With the arrival of the Doritos Late Night Cheeseburger flavor and other new additions to the savory chip category, consumers’ favorite crispy potato snack is getting a meaty makeover
On its face, it’s an absurd premise: a Doritos tortilla chip that could really taste like a cheeseburger. There’s just no way that a sprinkling of flavor powder could actually replicate the savory beefiness of a burger patty. Or at least that’s what I thought, until this latest generation of Doritos made me realize that American chips are getting uncannily beefy.
I picked up a bag of the Late Night Cheeseburger Doritos on a total whim. My curiosity frequently gets the best of me in the snack aisle, and I was curious how exactly these might taste like a burger. Would they really be able to replicate a cheeseburger in chip form, or would it be more like those fake-grape-flavored candies that never actually taste like grape? Upon first crunch, it was immediately clear that I had underestimated what a cheeseburger Dorito could be. It was at once meaty, a little cheesy, and I swear I detected notes of lettuce and tomato, a true trip to the uncanny valley, that really reminded me of a fast-food burger. I was intrigued, yet a little terrified at what the food scientists were capable of creating.
Upon further research, I was surprised to learn that there were actually many other iterations of beef-flavored chips on offer. Pringles, Utz, Ruffles, and even the cult-favorite Texas grocer H-E-B’s store brand have taken a stab at turning “cheeseburger” into a flavor. Pennsylvania-based chip brand Herr’s boasts two different steak-flavored chips, one inspired by Kansas City, the other by Montreal steak. Last year, Funyuns released its Steakhouse Onion flavor, which isn’t exactly beefy but is still intended to evoke the steakhouse vibe. As such, it seems as if beefy chips have finally reached critical mass in the American market.
Beef-flavored chips are, of course, not new. They’ve long been popular in countries across the world — beef and onion Taytos in Ireland, luxe Kobe beef flavored Lay’s in Taiwan — but this new generation of meaty chips feels really distinct. Frequently, the beef flavoring in these products tends to veer more in the beef bouillon direction, more of a semblance of the beef that we know and love than actual replication. But this new generation of beef-flavored chips feels like a real flavor upgrade. Instead of tasting like salty beef broth, these chips actually remind you of grilled or seared beef.
Then, in late March, Doritos launched their latest flavor: Flamin’ Hot Korean-Style Barbecue. Considering that spicy and Korean food make total sense together, I was way more excited to try these than the cheeseburger flavor. And I will just be damned if they didn’t taste like a bite of kalbi seared to perfection on the grill. Notes of sesame oil and ssamjang, the spicy-savory paste frequently served alongside Korean barbecue for dipping, really drove home the flavor. And obviously they’re not as exciting or satisfying as an actual Korean barbecue dinner, with its many sauces and banchan and endless parade of meats, but that doesn’t make their flavor any less impressive. The fact that a corn chip can make me think “wow, this does actually taste like barbecue” in any sense is, in fact, a marvel of food science.
The biggest question, though, is why it’s taken so long for beef-flavored chips to take off in the United States. Americans eat more beef than anyone else in the world, so it stands to reason that we’d like a little bovine in our potato chips. But American chips have, historically, been dull, and many brands have been reluctant to take major flavor risks beyond the basic sour-cream-and-onion and barbecue. Perhaps that’s changing as social media offers us more insight into the flavors that people around the country are eating. Maybe brands are finally picking up on the idea that there is a market for diverse and interesting flavors. If so, that’s really exciting news. The people yearn for interesting, savory chips!
There’s also a part of me that thinks the explanation is more grim than that. Beef prices have risen significantly in recent years — hitting record highs in 2025 — as cattle herds across the country shrink due to a number of factors ranging from avian influenza to drought. Many people are also limiting their beef consumption due to the environmental impact of ranching. Is it possible that a future is coming where actual beef is a major splurge, and the rest of the time, the best way to get your fix is a crispy chip that tastes like the burgers and steaks you used to enjoy.
