by So many chips and so little time! In my search for munchies with a kick, I’ve rounded up three more candidates worth seeking out, and below are my comments on each of them:
Pringles Hot Ones Los Calientes Barbacoa: Pringles Hot Ones chips are back in stores, and they have a new flavor. Inspired by the Hot Ones Barbacoa sauce, these have a sweetness and smokiness to them, similar to a barbecue chip. But there is also some immediate heat, so you know you’re eating something with a burn. These have a little more earthiness than your typical barbecue chip, giving them somewhat of a rustic flavor. I haven’t tried the sauce these are based on, so I can’t say how they compare to that. But as for the Pringles version, they are quite tasty.
And they do bring the heat! Unlike a lot of mass-produced spicy snacks, these don’t tone down the burn. You feel it right away, and they reach Hot on my scale, with that heat lingering for a bit. There are a few chips in the can with less seasoning that don’t have as much heat, but more bites deliver the burn than not. I’ve found these at Walmart and Kroger so far, and they are on loan from Limited-Time-Only-Ville. They also have the Los Calientes Verde flavor (you can read my review of that here) and Los Calientes Rojo (watch for an upcoming review).
Herr’s Red Hot Chips: This flavor of Herr’s has apparently been around for quite a while, but because that brand isn’t a regular on the shelves here in Texas, I’ve only been able to find them sporadically. They have a hot sauce taste to them, but not too much tang. There is a nice sweetness that balances out with the peppery taste and makes them similar to salsa chips. And while these are the regular thin-style chips, they still have a decent crunch.
The first few bites don’t deliver much heat, but it builds up and eventually reaches Medium on my scale. These are really quite good and similar to the Utz Red Hot chips (more on those here), and I wish they were easier to find. I discovered these at a convenience store along the highway, and you can also order them online directly from Herr’s.
El Sabroso Salsitas Tortilla Chips: These “gourmet” chips are a long-time favorite that I never got around to reviewing on this site, so I decided to give them a plug. They are heavily seasoned with a tomatoey tang and a peppery kick, along with a nice bit of sweetness. They don’t exactly replicate the taste of salsa, but they do a good job of delivering a dry version of that rich and savory flavor. These also set the bar that I use to measure other salsa-style chips. Unfortunately, some bags have less seasoning, and those tend to disappoint. But more often than not, they live up to expectations, and I can easily find myself munching through half a bag without stopping!
As for the heat, these chips are less about the burn and more about the flavor. They barely reach Mild on my scale, but I still find them quite enjoyable. El Sabroso also makes guacamole chips, and those are quite tasty as well, but more often than not, I find myself reaching for the Salsitas. You can find these at World Market, and I also occasionally see them in convenience stores in smaller portion bags.
Nutrition Info:
Pringles Hot Ones Los Calientes Barbacoa
Ingredients: Dried potatoes, vegetable oil (corn, cottonseed, high oleic soybean, and/or sunflower), degerminated yellow corn flour, cornstarch, rice flour, maltodextrin, mono- and diglycerides. contains 2% or less of salt, sugar, spices, monosodium glutamate, sodium diacetate, onion powder, citric acid, garlic powder, corn syrup solids, hydrolyzed corn protein, red 40 lake, lime juice, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, natural and artificial flavor, whey, wheat starch, blue 1 lake.
Serving Size: 28g (14 Crisps)
Calories: 150
Fat: 9g (2.5g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 1g
Carbs: 17g
Sodium: 240mg
Herr’s Red Hot Chips
Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Contains One or More of the Following: Corn, Cottonseed, Soybean, Sunflower), Seasoning (Sugar, Corn Flour, Salt, Torula Yeast, Spices, Onion Powder, Glutamate, Corn Starch, Spices, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Natural Flavor, Extractives of Paprika), Salt.
Serving Size: 28g (13 Chips)
Calories: 150
Fat: 9g (2.5g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 1g
Carbs: 16g
Sodium: 340mg
El Sabrosa Salsitas Tortilla Chips
Ingredients: Corn, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Safflower, Corn, Canola, Cottonseed, and/or Rice), Tomato Powder, Salt, Onion Powder, Sugar Garlic Powder, Spices, Avocado Powder, Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, Jalapeno Pepper, Modified Corn Starch, Corn Syrup Solids, Extractive of Paprika and Annatto (for Color), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherols (To Protect Flavor), Parsley Flakes.
Serving Size: 28g (14 Chips)
Calories: 140
Fat: 9g (1g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 15g
Sodium: 170mg
