Review: Doritos Golden Sriracha Is A Welcome Addition To The Family

Sriracha hot sauce was born in and named after an actual area of Thailand. While this vinegary, garlicky, sweet, and chili-peppered sauce started being sold in 1935, it didn't really start making waves with American palates until the 21st century, thanks to maker Huy Fung, and their infamous rooster logo. Sriracha was once a fringe add-on, and now a ubiquitous flavor that tops far more than Asian fare. Back in 2019, Doritos tapped its magical properties for a Screamin' Sriracha flavor, and now, six years later, is mining the condiment's strengths once again to create a new permanent flavor — Golden Sriracha.

In a statement, Tina Mahal, senior vice president of marketing at PepsiCo Foods North America, said in a statement to The Takeout, "By keeping our finger on the pulse of trending and fan-favorite flavors, Doritos has developed a flair for putting an unexpected spin on beloved flavor profiles and elevating them to new heights." She added, "Doritos Golden Sriracha opens the door to an entirely new flavor that accomplishes a lofty task: putting a bold twist on Gen Z's favorite hot sauce."

So, is Doritos Golden Sriracha truly hot stuff, perfect to rev up Gen Z's taste buds, or should everyone from every generation turn a cold shoulder to this new flavor? The Takeout tore open a bag to see where the truth lies in this chew and review.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

This January, Doritos is officially adding Golden Sriracha as a permanent flavor to its vast U.S. catalog. It will be rolling out into nationwide retailers, grocery and convenience stores this month. They can also be purchased directly through Frito-Lay's Snacks.com website, along with all the other Doritos flavors.

Doritos Golden Sriracha will be available in two snackable sizes — 2.625 and 9.25-ounce bags. The suggested retail price is $2.69 and $6.29 respectfully, although price and availability will vary per retailer. Based on the expiration date on the bag, the chips should be crunchable for at least two months after purchase.

Doritos Golden Sriracha is made up of corn, vegetable oil, and less than 2% of corn maltodextrin, sugar, natural and artificial flavors, salt, garlic powder, monosodium glutamate, onion powder, citric acid, whey, spices, paprika, yeast extract, potassium salt, red bell peppers, sour cream, made from cultured cream and skim milk, turmeric extract for color, malic acid, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, and molasses. It contains the allergen milk.

A single serving is 11 chips, or 28 grams. Those 11 chips will net an eater 140 calories, 7 grams of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 150 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of total sugars, 2 grams of protein, 40 milligrams of calcium, .3 grams of iron, and 60 milligrams of potassium.

Before me is a beautifully reflective golden bag of new Doritos, which gave off a flashy '70s disco vibe. I tore open the shiny bag and a quick whiff of the contents smelled like spiced corn. As the first set of Golden Sriracha Doritos escaped from the bag, the triangular chips appeared more orange than "golden." The chips were outfitted with the usual Doritoseque pockmarks, with little brown flakes, as well as a dusting of red and brown seasonings.

Instead of taking a bite of Doritos Golden Sriracha, I decided to first lick one of the chips. This direct contact is where I could tell what the true flavor was. Right off the bat, notes of chili, onion, garlic, and a nudge of sweetness rang through. There was also an air of heat in this flavor, but it wasn't at all spicy to take in.

Next, I tried tasting the chip itself, where that flavor mixture wasn't nearly as potent with the direct contact, but still proved to be a winning one. Ultimately, the seasoning balanced quite nicely with the standard crispy Dorito. Chip after chip, as I munched on, the heat did pick up a little bit more, but remained a very approachable one. Also, with subsequent nibbles, I became more aware of a soured-sweetness, which had a sort of lime citrusy bend to it. This gave the chips a bit of lightness to them to counterattack all the savory and tangy flavors taking up most of the flavor profile.

There was a time when Cool Ranch seemed like the most radical Doritos flavor, as it was such a departure from the once standard bearer Nacho Cheese. In these modern times, snackers have opened up their palettes much wider to enjoy all the seasonings, spices, and heat levels the world has to offer.

After munching on Doritos Golden Sriracha, I tore open some Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch bags. The tomato-red Nacho Cheese was vibrant by nature, but its taste now seemed rather one-note and out of step in today's times. Cool Ranch may no longer be a novel flavor, but its creamy smoothness keeps as one of the more tasty ones (and you can actually make some Doritos seasoning at home, too, if you miss the flavor). Compared to these two, Golden Sriracha easily stands out from the pack, thanks to its flavor complexity, but I wouldn't chuck those Cool Ranch ones away just yet. As for where it stands with other Doritos, it could count Spicy Sweet Chili, as well as Flamin' Hot Limon as close flavor cousins, but is very thankfully not remotely Flamin' anything.

How does it compare to sriracha sauce? As a liquidy condiment, it had a much bolder, tangier and spicier nature than Doritos Golden take on it. That's no knock against this great new Doritos flavor, but just the truth. Golden Sriracha can be enjoyed simply as is, but with its hint of lime, would actually make a good chip to dip into guacamole (though tortilla chips might not be the best vessel to dip into guacamole). And if you really wanted to get bold, you could always pour sriracha sauce onto these chips.

Doritos sent a single retail bag of its new Golden Sriracha flavor directly to my door. The chips were taste tested by me and a second person in one sitting in January 2025. Also tested, were Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch Doritos, as well as Huy Fung Sriracha sauce for comparison.

While the opinions of the second snacker were taken into consideration, ultimately the final review was based on my formulated opinion of this flavor. This chew and review of Golden Sriracha was based on flavor, appearance, Sriracha-ness, uniqueness as a new Doritos flavor, and overall lovability.