Best Flamin' Hot chips ranking and history (2024)

I still remember the nervousness I felt the first time I saw my Mexican cousin drench a bag of Takis with Tabasco hot sauce and lime juice. As it probably runs in my blood, I quickly came around and began doing the same to my personal favorite — Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

I am 100%addicted to eating any and all Flamin’ Hot Cheetos andchips. Recent years have proven that I am not crazy as there has been a rise of various Flamin’ Hot products, including Ruffles, macaroni and cheese and popcorn. Pop superstar Katy Perry once dressed up as a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto, and rapper Lil Xan claimed that he wound up in the hospital because he ate too many Flamin’ Hot Cheetos (afterward he wrote on his Instagram: “Be careful, Hot Cheetos are one hell of a drug!")

(Quotes from Yesica Herrera have been translated from Spanish.)

With my bright red-stained fingertips and Mexican pride, I wanted to unearth the origins of Flamin’ Hot. I had previously heard the popular underdog story of former janitorRichard Montañez at Frito-Lay. He claimed to have spurred the idea of making a hot chip to the company as spicy chips were very popular in the markets of his prominently Mexican neighborhood. But in 2021, the Los Angeles Times reported that more than a dozen Frito-Lay executives denied Montañez’s claims. As Montañez’s side of the story was debunked, it was found that Flamin’ Hots were created by a team of Frito-Lay employees in 1989 in Plano, Texas, to compete with in-demand spicy chips throughout the Midwest. My life is forever indebted to former Frito-Lay employee Lynne Greenfeld, who was assigned to develop the Flamin’ Hot brand, and she was the one who deemed the newly made spice, Flamin’ Hot.

Even though Flamin’ Hots may not have actually been invented by a Mexican, it is without question that the idea was influenced by Mexican cuisine and culture. Part-owner and employee of the local, family-run Mexican taqueria El Tajín, Yesica Herrera, says when she was living in Mexico around 18 years ago, she and her friends would always put Valentina hot sauceon their Cheetos.

Spicy flavorings have been part of Mexican cuisine since its beginnings, and Herrera simply says it’s due to how they just “give a better flavor to food and snacks.” The variety of ways in which you can elevate your food with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos has grown since Herrera’s teenage years, and she says “peanuts, corn, yellow queso, jalapeños, melon (and) carrots,” are all popular and compatible foods to pair them with.

“(Flamin’ Hot Cheetos) have a great flavor and are spicy, but they aren’t that spicy,” Herrera says. “The spice has something that when you eat it, you want to eat more. It’s like an addiction.”

El Tajín serves their own Flamin' Hot Cheetos dish — esquites (or elote), which is a Mexican street corn salad that includes steamed corn topped with mayo, Flamin' Hot Cheetos and nacho cheese. But Herrera says that most, if not all, of the plates they serve at El Tajín can be topped with Flamin' Hot Cheeto seasoning for an extra, Flamin’ Hot addition.

My Flamin’ Hot addiction continues to snowball, and I’ve been on a personal quest to try every single Flamin’ Hot chip out there. With lots and lots (and lots) of crunching under my belt, Vox ranked a finely curated list of the best Flamin’ Hot chips out there — from Cheetos to potato chips to tortilla chips to popcorn. If your favorite didn’t make the cut, it probably didn’t meet the Vox spice, flavor or crunch standards. And just because I can handle the spice, I had to include some spicy hot honorable mentions that are not of the Flamin’ Hot brand, but they sure are flaming, hot and delicious chips to try (if Flamin’ Hot is just too hot).

1. Cheetos Xtra Flamin’ Hot (only in Mexico)

The almighty, number one Flamin’ Hot Cheeto on the market. On a vacation to Mexico, I did a double take when I first saw the bright all-yellow bag because these are typically not available in the U.S. I brought home ten bags of them, but little did I know, El Tajín sells them, too! This type of chip not only has a different crunch than the American Flamin’ Hot Crunchy Cheetos,butit* exquisite flavor stands above all other spicy chips.

2. Chester’s Flamin’ Hot Fries

I was hesitant to try this flavor for a while, but I haven’t been able to stop myself from snagging a bagevery time I see them at No Gas. The Flamin' Hot seasoningmight stick to your teeth while eating these, but it’s hard to resist the lightly crispy crunch that you can’t get with any other Flamin’ Hot chip.

3. Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Baked

For whatever reason, I have always preferred the Baked to the Crunchy Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. I guess these make me feel like I am eating a healthy snack.

4. Ruffles Flamin’ Hot Barbeque

These are brand new to the Flamin’ Hot market, and they’re better than good. The Flamin’ Hot and barbeque flavorings are incredibly compatible, and there isn’t a potato chip out there better than a classic Ruffle.

5. Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Crunchy

The O.G.Flamin’ Hot Cheeto is at number five, but this classic rarely needs an introduction.

6. Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Puffs

Not only double the size of a measly Crunchy Cheeto, the Flamin’ Hot Puffs are double the spice.

7. Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Limon Crunchy

If you couldn’t manage to snag a lime on your way out of the store (because you were just that excited for your bag of Flamin’ Hots), the Limon Crunchy are the perfect alternative if you want a little extra Mexican-cuisine-style-umph to your Flamin’ Hot palette.

8. Lay’s Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle Chips

For all you dill pickle lovers, this one’s for you. I immediately stopped in the middle of the chip aisle when I caught my first glance of these, and they're just as good as you would think they'd be— a little bit of pickle, with a little bit of spice.

9. Cheetos Xxtra Flamin’ Hot Crunchy

SPICY WARNING! If you’re like me, and there is no spice level you can’t handle, try out the Xxtra Flamin’ Hot. Beware,these are definitely the spiciest on the list.

10. Chester’s Flamin’ Hot Puffcorn

I have only tried these recently, and they were so good, I had to include them in the lineup. If Chester’s Fries and the Puffs had a baby, it would be the Puffcorn.

Takis Fuego (and Blue Heat!) Rolled Tortilla Chips

Backer’s Red Hot Potato Chips

Sabritas Turbos Flamas Corn Chips

Doritos Dinamita Chile Limon Rolled Tortilla Chips

Smartfood Flamin’ Hot White Cheddar Popcorn

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