I tried all 14 Lay's classic chip flavors and was surprised that some of the newest ones were my fav
- There are 14 permanently available flavors of classic Lay's potato chips currently available at stores.
- I tasted and ranked each kind according to how accurate I thought the flavor was with regard to its name and how well the taste worked with the thin classic chip.
- After trying them all, there were a few variations that I was pleasantly surprised by, like Flamin' Hot Dill Pickle, and there were some that I thought were just misses like Chile Limón.
- I was able to find 13 flavors in stores for around $3 apiece, while Lay's provided Insider with the Cheddar and Jalapeño flavor.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
I am a long-time connoisseur of Lay's potato chips. Whether it's a free bag that comes with a deli sandwich or an impulse buy at a grocery store, I've always appreciated the classic flavor of Lay's.
Historically, I've labeled myself as a Barbecue girl. Give me a choice of chip and I'm going with that smokey, tangy, flavorful crunch. But, after trying all 14 flavors Lay's has to offer, I think I'll now have a little more trouble making a decision in the potato chip aisle.
Since we don't all have the same flavor preferences, I ranked the varieties based on how well I thought the tastes matched up with the flavor names (yes, I also referenced the pictures of ingredients on the bags), and how well I thought the flavor was paired with this ultra-thin type of chip. As it turns out, even some of the original flavors like Salt & Vinegar are better suited on a thicker kettle-cooked chip than on these wafer-thin classics.
14. Chile Limón
I was a little confused by this chip. It took me to a lot of different places metaphorically — from lime-covered chips at a Mexican restaurant to chile-flavored dried mangoes.
The first flavor I got notes of was the lime, but then that quickly disappeared. I didn't really get the taste of the chile, just the heat from it.
Overall, I thought this chip was a bit of a miss.
13. Flamin' Hot
The bright-red color was a bit off-putting to me, and I didn't necessarily taste a flavor other than "hot." I didn't taste notes of specific peppers or spices, there was just a spicy heat left coating my tongue.
I also thought there was a strange aftertaste that felt a bit like the Honey Barbecue flavor.
If you're in it for the heat, though, you might enjoy this flavor.
12. Honey Barbecue
I appreciated Lay's attempt at making a honey and barbecue flavored chip, but this variety just didn't do it for me.
I was able to taste the barbecue seasoning, but the honey part wasn't executed as well as it could have been, in my opinion. I thought it was missing that sweetness that comes from the honey.
11. Sweet Southern Heat Barbecue
I thought this flavor was executed to perfection. The flavors were complex — barbecue sauce, red pepper flake, some notes of sweet and smokiness. The heat stuck to my tongue the way whole red pepper flakes do in a dish of pasta.
Personally, though, I don't think the classic, thinly sliced potato chip did the flavors justice. In my opinion, this flavor would be better served on a sturdier, kettle-cooked chip.
10. Salt & Vinegar
The flavor of vinegar on these chips stung as soon as it hit my tongue. I thought this flavor was more vinegar-heavy than salt-heavy, but it was definitely distinct either way.
I thought the ultra-thin chip that the Lay's classic collection is built around is a little too dainty to properly carry the strong vinegar flavor. In my opinion, it would be better suited to a sturdy, kettle-cooked chip.
9. Cheddar Jalapeño
The cheddar flavor was definitely present here and there was a subtle heat that was undoubtedly different from the Flamin' Hot or chile heat.
It made sense to me that this heat would be different from that of the habanero-flavored chip. I thought this was a solid and interesting flavor that stands alone from the Cheddar & Sour Cream flavor.
8. Dill Pickle
The natural vinegary taste of pickles really came through this chip to me.
If you're a fan of pickles, you'll likely be a fan of this chip. However, I think that this flavor would also be better enjoyed on a thicker chip.
7. Sour Cream & Onion
This flavor lends itself to any vehicle. The seasoning tasted mostly like sour cream that had been mixed with scallions — also known as green onions.
I always thought it was a little ambiguous to just give something an "onion" flavor considering there are so many different types of onions with so many different flavor profiles. But, there are green onions pictured on the Lay's bag, so I'd say that's an accurate identifier.
The green flecks on the actual chips helped to distinguish them visibly from the classic flavor.
6. Cheddar & Sour Cream
While I certainly recognized the cheddar flavor of these chips, my taste buds were also able to appreciate the sour cream. I thought it gave the chips an aftertaste similar to that of Sour Cream & Onion.
The flavor profile was interesting and I wouldn't get sick of it the same way I would Sour Cream & Onion.
5. Flamin' Hot Dill Pickle
I was most pleasantly surprised by this chip.
It had all the flavor of the plain Dill Pickle chip, mixed with the flavorless heat of the Flamin' Hot flavor. The two profiles weren't fighting with each other on my palate. Instead, they were having a blast and a half.
If you don't like dill pickles, though, you probably won't like this chip.
4. Fiery Habanero
The flavor on this chip was spot-on, in my opinion. Not only was this chip hot and spicy in all the right ways, but it actually really tasted like a habanero pepper.
I imagine it would go well with a creamy dip, and I like the fact that this flavor was on the thin-cut classic chip as opposed to a kettle-cooked or Wavy chip.
3. Limón
Similarly to Dill Pickle, I found the flavor was strong on my tongue the same way the vinegar from the Salt & Vinegar was, except Limón didn't feel as harsh. I liked that it had more of a flavor to it than the classic vinegar variety.
2. Barbecue
Lay's Barbecue chips are extremely flavor-forward, in my opinion. When I tasted it along with all other flavors, I thought the combination of spices was still distinct and recognizable.
Because of the added seasoning on them, though, I've found that the power of the flavor depends on how heavily seasoned a particular chip is. I've picked up a pale chip and a dark orange chip in the same sitting, both of which tasted slightly different.
Still, both the over-seasoned and under-seasoned chips were pleasantly flavorful.
1. Classic
The only way to describe the classic, potato chip flavor of Lay's is a thinly sliced, salty, crunchy potato. I got exactly what I was expecting when I bit into this Classic flavor, and that's something that shouldn't be overlooked.
Its crisp flavor is iconic and sometimes you just need a plain old potato chip.
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