Nothing demonstrates that humans are gluttons for punishment as the widespread obsession with spicy snacks. Every few years, a new chip arrives on the scene claiming to be 300 times hotter than the incumbent hottest chip on the market. People seem to love setting their tongues on fire, so I’ve compiled a list of the hottest chips for your parties.
Paqui’s One Chip Challenge is the king of spicy snacks. It’s so spicy that it comes as an individually wrapped chip in a coffin-shaped box. The chip is dusted with Carolina Reaper powder, the world’s hottest chili to date.
The rest of the article will provide you with an exhaustive list of the best spicy snacks to have at your parties.
1. The Hottest: Paqui’s One Chip Challenge
The Paqui Chip comes in a coffin-shaped box. While it may seem quite morbid, the symbolism is fitting. Skeptics who doubt the chip’s unrivaled hotness are quickly humbled when they rise to the challenge in an attempt to dispel the myth created around the Paqui chip.
Survivors of the One Chip Challenge describe their experiences as excruciating. Once the chip comes in contact with tastebuds, there is no explosion of spiciness and heat. Nay, it seems harmless enough at first, and you are lulled into a false sense of safety.
But like a Tchaikovsky concerto that begins softly, the heat and spiciness crescendos until it dawns on you mid-crises that the myth is true, and you, now converted, are being punished for your unbelief.
Survivors have reported feeling like their tongues and stomachs are on fire. Some experience profuse sweating, increased heart rate, and severe stomach cramping. So why again would you want the Paqui Chip at your party? There is oddly something bonding about taking the One Challenge Chip with friends at a party. You can make it part of a game where losers have to partake in the challenge. Think of how memorable that party is going to be.
For the rest of the article, we’ll have spiciness, flavor, and crunchiness ratings for every chip that graces our list. Here’s the rating for the Paqui One Chip Challenge.
- Spiciness: Spiciness straight out of hell
- Flavor: Sweet and warm in the beginning
- Crunchiness: Not much mention is made of crunchiness
What To Eat After the One Chip Challenge
We can’t wrap up this part about the Paqui One Chip Challenge without leaving you with a list of foods that will help you shorten the agony caused by the king of chips. These are great to have on standby at any party to make sure nobody suffers long enough to kill the party spirit. Capsaicin is the active ingredient in chilies. So you want food that contains casein, a protein that helps break down capsaicin.
This is why dairy foods are effective heat extinguishers. It would be irresponsible to get you intrigued and even convinced by the idea of the One Chip Challenge without leaving you some pearls of wisdom on how to overcome the ravages of the chip.
Here are some foods that help quell the flames on your burning tongue. You can either have them on standby or serve them at your party if you’re planning to have the best spicy snacks on the table:
- Yogurt. Dairy food rich in casein. It can be served chilled at your party.
- Cottage cheese. Can be served as a dip for some chips.
- Sour cream. It’s already a favorite dip, so it’s perfect for any chip lover’s party.
- Avocados or bananas. The silky texture of the fruits helps to draw capsaicin out of the mouth.
- Anything tomato-based. Capsaicin is alkaline, and tomatoes are acidic. A salsa dip without the chilis is a creative way to serve up a
spice buffer at your party. - Bread. Acts as a physical barrier between the capsaicin and your tastebuds. Having a loaf or two around is something your guests with a low heat tolerance will appreciate.
- Honey. Honey absorbs the capsaicin, reducing its effect on the membranes of the mouth.
- Peanut butter. Capsaicin is fat-soluble. Peanut butter can help dissolve it.
- Pizza. The perfect comfort food for recovering post-One Chip challenge. Pizza’s starchy dough, tomato paste base, toppers, and cheese combine to give you the perfect
spice neutralizer. You’ll want to have pizzas that do not contain onions just for this occasion and purpose.
If you’re going to serve up spicy chips at your party, especially the Paqui One Chip Challenge, have at least one or two or more of these on standby. Not everyone at your party is going to find the courage to do the One Chip Challenge, but those with a low heat tolerance will also benefit from these yummy
The Runner Ups for the Hottest Chips
No list of the best spicy snacks can be complete without a list ranking them by spiciness. We’ve already named the hottest of them all. And although all these other chips exist in the shadow of the Paqui when it comes to heat ranking, some of them manage to hit that sweet spot between just spicy enough to be enjoyable and so intense it’s evil reincarnate.
So let’s take a look at some of the spiciest chips out there:
- Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Puffs
- Doritos Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch
- Chester’s Flamin’ Hot Puffcorn
- Paqui Haunted Ghost Pepper Spicy Tortilla Chips
- Barcel Takis Fuego Chips
- Turbos Flamas
- Cheetos XXtra Flamin’ Hot
2. Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Puffs
One look at those red puffs is enough to strike fear into the hearts of the less tolerant towards
- Spiciness: Intense heat
- Flavor: Original cheesy flavor
- Crunchiness: Not much mention is made of crunchiness
3. Doritos Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch
Don’t be fooled by the word ‘cool’ in the name. On the contrary, this chip is one of the spiciest newcomers to the Flamin’ Hot lineage. Beware. These
- Spiciness: Intense heat
- Flavor: Has a cool ranch tanginess
- Crunchiness: Not much mention is made of crunchiness
4. Chester’s Flamin’ Hot Puffcorn
Not to be overlooked, we have Chester’s Flamin Hot Puffcorn, which is said to be really good. With just enough
- Spiciness: Intense heat
- Flavor: Bold and cheesy flavor
- Crunchiness: Not much mention is made of crunchiness
5. Paqui Haunted Ghost Pepper Spicy Tortilla Chips
Fittingly called Haunted Ghost Pepper because it’s horrifying. More accurately, it’s spiced with ghost pepper, one of the hottest peppers in the world. It’s 400 times hotter than hot sauce. If you think your guests can deal with the heat, how about serving it at your party? Besides giving your taste buds a thrill, they are also light and crispy chips.
- Spiciness: Spiciness that leaves your tongue feeling singed
- Flavor: Hot sauce flavor
- Crunchiness: Crispy
6. Barcel Takis Fuego Chips
These chips may not be as recognizable a brand as Cheetos, Lays, and Doritos, can they hold their own with the competition. Barcel Takis’ Fuego Chips take it to the extreme with their intense flavors and intense heat.
- Spiciness: Spiciness that leaves your tongue feeling singed
- Flavor: Not specified
- Crunchiness: Not much mention is made of crunchiness
7. Turbos Flamas
Turbos Flamas are spiral-shaped. What sets them apart is their unique corn flavor, instead of the template spicy lime we see in other brands. Many find the spiral a textural pleasure. And while the corn flavor may give off a disarming air of innocence, the heat sneaks up on you before you can become fully convinced.
- Spiciness: Intense heat
- Flavor: Corn flavor
- Crunchiness: Not much mention is made of crunchiness
8. Cheetos XXtra Flamin’ Hot
Considered the spiciest second only to the Paqui, this variant of the Flamin’ Hot does its name justice when it comes to heat. However, the heat isn’t so overpowering that the flavor is rendered undetectable by abused taste buds. Despite the claim stated on the bag that they are twice as hot as a regular bag of Cheetos, some
- Spiciness: Spiciness enough to leave your tongue feeling singed
- Flavor: Cheesy flavor
- Crunchiness: Crunchy
The Most Flavorful Spicy Snacks
My personal preference is spicy snacks I can actually taste. Snacks that cross the tolerance barrier and obliterate the taste buds are not my thing. Thankfully, for myself and kindred spirits out there, there are chips that are spicy enough to make your lips pucker up without sending your body into a chili-induced crisis.
Here’s a list of the best spicy snacks with some actual flavor:
- Garden Veggie Straws, Screamin’ Hot
- Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Limón
- Doritos Flamin’ Hot Limón
- Quest Nutrition Tortilla Chip Spicy Sweet Chili
- Ruffles Flamin’ Hot Potato Chips
- Kettle Jalapeno Kettle Chips
- Paqui Jalapeno Tropicale Spicy Tortilla Chips
9. Garden Veggie Straws, Screamin’ Hot
Now here’s a great alternative for our vegetarian friends out there. This is a great gluten-free option that is also certified Kosher. It’s great for binging as it has 30% less fat than other potato chip brands. It has great flavor. If you’re looking for something on the extreme side of spicy, Garden Veggie Straws might be a letdown. Consumers give it high ratings for flavor, but screaming hot is an overstatement.
- Spiciness: Moderate heat
- Flavor: Potato with chili
- Crunchiness: Not much mention is made of crunchiness
10. Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Limón
Salty, spicy, and sour all at once, the Flamin’ Hot Limón has managed to earn its place as a favorite among chip-lovers. With an acidic flavor that blends well with the
- Spiciness: Spiciness enough to cause lips to pucker up
- Flavor: A blend of salty, spicy, and sour
- Crunchiness: Not much is said of crunchiness
11. Doritos Flamin’ Hot Limón
And here we have another limón brought to you by the Doritos brand. They are configured in the traditional triangular tortilla, which some prefer over Cheetos curly chips. They taste similar to the Cheetos variety but cheesier.
- Spiciness: Spiciness enough to cause lips to pucker up
- Flavor: Bold, cheesy flavor
- Crunchiness: Not much mention is made of crunchiness
12. Quest Nutrition Tortilla Chip Spicy Sweet Chili
Less of the carbs and more of the fun is the Quest brand’s promise. Its spicy-sweet chili flavor is a hit with consumers! Seasoned to perfection, their tortilla-style chips are baked, never fried, making them a healthier alternative to others on the market. They also have the perfect crunch that’s great for cravings or parties.
- Spiciness: Mildly spicy
- Flavor: Sweet chili
- Crunchiness: Very crunchy
13. Ruffles Flamin’ Hot Potato Chips
These chips are ruffled–-and that means every chip is able to hold on to more flavoring. And because of their ridges, they are structurally better built for dunking in any dip without crumbling. So expect a burst of flavors and spiciness when you take a bite into these deliciously hot ruffles.
- Spiciness: Intense
- Flavor: Not indicated on the package
- Crunchiness: Not much is said about the crunchiness
14. Kettle Jalapeno Kettle Chips
This chip’s zesty flavor and the Jalapeno kick seem to be a match made in heaven. The chips are enjoyable because they are delicious, and the heat isn’t audacious but sneaks up on you, giving the flavor its moment to shine.
- Spiciness: Intense
- Flavor: Jalapeno
- Crunchiness: Not much is said about the crunchiness
15. Paqui Jalapeno Tropicale Spicy Tortilla Chips
And here we have chips from the Paqui brand that don’t obliterate your taste buds. Flavored with jalapeno peppers and some pineapple, these chips from the Paqui line flawlessly pull off a delightful balance of sweetness and heat that’s sure to command the attention of your party guests.
- Spiciness: Mild
- Flavor: Jalapeno & Pineapple
- Crunchiness: Not much is said about the crunchiness
Chips With the Best Crunch
While some of us only care about the flavor and spiciness, other chip-lovers enjoy chips with more texture and crunch. Chips that manage to strike a combination of all three are best-selling party favorites. Let’s take a look at some of the chips with the best crunch.
- Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Crunchy
- Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Limon Crunchy
- Funyuns Flamin’ Hot
- Lay’s Kettle Cooked Flamin’ Hot
- Doritos Spicy Nacho Flavored Tortilla Chips
16. Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Crunchy
This Cheeto is a classic, an original, the chip that started a movement. While still remembered for its rich, cheesy, and spicy flavor, the Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Crunchy has also gone down in our memories for being a crunchy treat that’s sure to be popular at your party.
- Spiciness: Spiciness enough to cause lips to pucker up
- Flavor: Blended cheesy and spicy flavor
- Crunchiness: Quite notably crunchy
17. Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Limón Crunchy
If you’re craving that limey zest on your chips, you might want to grab some Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Limon Crunchy. It has that familiar acidic flavor we love with an extra crunch that will leave you dipping your hand in the bag over and over again.
- Spiciness: Spiciness enough to cause lips to pucker up
- Flavor: Has a limey zest
- Crunchiness: Quite notably crunchy
18. Funyuns Flamin’ Hot
These crunchy but light and airy chips deserve recognition on our list of /chips with the most crunch. Rich with that distinct onion flavor and just enough
- Spiciness: Moderately spicy
- Flavor: Onion flavor
- Crunchiness: Crunchiest
19. Lay’s Kettle Cooked Flamin’ Hot
Rated the “chips you would take to a deserted island”, it’s safe to say Lay’s Kettle Cooked Flamin’ Hot chips deserve a place in our list of the best spicy snacks. Reportedly much hotter than the other chips on this list, except the Paqui, but more notably, they have managed to achieve perfection in the crunchiness department.
As a review on the Internet so aptly put it, “It’s so crunchy, you won’t be able to hear yourself think.” It might not be the best choice for a Netflix date if you don’t want to rely on subtitles, but it’s perfect for a party because all that crunchiness will undoubtedly turn up the fun.
- Spiciness: Spiciness enough to leave your tongue feeling singed
- Flavor: Not declared on the bag
- Crunchiness: Extreme crunchiness
20. Doritos Spicy Nacho Flavored Tortilla Chips
The Doritos brand is known for its boldness, and bold is the word to describe their Spicy Nacho Flavored Tortilla Chips. With their rich flavors with just the right spicy intensity, these chips are sure to be the star of any party.
- Spiciness: Intense
- Flavor: Not declared on the bag
- Crunchiness: Extra crunchy
Tips for Serving Chips at Your Party
You can either just serve your chips in the bag like a boring person or get creative with your presentation. You can even make a hot and spicy chips theme out of it. Here are some tips for serving up your chips at a party:
- Have a chip station. With such an exhaustive list of the best spicy snacks, it would be a shame to have only one or two at your party. Provide your guests with options.
- Vary the flavors. Try to be as diverse with the flavor range as you can. They can’t all be hot sauce flavored.
- Have a heat gradient. Serve chips of different heat intensities. Create a gradient that starts from low heat to bold, intense heat.
- Be inclusive. Not everyone at your party will be able to relate to having an addiction to spicy snacks. Some might even be totally intolerant of anything with
spice . Make sure to havespice -free options to help them feel included. - Label your chips. Serving them out of the bag is boring and makes for messy knuckles. Try serving your chips in covered bowls and be extra by labeling them in that artsy Pinterest fashion. Also, I say covered bowls because you need to cover them to keep them fresh.
- Include heat ranking in labels. You’ve noticed we’ve mentioned heat levels and flavors after every chip on this list; you can include that in your labels. Your guests will find this really helpful as the ones with low heat tolerance can steer clear of the intense ones.
- Include
spice neutralizers at your station. Remember ourspice -neutralizer list at the start of this article? They would make a perfect addition to your chip station besides your dips. Your guest would appreciate the thoughtfulness and planning that went into making your chip station. - Refill as needed. Don’t serve up all your chips at once. Remember, you’ll want to keep them fresh and crunchy. Nobody likes their chips stale and chewy. So serve up a bag or two at a time. When you start to see the bottom of the bowl, you can open another bag and refill.
- Design a party game around the One Chip Challenge. The game can be anything you want it to be. You can scour the Internet for inspos or make one yourself. Make sure to make a full disclaimer about the One Chip Challenge.
- Make a mixed bowl. You can have one bowl that has a mix of the different chips so that every time our friends pick a chip, it’s a random surprise. It’s a nice added touch that really brings the whole chip station together.
Final Thoughts
There you have it! A lengthy list of chips that will steal the show at your party! From the subtle to bold and nuanced flavors, with a spiciness gradient ranging from the benign to the excruciating, these chips we included will help you impress your guests and make your party a memorable experience!
Sources
- Thrillist: The Ultimate Guide to Flamin’ Hot Snacks
- Los Angeles Times: The Official Spicy Snack Power Rankings
- CNN Underscored: The Spiciest Foods On Amazon That Reviewers Are Obsessed With
- Uproxx: Flamin’ Hot Chips, Ranked On Heat And Flavor
- Vox Magazine: Best Flamin’ Hot Chips Ranking And History
- Extrabux: Top 10 Spiciest Chips in the World 2022
