Review: Lay’s Sriracha Potato Chips 

When I first heard about the new Lay’s Sriracha potato chips, I got pretty excited. In fact, I remember saying to myself, “Well, it’s about damn time somebody made these!”

Because they were released as part of the (potentially limited-time) Lay’s “Do Us A Flavor” promotion, it was a little difficult to find a bag to try. After multiple emails to the Lay’s PR team went unanswered and several unsuccessful trips to local markets, Mr. Brad Burgess (@jharm73) was kind enough to heed my cries on Twitter, sending me a few bags (along with some awesome Tröegs beer! w00t.) in exchange for a signed copy of The Sriracha Cookbook. Thank you, Brad!

So. The chips. In a word? Meh. Yeah, they were a little tasty, but the flavor was—sadly—NOTHING like Sriracha. A bit of nice heat, yes, but the sweetness and the fermented garlic you and I know and love is completely absent, and the flavor of the chiles is very nondescript. More like dried cayenne pepper than fresh red jalapeño in my opinion.

Know why? Because there is no Sriracha in these chips. They’re “Sriracha-flavored” which is techno-speak for “chock full of powders.” And one look at the label corroborates this hunch, and draws even more questions. Like why all the cheese? These chips for some unknown reason contain sour cream, whey, cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, and Swiss cheese… five ingredients that have as much to do with Sriracha as Vin Diesel has to do with the Oscars.

Tyler Raineri—homeboy who originally suggested the flavor as part of Lay’s contest—may get the $1,000,000 prize if Sriracha gets more votes than the other two chip varieties he’s up against: Cheesy Garlic Bread and Chicken & Waffles. Can’t be mad at him for that… but if I was him, I’d be a little mad at Lay’s for being so far from the mark with their formulation.

Who knows… maybe another company can step in and do it right? “Rooster Sauce Ruffles” certainly has a nice ring to it…

Lay’s debuts new Sriracha Potato Chips alongside two other flavors: Cheesy Garlic Bread and Chicken & Waffles

Well, it was only a matter of time before somebody introduced Sriracha Potato Chips to the world, and it looks like that time is now. Lay's—through its “Do Us A Flavor” promotion—asked consumers to submit new flavor ideas for consideration that would be voted on via social media. After sorting through thousands of submissions, the folks at Lay’s narrowed it down to three flavor finalists: Sriracha, Cheesy Garlic Bread, and Chicken & Waffles. 

The new potato chip flavors are due to hit shelves on February 12, and fans are still encouraged to vote for their favorite to ensure that they stay year-round.

Your trusty Sriracha Cookbook author hasn’t tried the Sriracha potato chips, but rest assured that I had an email out to the Lay’s media relations team four days ago! (Now, if only they’d answer it…) Once I find a bag to try, I’ll be sure to report back. In the meantime, I’m gonna go grub on some Sriracha Peas to curb my rooster sauce snack craving.

Have you gotten a hold of any of the new flavors? Whaddya think?

(via AP: Lay’s test-crunches 3 fan-nominated chip flavors)

Mini Corn Dog Muffins w/ Sriracha & Green Chiles

These delightful little beauties come from the (hilarious) BevCooks.com, and look like the perfect snack to break out during a football game, or… y'know… just about any time. The green chiles are a natural complement to the cornmeal batter, adding a great smoky background heat, while a dunk in the almighty rooster sauce takes it all into culinary heights previously unknown. Stoners rejoice: this may be the ultimate munchies cure.

Recipe: Mini Corn Dog Muffins with Sriracha and Green Chiles [BevCooks, via Tablespoon]

Sriracha Peas

So, I ordered a case of these Sriracha Peas and they came today. Free two-day shipping! w00t! (I love you, Amazon Prime.) Think Wasabi Peas, but y'know, substitute Sriracha for Wasabi.

Everyone has been raving about them, so I had to give them a try. I like them. They’re good. More garlicky than spicy, but good. They’re one of those snacks that aren’t dynamite, so you close them up, but then like 10 minutes later, you’re eating them again and you don’t even remember that you had re-opened the container. Mmhmmm, one of those.

Anyway, I’m still intrigued by these Sriracha Peas. There are some people who have tried making a homemade version, but without much success. I am hoping to change this at some point. Mark my words.