REVIEW: Doritos Collisions Loaded Taco and Nacho Cheese

Unlike the mosh pits at metal festivals with names like Brutal Assault, Hellfest, Sonicblast, Bloodstock, Deathfest, Aftershock, Full Terror Assault, Hellprint, Dark Troll, Metalhead Meeting, Metalyard, and Summer Breeze Open Air, there haven’t been a lot of collisions between Doritos flavors. Last year, Tangy Pickle and Cool Ranch slammed into each other, and Ultimate Cheddar crashed into Doritos Blaze in 2018. But, this year, we have Loaded Taco smashing into Nacho Cheese as a Sam’s Club exclusive variety.

If you haven’t tried Doritos Loaded Taco because it’s a Kroger-exclusive, here’s your chance to taste it…if you have a Sam’s Club membership, and if you can pick it out from the Nacho Cheese chips in the pillow-sized bag. To be honest, it’s not difficult to do because the black specks in the Loaded Taco seasoning make them easy to spot. So, there is no Doritos Roulette deception here. However, after you do that, I’m going to suggest you just eat these chips blindly. Don’t even look into the bag again. Let the photo below be the image you look at when you want to peer into Doritos Collisions Loaded Taco and Nacho Cheese bag.

I’m suggesting this because the two chips complement each other so well that eating them separately would do a disservice to both. To be honest, after opening the bag, I searched for the Loaded Taco chips because there are no Kroger stores near me, but once I tried them together, I decided I would not spend any more time hunting and pecking at Doritos. I will eat them the way the snacking gods intended by blindly shoving multiple chips into my mouth with reckless abandon.

The Loaded Taco seasoning has all the notes you’d taste with taco seasoning — garlic, onion, tomato, and chili pepper. There’s also a noticeable cheesiness that’s different than the Nacho Cheese seasoning, but when the two chips come together, the Nacho Cheese flavor overwhelms the Loaded Taco’s cheesiness. So it tastes like a taco with a Nacho Cheese Doritos shell. I’m not going to say these replicate like Taco Bell’s Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos, but I can’t but help think of that when I eat this flavor combination. However, if Doritos and Taco Bell decided to rebrand this as “Taco Bell Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos Doritos,” I’d be totally fine with that.

To be honest, the combination is the most sane of all the Collisions varieties so far. It’s also the one that makes the most sense, a natural pairing, if you will. The others seemed more random, like the folks at Frito Lay threw Doritos like ninja stars at a board, and the first two that stuck would be the two in the bag together.

Doritos Collisions Loaded Taco and Nacho Cheese is a delicious mashup, and I hope we don’t need to slam down a Sam’s Club membership to buy it someday.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 18 3/8 oz bag
Purchased at: (Available at Sam’s Club)
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (28 grams/about 11 chips) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Doritos Flamin’ Hot Mystery Flavor

Doritos Flamin’ Hot has a mystery flavor, but the original Flamin’ Hot seasoning has always been a mystery to me. Is it peppers, garlic powder, and Lucifer’s nail filings? Or is it Lucifer’s dry ear wax? I could read the ingredients list, but like IKEA instructions and stories with clickbait headlines that end with “…may kill you,” I’m not going to look at it. While I’ll never solve the mystery behind Flamin’ Hot, I think I’ve figured out this Walmart-exclusive mystery flavor.

While they look like they’ve been sprinkled with Lucifer’s dandruff and are more ominous than regular Flamin’ Hot, these chips don’t seem as spicy as regular Flamin’ Hot snacks. Oh, don’t get me wrong, these have a torrid temp that timid tongues will want to turn away from, but these are easier to eat, even though my head is sweating a little as I type this. I was concerned that the spicy seasoning would overwhelm whatever the mystery flavor was, but that’s not the case. When I opened the bag and sniffed, I had an idea of what it could be.

SPOILER ALERT: Turn away now if you want to avoid knowing my correct (or most likely incorrect) guess.

Along with the famous Flamin’ Hot spiciness, there’s a savoriness that instantly reminds me of chicken-flavored instant ramen, so I believe the mystery flavor is Spicy Chicken Instant Ramen or Spicy Chicken Cup Noodles.

Mystery solved.

(Dusting off Flamin’ Hot seasoning from my hands)

There’s also a noticeable sweetness that cuts through the spicy seasoning, which is perhaps why these don’t burn my mouth like regular Flamin’ Hot products do. But that sweet flavor sometimes causes my taste buds to wonder if they’re eating a spicy Thai curry, which I noticed more in the aftertaste. But I’m sticking with my original take as my final answer, Regis.

Because these Doritos Flamin’ Hot Mystery Flavor chips remind me of a spicy version of my favorite instant ramen variety and don’t punish my mouth with too much heat, I love them very much. I’m not sure if Doritos already revealed the mystery, but whatever it is, it’s surprisingly great, and I wouldn’t mind experiencing it again. In fact, I’d love to see Doritos introduce a new mystery flavor annually.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 9 oz bag
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 11 chips) 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Doritos Baja Fiery Mango

With the introduction of these new Doritos Baja Fiery Mango Tortilla Chips, will we start seeing a new fruity Baja chip flavor every year, similar to how Mtn Dew rolls out new Baja soda varieties annually? That would be a Baja Blast if that happened, PepsiCo.

As you can guess from the name, these are spicy. However, they’re not overly spicy. Well, my mouth didn’t think so because my hands weren’t reaching out for a cool beverage to put out an intolerable burn in my mouth. However, other parts of my body were not in sync with my mouth because certain glands on my head thought otherwise, causing the pores on my forehead and the back of my neck to express their thoughts about the spiciness through perspirat…Whoop! There’s the intolerable heat in my mouth! I’ll be right back. I need something cold to drink.

While the spiciness forced me to get a glass of water, it didn’t make me forget about the slightly off-putting mango flavor when I first started eating them. There was no mistaking it was an artificial mango taste, but there was a saccharine explosion that made things too sweet. Thankfully, the heat rose up and cut through that. After a few more bites, there was a sweet and spicy balance, but every time I gave my taste buds a break, that initial flavor would make its unwanted return. When everything is balanced, the chips have a decent chile artificial mango taste, but it’s not a flavor that I’ll be yearning for.

Before these Doritos, Frito-Lay’s only offerings with mango flavor were potato chips. Both times, they seemed odd and produced varying results to my taste buds, from mediocre to bad. Maybe it’s just me, but fruit and fuego flavors make more sense on a tortilla chip than a potato chip, like with last year’s Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeño.

Much like the previously mentioned fruity spicy Doritos from a year ago, these are okay, but aren’t compelling enough for me to eat again. However, if you liked Doritos Spicy Pineapple Jalapeño, you might enjoy this.

Actually, now I’m truly wondering if I really do want Doritos to offer a new Baja chip flavor every year, like how Mtn Dew rolls out new Baja soda varieties annually.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 9 oz bag
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 11 chips) 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Doritos Late Night Sizzlin’ Cheeseburger

It’s possible there are no new chip flavors left — just re-imagined, re-launched, and rekindled love for previously executed flavor blends. Regardless, I was curious enough to see what the latest Doritos had in store for us with its Late Night Sizzlin’ Cheeseburger.

There have been burger-inspired Doritos in the past, including a Late Night All Nighter Cheeseburger flavor. Recent similar flavors have only been available in the UK, like the Whopper collaboration with Doritos last year. After finding a small but steady fan contingency hyped about their return, I was ready to try these out.

They look pretty promising straight out of the bag, covered in a thin but visible layer of orange seasoning and with the distinct aroma of white onion, pickle, and burger char. It smelled like getting into a car driven by someone who recently picked up a fast food cheeseburger, and the car still smells like that burger, but it’s definitely gone now. Shoot.

The flavor is very characteristic of a burger. The strongest flavors are onion, pickle, char flavor, and the occasional hit of cheese or sweetness that makes me think of ketchup. I’ve experienced this flavor combination on other brands and chip types, and it took me a while to decide if the Doritos corn chip is the best-paired base. Ultimately, the crunchy texture adds to the experience, and it is certainly not the worst burger chip I’ve ever eaten. My only qualm is that my mouth tastes like burger burps after one serving. The aftertaste is STRONG. I had to brush my teeth 30 minutes after consuming it because I wanted the old burger to taste out. If you’re into that, maybe it’s a benefit!

Overall, this is a flavor execution classic that Doritos didn’t mess with much. They taste like a cheeseburger, deliver on that false char aftertaste, and ultimately had me craving an actual burger. I wouldn’t repurchase them, but it looks like a lot of you are thrilled about their return. Oh, one other note, the last ingredient on the ingredient line is Beef Fat. I didn’t expect that, and I don’t fully understand what it “adds” to the chip at such a low level, but there’s that.

Purchased Price: $4.49 (on sale)
Size: 9 oz bag
Purchased at: Mariano’s (Kroger)
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (About 11 chips) 150 Calories, 7 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 150 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Doritos Dinamita Flamin’ Hot Queso

Doritos has a long history of Super Bowl commercials. This year, it’s using the ad spot to relaunch its Dinamitas line with a handful of flavors that are not exactly new to shelves despite the packaging proclaiming newness in capital letters. Flamin’ Hot Queso Dinamitas first appeared in 2021 in bags considerably more cheese-colored and less bold than this iteration. A few years later, they’re back dressed in red and black, and the Dinameter’s pushing all the way to “EXTRA HOT.” It was impossible for me to approach these chips without picturing some sort of Looney Tunes character unwittingly ending up with a mouthful of dynamite so let’s find out if these cause my stomach to comically explode while smoke pours from my ears.

Opening the bag reveals these rolled up corn chips to be covered in classic red Flamin’ Hot dust, but the smell leans more traditionally cheesy-Dorito than anything intensely hot. They’re definitely extra crunchy, like the back of the bag notes, and the flavors that hit me first are corn and cheese. I wouldn’t really say the cheese represents queso in any noticeable way, but they reminded me of the Spicy Nacho Doritos variety. Despite every chip-tube being thoroughly coated in the finger-staining fire powder, I didn’t find these to be all that hot. I have a fairly high tolerance for heat and a very high tolerance for rapidly shoving snack food into my mouth, so even as my fingertips, knuckles, and wrists began to turn scarlet from repeated trips into the chip bag, I felt like the Dinameter was exaggerating. This is where I picture a greedy character gleefully gobbling up poorly disguised sticks of dynamite, unaware of the impending boom.

I don’t know if it’s the more compact rolled shape or what, but these are very easy to eat a lot of, and I didn’t find myself needing to reach for anything to quell the burn. Is it nice to have a beverage with them? Sure! If I found myself without one, would I still eat three servings? Also sure! The heat does start to creep in and slowly build in the back of the mouth, but they never turn the dial into “extra hot” territory for me or leave me feeling like I’m ready to spit flames at whatever nemesis tricked me into eating them. While these might fall short of their claim of being extra hot, they excel at being extremely snackable. With a solid cheesy base flavor and a hot-without-blowing-your-head-off heat, they’re a fun way to shake up your regular chip game. I can see people finding these hotter than I did, but if you’re heat-sensitive, you probably aren’t chasing down Dinamitas in the first place. If you’ve enjoyed anything Flamin’ Hot in the past, I think you’ll be more than happy to risk internal combustion and chomp on these.

Purchased Price: $5.49
Size: 10.75 oz bag
Purchased at: Mariano’s
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (14 pieces) 150 calories, 8 grams of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.