by The kettle-cooked style is pretty popular among potato chips these days, and they are a particular favorite of mine. So in my latest spicy snack roundup, I found three different options, all of which bring some heat. Here is the rundown on those.
Clancy’s Buffalo Wing Kettle Chips: Clancy’s is a proprietary brand for Aldi’s grocery stores, and I previously tried their Spicy Dill Pickle Chips and rather enjoyed them (you can read about those here). At the same time, I picked up a bag of Buffalo Wing Kettle Chips, and it didn’t take me long to scarf those down. They have the expected tang of a Buffalo sauce, but it does not overpower. You get that hot sauce taste with a bit of a kick, but not too much pucker. There is also just a touch of tartness in the background, and maybe a hint of chicken flavor, to deliver a good finish. The chips have a good crunch, as you would expect from the kettle style, and they are not overly salty.
The heat on these gets to about Mild on my scale, and they bring a nice warmth. They won’t set your mouth on fire, but they do a good job of replicating the Buffalo wings experience. I really liked these, even though they did not have too much heat, and will certainly pick up a bag if I see them again. You will only find them at Aldi’s, but if you happen to be shopping there, these are worth seeking out.
Siete Fuego Kettle-Cooked Potato Chips: Siete offers a slightly healthier chip, containing all-natural ingredients and cooked in avocado oil. Their Fuego style has a nice peppery kick with a little bit of citrusy tang. There is also a touch of sweetness there, though no sugar in the ingredients so perhaps that comes from the beet powder. These also have some tomato richness, and you could describe them as lime salsa chips. But they are not too heavy on the lime like many of the limon flavored snacks out there, and these thankfully do not deliver too much sourness. They have that good crunch you expect , and they are definitely less salty than standard chips, but not to the point that I would call them a low salt snack.
There is not much heat at first, but it does build up and gets to beyond Mild on my scale. Combined with that peppery kick, these do have a bold taste and I rather enjoyed them. For a healthy chip, especially one that is dairy free and vegan, these are quite good, and you won’t necessarily feel like you are eating a health food snack. They are a little more pricey than your standard bag of chips because of the quality of ingredients, but worth the money. I got these at Sprouts, and you can typically find them where health foods are sold.
Lay’s Cajun Spice Kettle Chips: Lay’s has added a bold new flavor to its Kettle Chips line, and this one brings a nice Louisiana kick. The taste of Cajun spice hits right away as you bite into the chip, delivering that peppery, creole twang. This uses a robust mix of spices which includes paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and more. There is also just a touch of smoke and not much sweetness, but the chips are definitely quite savory. And they have quite a good crunch, with the combination of spices helping to bring everything together.
The heat is not too high, somewhere between Mild and Medium on my scale, but the boldness makes this a chip that spice lovers should enjoy. And those who are fans of Cajun flavors will be saying “Laissez les bons temps rouler”! I found these in Target and paid close to five bucks for a bag (chips ain’t cheap these days), and you should see them on the shelves wherever Kettle Chips are sold. Supposedly this is a permanent addition to the line, but that will depend on whether the sales hold up.
Nutrition Info:
Clancy’s Buffalo Wing Kettle Chips
Ingredients: Potatoes, vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: cottonseed, corn), seasoning (corn maltodextrin, cayenne pepper sauce [aged red pepper, vinegar, salt, garlic], sodium diacetate, hydrolyzed corn protein, sugar, yeast extract, spices, molasses, onion powder, paprika, salt, citric acid, garlic powder, natural flavors, extractives of paprika [color]), sea salt.
Serving Size: 28g (About 12 Chips
Calories: 150
Fat: 9g (1.5g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 15g
Sodium: 250mg
Siete Fuego Kettle-Cooked Potato Chips
Ingredients: Potatoes, Avocado Oil, Red Chile Powder, Nutritional Yeast, Tapioca Solids, Beet Powder, Sea Salt, Tomato Powder, Jalapeño Powder, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Habanero Powder
Serving Size: 28g (About 14 Chips)
Calories: 140
Fat: 7g (1g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 3g
Carbs: 17g
Sodium: 120mg
Lay’s Cajun Spice Kettle Chips
Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil), and Less than 2% of Spices (Including Black Pepper, Red Pepper, and Thyme), Salt, Corn Maltodextrin, Brown Sugar, Tapioca Maltodextrin, Onion Powder, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Potassium Salt, Corn Syrup Solids, Paprika, Citric Acid, Yeast Extract, Paprika Extracts, Lactose, Natural Flavors, Skim Milk, and Buttermilk.
Serving Size: 28g (About 15 Chips)
Calories: 150
Fat: 9g (1g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 17g
Sodium: 140mg
