On its face, it’s an absurd premise: a Doritos tortilla chip that would actually style like a cheeseburger. There’s simply no method {that a} sprinkling of taste powder might really replicate the savory beefiness of a burger patty. Or at the very least that’s what I believed, till this newest technology of Doritos made me understand that American chips are getting uncannily beefy.
I picked up a bag of the Late Evening Cheeseburger Doritos on a complete whim. My curiosity often will get the most effective 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 to 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 might be. It was without delay meaty, just a little tacky, and I swear I detected notes of lettuce and tomato, a real journey to the uncanny valley, that jogged my memory of a fast-food burger. I used to be intrigued, but just a little terrified at what the meals scientists have been able to creating.
Upon additional analysis, I used to be shocked to study that there have been really many different iterations of beef-flavored chips on provide. 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 yr, Funyuns launched its Steakhouse Onion taste, which isn’t precisely beefy however continues to be meant to evoke the steakhouse vibe. As such, it appears as if beefy chips have lastly reached important mass within the American market.
Beef-flavored chips are, after all, not new. They’ve lengthy been in style in international locations the world over — beef and onion Taytos in Eire, luxe Kobe beef flavored Lay’s in Taiwan — however this new technology of meaty chips feels actually distinct. Incessantly, 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 technology of beef-flavored chips seems like an actual taste improve. As an alternative 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’ Scorching Korean-Type Barbecue. Contemplating that spicy and Korean meals make whole 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 often 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 infinite parade of meats, however that doesn’t make their taste any much less spectacular. The truth that a corn chip could make me assume “wow, this does really style like barbecue” in any sense is, in reality, 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 earth, so it stands to motive that we’d like just a little bovine in our potato chips. However American chips have, traditionally, been boring, and lots 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 thought that there’s a marketplace for numerous and fascinating flavors. In that case, that’s actually thrilling information. The folks yearn for fascinating, 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 report highs in 2025 — as cattle herds throughout the nation shrink as a result of a lot of components starting from avian influenza to drought. Many individuals are additionally limiting their beef consumption because of the environmental affect of ranching. Is it attainable {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 take pleasure in.
