On its face, it’s an absurd premise: a Doritos tortilla chip that would actually style like a cheeseburger. There’s simply no approach {that a} sprinkling of taste powder may really replicate the savory beefiness of a burger patty. Or at the very least that’s what I believed, till this newest era of Doritos made me notice that American chips are getting uncannily beefy.
I picked up a bag of the Late Night time Cheeseburger Doritos on a complete whim. My curiosity steadily will get one of the best of me within the snack aisle, and I used to be curious how precisely these would possibly style like a burger. Would they actually be capable of replicate a cheeseburger in chip kind, or wouldn’t it be extra like these fake-grape-flavored candies that by no means really style like grape? Upon first crunch, it was instantly clear that I had underestimated what a cheeseburger Dorito may very well be. It was without delay meaty, a bit tacky, and I swear I detected notes of lettuce and tomato, a real journey to the uncanny valley, that rang a bell in my memory of a fast-food burger. I used to be intrigued, but a bit terrified at what the meals scientists have been able to creating.
Upon additional analysis, I used to be stunned to be taught that there have been really many different iterations of beef-flavored chips on supply. Pringles, Utz, Ruffles, and even the cult-favorite Texas grocer H-E-B’s retailer model have taken a stab at turning “cheeseburger” right into a taste. Pennsylvania-based chip model Herr’s boasts two completely different steak-flavored chips, one impressed by Kansas Metropolis, the opposite by Montreal steak. Final 12 months, Funyuns launched its Steakhouse Onion taste, which isn’t precisely beefy however continues to be supposed to evoke the steakhouse vibe. As such, it appears as if beefy chips have lastly reached essential mass within the American market.
Beef-flavored chips are, in fact, not new. They’ve lengthy been well-liked in nations the world over — beef and onion Taytos in Eire, luxe Kobe beef flavored Lay’s in Taiwan — however this new era of meaty chips feels actually distinct. Regularly, the meat flavoring in these merchandise tends to veer extra within the beef bouillon course, extra of a semblance of the meat that we all know and love than precise replication. However this new era of beef-flavored chips looks like an actual taste improve. As a substitute of tasting like salty beef broth, these chips really remind you of grilled or seared beef.
Then, in late March, Doritos launched their newest taste: Flamin’ Sizzling Korean-Type Barbecue. Contemplating that spicy and Korean meals make complete sense collectively, I used to be far more excited to attempt these than the cheeseburger taste. And I’ll simply be damned in the event that they didn’t style like a chew of kalbi seared to perfection on the grill. Notes of sesame oil and ssamjang, the spicy-savory paste steadily served alongside Korean barbecue for dipping, actually drove house the flavour. And clearly they’re not as thrilling or satisfying as an precise Korean barbecue dinner, with its many sauces and banchan and countless parade of meats, however that doesn’t make their taste any much less spectacular. The truth that a corn chip could make me suppose “wow, this does really style like barbecue” in any sense is, the truth is, a marvel of meals science.
The largest query, although, is why it’s taken so lengthy for beef-flavored chips to take off in the USA. Individuals eat extra beef than anybody else on the planet, so it stands to purpose that we’d like a bit bovine in our potato chips. However American chips have, traditionally, been uninteresting, and plenty of manufacturers have been reluctant to take main taste dangers past the fundamental sour-cream-and-onion and barbecue. Maybe that’s altering as social media gives us extra perception into the flavors that individuals across the nation are consuming. Possibly manufacturers are lastly choosing up on the concept that there’s a marketplace for numerous and attention-grabbing flavors. If that’s the case, that’s actually thrilling information. The folks yearn for attention-grabbing, savory chips!
There’s additionally part of me that thinks the reason is extra grim than that. Beef costs have risen considerably in recent times — hitting file highs in 2025 — as cattle herds throughout the nation shrink on account of quite a lot of elements starting from avian influenza to drought. Many individuals are additionally limiting their beef consumption as a result of environmental impression of ranching. Is it potential {that a} future is coming the place precise beef is a significant splurge, and the remainder of the time, one of the best ways to get your repair is a crispy chip that tastes just like the burgers and steaks you used to get pleasure from.