While Nacho Cheese remains an iconic flavor, Doritos' Spicy Sweet Chili has emerged as a formidable contender, frequently outperforming the original in various taste tests. Consumer polls and food review sites often rank the tangy, sweet, and mildly spicy profile of Spicy Sweet Chili above the classic cheese flavor.
Introduced in the late 2000s, the Spicy Sweet Chili variety has cultivated a dedicated following. Its popularity is reflected in consistent sales performance, where it is frequently cited as one of the brand's top-selling non-cheese flavors in the North American market.
The flavor's success highlights a shift in snack preferences towards more complex, globally-inspired taste profiles. Unlike the singular cheesiness of Nacho Cheese, Spicy Sweet Chili combines multiple flavor notes, which appears to resonate with a broad segment of consumers.
Frito-Lay, the manufacturer of Doritos, has not released official sales figures comparing the two flavors. However, market analysis and retailer data consistently show Spicy Sweet Chili maintaining a strong position within the brand's diverse portfolio, often mentioned alongside Nacho Cheese as a consumer favorite.