed Oil), Dried Potatoes, Salt, Less Than 2% Of: Whey Powder, Water, Monosodium Glutamate, Dextrose, Sodium Diacetate, TBHQ (For Freshness), Citric Acid, Onion Powder, Sugar, Hot Sauce (Aged Cayenne Pepper, Vinegar, Salt, Garlic), Mono- and Diglycerides, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Garlic Powder, Natural Flavor, Paprika Extract (Color), Red 40 Lake, Spice, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake. CONTAINS: MILK
Serving Size: 28g (About 50 Whole Fries)
Calories: 140
Fat: 7g (3g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 1g
Carbs: 18g
Sodium: 280mg
Chex Mix MAX’D Spicy Dill
Ingredients: Degermed Yellow Corn Meal, Whole Wheat, Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour Niacin Iron Thiamin Mononitrate Riboflavin Folic Acid Malted Barley Flour), Maltodextrin, Vegetable Oil (Palm Kernel Palm High Oleic Soybean High Oleic Canola Sunflower and/or Soybean), Sugar, Salt, Whey Powder, Contains 2% or Less of: Dextrose, Modified Corn Starch, Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavor, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Spice, Baking Soda, Garlic Powder, Yeast Extract, Color (Annatto Paprika Extract Yellow 5 Lake Yellow 5 Yellow 6 Blue 1 Lake Yellow 6 Lake), Cheddar Cheese (Milk Cultures Salt Enzymes), Vinegar, Yeast, Soy Lecithin, Barley Malt Syrup, Butter Concentrate (Cream Salt Natural Flavor), Distilled Monoglycerides, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Malted Barley Extract, Barley Malt Syrup, Whey, Sodium Citrate, Yellow Corn Flour, Dried Cheddar Cheese (Milk Cultures Salt Enzymes Disodium Phosphate), Dill Weed, Onion Powder, Trisodium Phosphate, Soy Sauce (Wheat Soybeans Salt), Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Diacetate, Corn Syrup Solids, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Dried Sour Cream (Sour Cream [Cream Cultures Lactic Acid] Cultured Nonfat Dry Milk Solids Citric Acid), Monocalcium Phosphate, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Disodium Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Freshness Preserved by Sodium Metabisulfite and BHT
Serving Size: 30g (1/2 Cup)
Calories: 130
Fat: 4g (2g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 23g
Sodium: 270mg