America’s preferred cylindrically containered potato crisp (fight me, Stax) unleashes what probably has to be its 900th variety, Hot Honey. The flavor, if you’re unfamiliar, is sweet like honey but is also spicy (hence the “hot”). It has recently been involving itself in things ranging from fast food chicken sandwiches to ice cream to frozen pizza from a rap-maker named Lil’ Yachty.
How is it?
It’s fine. That’s all — fine. You’ve got your regular Pringles salty crispness, but you get an immediate mild undertone of honey. And it is very honey-esque, don’t get me wrong. (And not just, you know, artificial sugar dust, I mean.) It takes a few crisps before the heat begins to build, and it eventually does, but it is manageable and mild.
Anything else you need to know?
This is a Walmart exclusive flavor (along with a re-release of the Philly Cheesesteak variety), so if you don’t have a Walmart near you, (a) how is it possible to not live near a Walmart; (b) that’s honestly pretty cool; (c) you’re not missing much unless you’re a Pringles completist; and (d) okay, but seriously, doesn’t EVERYWHERE have a Walmart?
Conclusion:
On our “Spotted” post regarding the Hot Honey Pringles, the caption said something to the effect of “I’m surprised they didn’t add chicken to this,” and that is 100% spot-on and likely would have transformed an extremely one-note chip into something much more fun to eat. As it is, I won’t exactly miss this when it’s gone.
Purchased Price: $1.98 Size: 5.5 oz can Purchased at: Walmart Rating: 6 out of 10 Nutrition Facts: (1 oz) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 105 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of total sugars, less than 1 gram of fiber, and 1 gram of protein.
In a seemingly perfect brand partnership, Pringles has teamed up with the folks over at First We Feast’s Hot Ones to create two new Pringles Scorchin’ flavors — Los Calientes Rojo and Los Calientes Verde.
If you didn’t already know, Hot Ones is a YouTube talk show where Sean Evans, the most mild-mannered host to ever exist, interviews celebrities while simultaneously taking them through 10 rounds of hot wings coated in increasingly hot hot sauce. The output is a fantastic display of human panic as everyone from Brian Cranston to Gordon Ramsay attempt to keep a fraction of calm while ingesting what is essentially liquified fire on presumably cold chicken wings. I’m a fan. The show has been running for 18 seasons and has its own hot sauce line, and the seasonings on these crisps are based on two of those sauces.
How are they?
Hot. Thank God.
All kidding aside, it’s a huge pet peeve when brands tout words like “scorchin'” and partner with known legitimate hot sauces only to launch crowd-friendly products. That’s not the case here. These bad boys are kickin’.
I started with the Rojo and immediately smelled sweet roasted paprika and spice notes upon opening. The appearance of these was sort of terrifying as they’re coated on one side in a bright red seasoning powder. I dove in and immediately could taste the red sort of smoky, bright heat. These chips are HOT. They build heat across the front of your mouth and tongue and have a roasted taste. They’re fantastic. I don’t think I could eat more than five or so in one sitting, but they deliver expectations in a big way.
I opened the Verde next and was hit with a spicy green pepper aroma. These chips look like they’re going to kill me, but I could think of worse ways to go. Munching on the spooky green seasoned chips, I immediately sensed a brighter heat. These chips don’t waste any time; the heat immediately pops you in the face, and there is a strong and fantastic green pepper flavor to balance everything. They’re definitely more acidic than the Rojo, and the heat seems more back of the mouth. I think these might be the less spicy of the two, barely, and because of the great balance in pepper flavor, I think I could snack on far more of these than the Rojo version.
Anything else you need to know?
My pup caught a whiff of these and sneezed three times in a row! Obviously, I didn’t let her eat any because I’m not cruel.
Conclusion:
These chips made my lips tingle, my eyes water, and if I had eaten more of them, I’m sure I would have broken out into a full sweat. They totally represented the Hot Ones brand and lived up to the flavor hype of the hot sauces they are based upon. It’s a huge plus when a product promises heat and brings it to the table, and I’m glad Hot Ones protects its brand image so well by executing partnerships like this one with Scorchin’ Pringles in a legitimate way. If you don’t like spice, stay far, far away from these.
Purchased Price: $1.79 each
Size: 5.5 oz cans Purchased at: Walmart Rating: 8 out of 10 (Rojo), 9 out of 10 (Verde) Nutrition Facts: (14 crisps) Rojo – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein. Verde – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.
Pringles has once again said, “You want a new potato crisp that tastes like a potato crisp? Too bad!” and dropped the can with crujientes de papa that taste like Mexican street corn, a food cart treat consisting of a grilled ear of corn slathered in mayonnaise, crema, cotija cheese, chile powder, cilantro, and lime.
How are they?
Okay, that was harsh. I admit I’ve been having some “food that tastes like other food” fatigue. But my fond memories of the Reuben-flavored Pringles allowed me to give the brand a pass and look forward to this variety. In the can, they smelled like a standard, albeit mild, barbecue chip.
Since the label all but asks me to compare: elote, it’s not-eh. But what it is is a tremendously flavorful and eatable snack with powerful bright lime, subtle creaminess, a hint of spice, and a gently persistent smokey tang throughout. There is a specific sweetness that evokes corn niblets, but it was inconsistent bite to bite, and the strong potato taste of the crisp stood in the way.
There was also a bit of cheesiness that reminded me of the classic cheddar cheese Pringles (which, to age myself, I always mistakenly call Cheez Ums… RIP Cheez Ums). I do wish there was more of a mayonnaise-like fattiness to stand up to the tart and sweet notes; that balance has always been my favorite part of street corn and esquites.
Some may find these Pringles to be underdressed, but I prefer a lighter dusting when the flavors are so bold, so I was very happy with the distribution on each crisp.
Anything else you need to know?
If you eat a whole crisp at a time, the acidic lime in the seasoning may irritate the edges of your mouth. It didn’t slow me down but probably should have.
Conclusion:
Unlike the Reuben Pringles, which were so spot on I was able to give a Violet Beauregarde-style description of each sandwich ingredient I was tasting as I ate them, the Mexican Street Corn Pringles would be better described as street corn inspired, not flavored. I reckon anyone who likes the ingredients of Mexican street corn would like these crisps, but don’t expect them to satisfy any cravings you may have for the real thing. This fatigued snacker is going to just ignore the name on the can and enjoy the crisps for what they are: delicious.
Purchased Price: $1.79 Size: 5.5 oz (158g) Purchased at: Big Y (while in MA; still trying to track these down in L.A.) Rating: 8 out of 10 Nutrition Facts: (1 oz/28g, about 14 crisps) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of total sugars, <1 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of protein.
I’ve now lost count of my days spent embroiled in the chicken sandwich war.
Whenever I feel they are close to an end, another challenger enters the fray. New culinary battles ensue.
I’ve seen some good sandwiches come and go by the wayside. Young. Fresh. Barely out of the test kitchens. KFC. McDonald’s. The Ch’King – all basically forgotten before they even had a chance.
While Popeyes remains the world superpower, I have a burgeoning respect for a chicken sandwich so battle-tested, so decorated, it has now transcended the sandwich itself – Wendy’s Spicy Chicken.
We can all learn something from Wendy’s Spicy Chicken. To survive the wars, you must adapt. Days may become months, and while boys become men, chicken sandwiches must become potato crisps… ?!
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That’s right, folks, Pringles has a Wendy’s Spicy Chicken flavored crisp, and I’m pretty jacked up about it.
I couldn’t even tell you how many Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwiches I’ve had in my life, but I’m pretty confident no other fast food item even comes close. So I knew I had to write this review.
After picking up my can of Pringles, I swung by Wendy’s so I could really see if they would… stack up.
I have to say, at first, I was a little bummed.
The crisps tasted like poultry seasoning and heaps of black pepper, but it wasn’t distinctly Wendy’s. I cleansed my palate between alternating bites of Pringles and the sandwich, but it just wasn’t clicking like I’d hoped.
Don’t get me wrong, the crisps were delicious, but on a flavor mimicry scale of 1 to Jelly Belly, they came in at about a 6.
I think the main problem for me was the fact that they were missing a little tang of the mayo, which is a key ingredient of Wendy’s sandwich. I also think the crisps tasted like they had a slightly different tasting pepper, but the heat levels were about the same.
I guess you lose a lot in the flavor transfer when you’re biting into a juicy chicken fillet versus a crispy potato chip, and I couldn’t get past that. I did stack some Pringles on my sandwich for a couple of bites to create a Chick-inception just for fun.
All in all, I enjoyed the Pringles, but next to the sandwich, they were only pretty good… That was until I ate them on their own the next day.
I guess the sandwich being there put too much pressure on the Pringles and my dumb brain because they tasted spot on this go around. I was blown away. The aftertaste was especially similar to Wendy’s, and I ended up polishing off the rest of the can. It was essentially like eating the Spicy Chicken Sandwich and fries at the same time.
So, my recommendation would be to just enjoy the chips as their own thing, and I guarantee you’ll notice just how much they remind you of the Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich.
This was a great effort by Pringles, and I hope Julius Pringle and Dave Thomas keep their collabs rolling. I want a line of Spicy Nugget Pringles that come in different dipping sauce flavors. Spicy Nuggets with BBQ. Spicy Nuggets with Honey Mustard, etc. Whatever. I bet those would be excellent.
——
Perhaps this crisp is what we’ve been waiting for all along. The one that will bring an end to the great chicken sandwich war. I write to you, hopeful that we will find common ground and see rise to more such chicken-based snack ingenuity.
I hope this review finds you well.
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Purchased Price: $1.59 Size: 5.5 oz can Purchased at: Target Rating: 8 out of 10 Nutrition Facts: (About 15 Crisps) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 200 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of total sugars, less 1 gram of fiber, and 1 gram of protein.
Move over mango; your long-standing love affair with habanero is being put on pause. The newest Walgreens-exclusive Pringles variety puts a fresh tropical twist on the classic wing pairing with a pineapple infusion.
How are they?
Pringles pretty much nailed this new yet familiar combination of sweet and heat. It follows the same trajectory laid out by mango but has a distinctly acidic and sharp pineapple flavor that works just as well, if not better, than its orange-colored sibling. The crisps aren’t overly sweet, but they have a dominant pineapple presence that starts immediately and lingers well into the aftertaste.
The habanero sits behind the pineapple and exists much more in spicy flavor than it does heat. There’s a great herbaceous and peppery flavor that builds more substantially than any fiery tingling, and even after eating seven or eight in a row, I don’t feel a need to reach for water.
The only real downside of this experience is the Wavy-ness. In every other situation, wavy chips trump non-ridged, but I’ve never been convinced of how the wave translates to Pringles’ pressed potato crisps. The crisps are crunchier than normal Pringles, but they strike me as feeling hard in a stale way more than crunchy, and they don’t carry any extra flavor.
Anything else you need to know?
There’s something about this flavor pairing that reminds me of Chinese food, specifically sweet and sour pork with its chunks of pineapple sitting in sweet acidic sauce. There’s no meat flavor here, but if it was added in and the name was changed, I would have no problem believing that it’s another wacky Pringles flavor.
Conclusion:
Pringles nailed the flavor, but the wavy texture needs some work. That won’t stop me from finishing the tube, though. These crisps are complex enough that it is impossible for me to eat less than six every time I pop the lid.
Purchased Price: $1.99 Size: 4.8 ounces Purchased at: Walgreens Rating: 7 out of 10 Nutrition Facts: (12 Crisps) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 135 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, 1 gram of protein.
