Paqui Chips Have Been Quietly Discontinued, Here Are Three Possible Replacements

For those who have been searching for Paqui chips (especially the Ghost Pepper variety) and have not been able to find them, it appears that the brand has been discontinued. This all started last year when a fourteen-year-old boy died after eating one of the One Chip Challenge chips and those were pulled from the shelves (more on that here). All Paqui products became hard to find for a while, especially the fan-favorite Haunted Ghost Pepper Chips, and people became concerned that the brand had been discontinued. I reached out to Paqui in October 2023 and they assured me that they were still producing the chips, including the Ghost Pepper ones. But fast forward to mid-2024, and it appears the situation has changed.

Paqui started as an Austin-based company but they were bought by Amplify Snack Brands which was then acquired by The Hershey Company in 2018. The One Chip Challenge was a marketing gimmick started by Paqui before they were part of Hershey, and each Fall they would release this limited edition item and challenge people to eat it and describe the experience on social media (I never got around to trying it because I don’t care much for things that are hot just for heat’s sake). Each year it got hotter, and apparently that caught up to them resulting in the death of one person who tried it (though to my knowledge it was never proven that the chip itself caused the death). The One Chip Challenge was discontinued at that point, but the Paqui line was allowed to continue.

However, the chips have become increasingly hard to find in the stores, and the Paqui website is no longer online. No official announcement has been made, but apparently the corporate decision-makers at Hershey decided it was best to quietly retire the line. One person on Reddit contacted the company and got the following response:

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately, PAQUI Chips is no longer manufactured for sale. However, the decision to discontinue the brand is not made lightly because we know how disappointing it can be to look for your favorite snack and not find it.

So that pretty much confirms that Paqui is gone for now. Perhaps an online petition could convince the company to bring them back at some point, maybe even under a different name. But for now, I am sure that the company would prefer some time passes since last year’s unfortunate death before they make any attempt to bring the line back.

The Haunted Ghost Pepper Chips were a favorite of mine as well as many lovers of spicy snacks. They were one of the few chips on the market that really delivered the heat, and I would put them between Hot and Fiery on my scale. Some did not like the flavor, but I thought the peppery bite that they brought was quite tasty (you can read my prior review of the chips here). There is nothing else out there quite like them on the market, and I do still see them for sale online, but fetching pretty high prices.  As an option, here are three suggestions for corn-based chips that bring some heat and might act as a replacement:

HEB Ghost Pepper Ranch Corn Chips

If you live in Texas and you have an HEB near you, then you will want to pick up these as they are closest to the Haunted Ghost Pepper Chips in taste and heat. These are HEB’s version of Fritos that are kicked up with Ghost Pepper and Ranch seasoning. They have that strong, peppery taste similar to the discontinued Paqui chips and that is balanced by the creamy tang of Ranch seasoning. Most importantly, these definitely have a kick, coming in above Hot on my scale. These are a permanent item at HEB and I pick them up on a regular basis when walking through the chip aisle.

Julio’s Freakin’ Hot Corn Tortilla Chips

This is another Texas-based chip and these have a rustic taste similar to the Paqui line. They also deliver a nice peppery kick along with some salsa tang and a bit of sweetness. And they bring the heat, getting to above Hot on my scale (you can read my full review here). These are available in HEB and other stores in Texas and I believe they have a presence outside the state as well.

Late July Scorchin’ Sauce Chips

Late July is another brand that uses organic ingredients like Paqui did. They recently added the Scorchin’ Sauce flavor to their line and it is a winner. These have the richness and tang you expect from a salsa, and they also bring a bold peppery flavor. As for the heat, they don’t quite have as much burn as the two options above, but they are approaching Hot on my scale and they do have a nice kick (you can read my full review here). I buy these at Sprouts, and I have seen them in other stores like Kroger and Target.