Review: Doritos Arrives Late To The Protein Party, But We're Not Mad

If you live on planet earth in 2026, you're probably overly aware that protein remains a big word fresh on everyone's lips. Companies love to follow trends and therefore follow the money, and they're all trying to take advantage of it. The word "protein" is being emblazoned on countless menus and packaging, and in March alone, that will include snack products by beloved chip makers Utz and Doritos. The latter brand is bringing two familiar flavors to the protein table — the ubiquitous Nacho Cheese and newish Sweet & Tangy BBQ — both packed with 10 grams per serving.

In a statement, Hernán Tantardini, chief marketing officer, PepsiCo Foods U.S. noted, "This innovation underscores PepsiCo Foods' commitment to evolving its portfolio to meet shifting consumer preferences toward foods with functional ingredients." He added, "70% of consumers want their salty snacks to have protein — and now we are making it more accessible and seamlessly integrated into everyday snacking occasions without compromising the distinctive Doritos experience."

Doritos is now in the protein game and it's time to play. So, what are the pros and cons of these protein chips? And plain and simply — do they taste like the Doritos we already know and love? The Takeout picked up a bag to find out where the truth lies. Now all can be revealed in this cheesy and crunchy chew & review.

In advance of their release on shelves, the fine folks at FritoLay sent over a single bag of the Nacho Cheese flavor of Doritos Protein for review. At the time, a bag of the Sweet & Tangy BBQ was unavailable for tasting. The bag was stored at room temperature and sampled in the confines of my home. It was taste tested on its own, and then in conjunction with regular Nacho Cheese Doritos, as well as Nacho Cheese protein chips by the brand Quest for contrast and comparison.

This chew and review is a summation of my own personal tastes and opinions. It also takes into account my previous experiences with Doritos products, as well as protein chips. The ultimate criteria considered for this ranking were flavor, appearance, texture, smell, familiarity, originality, uniqueness, protein-acity, and overall level of Doritos-ness.

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

Doritos got its start at Disneyland and became a household product by 1966, with a flavor that shockingly was not Nacho Cheese. That signature flavor didn't even start working overtime until it debuted in 1972. In six decades of Doritos munching, many flavors, shapes, and sizes have come and gone, including miniature, rolled Dinamitas, and 3-D.

Protein has always been an important part of any diet, and snack makers have long sought to pack the most in when and where they can. Alternatives have popped up in the past, like pea chips and bean chips in the 1970s, and more recently with leftover scraps of chicken that have been upcycled into chips. While these chips may pack protein, none of these snacks ever taste as good as regular potato or corn chips. Doritos is hoping to change that perception with its new line of Protein chips. 

The key ingredient in Doritos Protein is a dairy-based protein called casein, which the company boasts contains all nine essential amino acids. While protein is the focus here, the brand wanted to ensure the taste would closely mimic the standard chips consumers are used to. In a statement, Jess Spaulding, vice president of marketing, PepsiCo Foods U.S., said, "Doritos is synonymous with bold flavor and iconic crunch — two attributes that our fans know and love. When we set out to create this product, we wanted to ensure we were delivering that unmistakable snacking experience, but in a new way with the added benefit of protein."

Doritos Protein is a new addition to the ever expansive FritoLay roster and will be hanging around for as long as consumers demand the product exist. It will initially be released in two flavors — Nacho Cheese and Sweet & Tangy BBQ.

Doritos Protein will be hitting select retailers and markets starting in the middle of March, 2026. They can be found in the usual shelf-space that other Doritos products are sold.

The flavors will be available in two sizes — 7 or 12.75 ounces. Price may vary per seller, but the suggested retail price of the 7 ounce bag is $4.89, and $7.39 for the 12.75-ouncer. Based on the expiration date on the bag I received, the chips should remain fresh for up to 3.5 months.

The Nacho Cheese and Sweet & Tangy BBQ chips share some common ingredients: milk protein casein, vegetable oil, corn, rice flour, corn starch, salt, sugar, oat fiber, natural flavors, tomato powder, spices, onion powder, yeast extract, citric acid, corn syrup solids, potassium salt, garlic powder, and paprika extract and vegetable juice for color. The Nacho Cheese chips also contain cheddar cheese, whey, buttermilk, romano cheese, whey protein concentrate, lactic acid, red and green bell peppers, and annatto extract for color. The Sweet & Tangy ones employ corn maltodextrin, dextrose, molasses, paprika, stevia leaf extract, and fruit juice for color. They both contain the common allergen milk.

The two flavors also share many nutritional values in a single serving size of about 10 chips or 28 grams. The twinning numbers are 150 calories, 8 grams of total fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 8 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 0.2 milligrams of iron, and the promised 10 grams of protein, which counts for 20% of one's daily value (though this can vary widely depending on your protein needs). Meanwhile, the Nacho Cheese flavor contains more saturated fat (1.5 grams vs. 1 gram), more calcium (380 milligrams vs. 370 milligrams), and plenty more potassium (120 milligrams vs 70 milligrams). The Sweet & Tangy BBQ flavor contains a single gram of sugar.

The bag of Doritos Protein Nacho Cheese was on brand with the rest of the Doritos line of chips — that modern fiery triangular logo with a few images of chips. One thing that stood out with this bag was that it had a matte finish, keeping it from being as reflective as its siblings. This wasn't anything novel, although it did allow for better bag photos for this article. 

I tore open a corner of the bag and leaned in for a big whiff. A familiar essence escaped, with a deep cheddar cheese smell entwined with a mild corny one. I poured a smattering of chips onto a small plate. The chips had the recognizable three-sided shape and were dusted with the usual peppery and cheesy seasoning, but they definitely had their own look to them. They appeared to be rather large with a light fiery orange color. One thing that struck me was how most of the chips were still intact in whole pieces, or at least in better shape than my past Doritos experiences.

My tasting began with a simple lick of the chip. It had the flavoring I sought, that signature Doritos nacho cheesiness that has made it a snack staple all these years. I finally took a bite, and the crunch seemed more robust and way crunchier than a standard Dorito chip. Further bites reconfirmed the super-crunchiness. Once I became used to this nice new texture, my mouth was ready to investigate the flavor. Thankfully these chips delivered what you'd expect and want with that Nacho Cheese name.

Having had a successful first round of tastings with the Nacho Cheese flavor of Doritos Protein, I needed to know how they stacked up against standard Nacho Cheese Doritos. Amazingly, beyond the more noticeable crunch, the taste was pretty much a carbon copy. I next grabbed some Quest protein chips of the same flavor, which had a stronger nacho cheese seasoning and were more reminiscent of a tortilla chip. 

Now that we've established that Doritos Protein Nacho Cheese stacked up taste-wise versus the genuine article counterpart and a rival, the final questions are — is there really a significant increase in protein intake, and is it worth the price? First off, a single chip from the Doritos Protein bag will net an eater about 1 gram of protein. With a normal bag of Doritos Nacho Cheese, you would have to have about 6 of those orange triangles to reach the same amount. As for price, as of March 2026, a $4.48-bag of Doritos Protein contains 7 ounces, but regular Doritos flavors are packed with an extra 2.25 ounces. You get almost a third less chips for the same price, but with about 70 chips per bag, I doubt anyone will go hungry.

It's hard not to applaud Doritos and all its sister snack brands like Lay's and Cheetos for embarking on healthier and cleaner paths to snacking. With the tasty success of Naked Doritos free of artificial flavors and coloring, and now with Doritos Protein, we should all look forward to future innovations by FritoLay and PepsiCo. We won't have to wait too long, as Doritos packed with 17 grams of protein a serving are promised to come out later this year.