Food Lion launches exclusive ‘Roarin’ Ranch’ flavored Doritos. How do they taste?

Doritos are a mainstay of the classic chip scene, finding a place in our collective memories as a snack we’d enjoy at a summertime pool party, on an elementary school field trip or simply as a side to a basic lunchtime sandwich — covering our fingertips in orange, cheesy dust all along the way.

Though the Doritos brand, which is part of Frito-Lay and PepsiCo, has introduced plenty of wild flavors over the years, there are generally two varieties that can be thought of as defaults for the flavored tortilla chips: Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch.

But have you ever found yourself wanting even more ranch flavoring than the standard Cool Ranch offers?

A new Doritos flavor being sold exclusively at Food Lion grocery stores might be the chip for you.

The flavor, called Roarin’ Ranch, is on shelves for a limited time with bright blue-green packaging featuring a lion — we assume in homage to the product’s Food Lion ties. (Though North Carolina is proud to claim Food Lion as one of our state’s homegrown grocery stores, the chips are available in all Food Lion stores, not just those in North Carolina.)

If you’ve seen the product in your local Food Lion store, it may have caught your eye and made your taste buds curious, as the packaging provides little description of the chip’s flavor profile besides “wild tangy crunch” in bright pink letters on the back.

Wondering what the new flavor of Doritos tastes like? And is it worth trying?

I picked up some bags from my local Food Lion store and sat down with Drew Jackson, The News & Observer’s food writer, for a little taste test.

Here are our thoughts.

What do Doritos Roarin’ Ranch chips taste like?

To establish some controls for our taste test experiment, we decided to compare the Roarin’ Ranch flavor to the classic Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch flavors of Doritos.

Before diving in for a taste, we first poured small mounds of all three chip flavors on to separate plates, allowing us to see the visual differences between them.

We observed that the Roarin’ Ranch flavor appeared to combine elements of the other flavors, almost as if, in Drew’s words, the new flavor “is simply what happens when an unstoppable ranch flavoring meets an immovable nacho cheese.”

Question: Would the chips taste like a combination of the classic Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch varieties?

The answer: Not quite.

It’s clear, visually, that the chips do include orange cheese dust and some of the red and green ranch seasoning that shines through on the classic Cool Ranch flavor of Doritos. But Roarin’ Ranch offers a flavor all its own, seeming to have very little to do with ranch.

Instead of roaring after we took our first bite, as the flavor name might suggest, the chips gave us pause as we tried to figure out the layers of flavor.

Once we had a better handle on our thoughts, the first verbal reaction was to the impressive amount of tang the chips the delivered. I observed that “it is really tangy,” while Drew picked up on a vinegary profile, along with some spice, calling the flavor “complex” and “mysterious.”

In Drew’s words: “What you’ll find is the sea salt and vinegar of the Doritos universe, heavy on tang, tingling with spice and even a little cheesy.”

Along with the ever-present tang, I picked up on hints of garlic and some light smokiness, but I still couldn’t quite figure out what exactly was going on with the chip’s flavor profile. Perhaps that was Doritos’ goal, as I found myself reaching for more, as if one more bite would hold the answer to my taste buds’ questions.

Our final verdict? The chips are good, and we’d recommend trying them — if for no other reason than to help us figure out the mysterious and addicting flavor profile.

“These are complex Doritos and I’m not sure they’ll usurp the throne from any Cool Ranch or Nacho Cheese fans,” Drew says, “but snackers will be grateful for the experience.”

Where to buy Doritos Roarin’ Ranch chips

Doritos Roarin’ Ranch chips are available at all Food Lion grocery stores, in North Carolina and beyond, for a limited time.

A Food Lion representative told The N&O that the chips will be restocked on April 5, then they’ll only be available from that point as supplies last.

Find a Food Lion store near you at stores.foodlion.com.

This story was originally published March 31, 2023 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Food Lion launches exclusive ‘Roarin’ Ranch’ flavored Doritos. How do they taste?."

Korie Dean

The News & Observer

919-335-8507

Korie Dean covers higher education in the Triangle and across North Carolina for The News & Observer, where she is also part of the state government and politics team. She is a graduate of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at UNC-Chapel Hill and a lifelong North Carolinian.