Doritos Dinamita Simply NKD Chile Limon Vs Regular: Can Natural Flavors Get The Job Done?

Doritos have never been a subtle snack. From the neon finger dust and aggressive crunch to the fiery flavors that practically dare you to keep on eating, these chips are built on sensory overload. That's why the idea of "naked" Doritos seems pretty counterintuitive. Stripped of artificial dyes and flavors, how can Simply NKD Doritos possibly deliver that same iconic intensity?

Last fall, PepsiCo Foods launched Doritos Simply NKD Nacho Cheese and Simply NKD Cool Ranch to mixed reviews. Plenty of fans appreciated the cleaner ingredients, but others complained the chips felt far too subdued. This summer Doritos' Simply NKD line takes on one of its boldest, most beloved varieties yet: the heat-packed Chile Limon Dinamita chip. It's supposed to be the same signature rolled-up tortilla chip format, reimagined without the artificial visual cues of Red 40 and Yellow 6. Ingredients like disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate (flavor magnifiers commonly used alongside MSG to create umami ) have also been removed. 

According to PepsiCo, the new Doritos Dinamita Simply NKD Chile Limon won't replace the classic lime green bag. Instead, the innovative addition is intended to give fans a broader range of choices in the snack aisle. But here's the challenge: Can a chip known for its loud appearance still deliver the same zesty-spicy flavor experience when the color is stripped away?

When Doritos' Simply NKD line debuted last November, PepsiCo promised, "Same crunch. Same flavor. Same joy — just without added color." To make its case for Doritos Dinamita Simply NKD Chile Limon, the company sent over a Simply NKD Colorblind Taste Test kit designed to take visual bias out of our comparative crunching. Inside were 10.75-ounce bags of classic Doritos Dinamita Chile Limon and the new Simply NKD version, plus a scorecard and a pair of color-neutralizing glasses. 

I followed the included instructions as written. Glasses on, I poured both versions into a single bowl, deliberately tossing them together. Then, one bite at a time, I tried to guess whether I was eating the overly vivid original or the comparatively colorless NKD. Between each round, I removed my glasses to reveal if I'd guessed correctly, then reset to try again. In total, I ran through five rounds of blind tastings. Could I taste the difference?

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

I went into this blind taste test fully expecting the colorless Simply NKD chip to give itself away ... somehow. After all, the original Dinamita Chile Limon was Doritos' vibrant offering to Hispanic snack and Takis fans: a rolled-up tortilla chip with extra crunch and plenty of fiery red heat to keep things interesting. But once I put on the color-neutralizing glasses, my confidence quickly crumbled. On my first bite, I guessed classic Dinamita, and that was correct. The chip was bright and tangy, with a lime-forward zing that immediately tingled on the tongue.

On the next bite, I guessed classic again. Wrong. It was the new Simply NKD Dinamita chip. And from there, my taste buds and sensibilities kept getting turned around. After five blind bites, I have to admit, I couldn't reliably tell the regular and NKD chips apart. Both delivered the same punch of chile-lime crunch plus the expected "hot" level of spice on the "Dinameter." With my mouth burning and my nose running, I found myself in that well-known Doritos zone of "just one more."

Once the glasses came off, Doritos Dinamita Chile Limon regular and Simply NKD were basically twins in different outfits. The only real difference was visual: one chip was a finger-staining, blazing red-orange, and the other, a more natural corn yellow. Taste- and texture-wise, though, the two varieties were so surprisingly similar. If the flavor still hits, who needs the fake color? Not me.

On store shelves since 2012, Doritos' classic Chile Limon has remained the OG Dinamita, and it still feels like the defining flavor in the line. The new Simply NKD version — with its simpler, more recognizable ingredients list — is arguably even better than the real thing. Both versions have nearly identical nutritional labels showing 150 calories for about 14 chips. However, the Simply NKD Dinamita chips have slightly less sodium (140 milligrams per serving instead of 190) and no artificial additives. The dynamic flavor is delivered through a natural mix of cheese and spice.

If you still find yourself weirdly attached to the regular red Dinamita chips, I get it. But I'm going to suggest going halfsies. Mixed together in a bowl, the regular and Simply NKD Dinamita Chile Limon chips look fun, festive, and very much ready for party duty.

Dinamita Simply NKD Chile Limon chips hit store shelves nationwide on June 22, just in time for peak summer snacking. It comes in two sizes: a 3.25-ounce bag for solo crunchers and a larger 10.75-ounce bag for backyard barbecues, road trips, or beach bashes.

The spicy rolled chip joins a growing Simply NKD lineup that already includes Doritos Simply NKD Nacho Cheese, Doritos Simply NKD Cool Ranch, Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs, and Cheetos Simply NKD Flamin' Hot — all reworked without the artificial dyes and flavors. And while nobody's pretending these popular Doritos chips suddenly qualify as a wellness food, I do appreciate the brand giving fans more ways to enjoy the classic snacks they already love. It's definitely worth picking up a bag of Doritos Dinamita Simply NKD Chile Limon chips to crunch and munch. You might even want to do your own blind taste test to see if you agree that this "naked" snack does deliver the same fiery flavor without artificial dyes and flavors.