The 19 Best Pringles Flavors

You'll never believe which flavor came out on top.

pringles ranked
Cole Saladino/Thrillist
Cole Saladino/Thrillist

I popped my first can of Pringles when I was just a kid, and I haven't stopped for three decades, despite realizing I have been eating them wrong all along. But when I discovered that there were dozens of different flavors on the market -- not even counting the random holiday release -- I realized that I'd been doing the mustachioed man on the can a huge disservice. In the interest of science, I scored many of the flavors currently on US shelves, and, in one marathon feast of salt and seasoning, named my favorite ones. Here they all are, ranked.

jalapeno pringles
Cole Saladino and Jason Hoffman/Thrillist

19. Jalapeño

I’ve never been a big fan of jalapeño, mainly because it’s the boringest of peppers. But if boring peppers are your thing, you’re in luck! You probably also like to ruin pizza by putting jalapeños on it, and now you can ruin your chips with jalapeño flavor, too.

sour cream and onion
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18. Sour Cream & Onion

I know, I know. You're going to call me a contrarian, because this is an OG Pringles flavor and half the people reading this love sour cream and onion. But I can't get past that sour milky flavor and onion powder. Ever since I was a child, this flavor has been the bane of my Pringles-loving existence. Every time they're around, I try a stack, just to see if my tastebuds have evolved. It hasn't.

ranch
Cole Saladino and Jason Hoffman/Thrillist

17. Ranch

Ranch dressing may be America's condiment, but did we really have to contaminate another perfectly good stack of Pringles with this polarizing flavor? These ranch-flavored chips aren't bad per se, but they're certainly not good either.

dill pickle pringles
Cole Saladino and Jason Hoffman/Thrillist

16. Screamin' Dill Pickle

The pickle and dill flavors are pretty intense at first, then they subside. And just when you think they're gone, they magically reappear on the back of your tongue. Whether or not this is a good thing depends on your feeling about pickles. For extra credit, I also tried to treat a small stack of these as a pickleback substitute. Results: not advised.

pizza pringles
Cole Saladino and Jason Hoffman/Thrillist

15. Pizza

Whenever I eat something “pizza flavored,” I wonder whether those who created it ever tasted pizza. Then I realize that “pizza flavored” really just kind of means “pizza sauce flavored.” It’s kind of like a cheese-less pizza, but I really like cheese, and I demand it on things labeled "pizza."

bbq pringles
Cole Saladino and Jason Hoffman/Thrillist

14. BBQ

This is really sweet and if I liked BBQ sauce, this would be a good thing. I do not like BBQ sauce. Which is why Texans punch me, and Carolinians are considering me for a Senate run.

13. Wavy Sweet & Tangy BBQ

I should probably take this opportunity to tell you that this is the first of four new Wavy Pringles, which are kiiiiind of a revelation. These girthy bastards are essentially the equivalent of stacking three regular crisps together, but they’re also ruffly. They taste pretty much exactly like the regular Pringles, but with a less-delicate crunch, mellower flavors, and a lack of shame due to the fact that you can feel like you’re eating six chips at once when you’re only eating two. Anyway, the concept is great. This flavor’s just OK. It's a little too sweet and a little too tangy, and BBQ isn't the best use of a Pringle to begin with. But I love the new style!

honey mustard pringles
Cole Saladino and Jason Hoffman/Thrillist

12. Honey Mustard

These are similar in flavor to those little mustard-powdered pretzel bites that everybody loves. But in Pringles form, the mustard completely overtakes the potato and salt flavors at the core. The flavor is good, but I want my Pringles to taste like Pringles, hence the low ranking.

loaded baked potato pringles
Cole Saladino and Jason Hoffman/Thrillist

11. Loaded Baked Potato

Bacon? Check. Cheese? Check. Sour cream, onion, and chive? Checkity check check. They’re all there, and they’re fighting one another for supremacy over your taste buds. Every flavor pops and then disappears, which is strange, because when a flavor bursts, it bursts hard. My theory? One of the flavors is "palate cleanser."

cheddar and sour cream
Cole Saladino and Jason Hoffman/Thrillist

10. Cheddar & Sour Cream

These are definitely better than their onion-y counterparts, yet the sour cream still dominates. But hey, cheddar and sour cream are a delicious combo. And the subtlety of the flavoring lets the potato-forward essence of the Pringles shine.

memphis bbq
Cole Saladino and Jason Hoffman/Thrillist

9. Memphis BBQ

Usually, BBQ overtakes everything it touches, which is why I tend to avoid it, lest my brisket taste like sugary ketchup. This, somehow, does not, and it’s kind of wonderful. It's not too tangy and not overwrought on the seasoning. It’s just right, with a note of sweetness that elevates it above many BBQ chips that end up being flavor-bombs.

8. Wavy Applewood Smoked Cheddar

Big ups to Julius for trying something new here and not just falling back on the regular cheddar, but fake smoke and chips don’t mix well to me. It tastes faintly of liquid smoke… and while it’s not a deal-breaker for everybody, I’m getting flashbacks to the thankfully discontinued bacon flavor. And that’s unfortunate because when I saw this can, I immediately believed my longstanding love of the #1 Pringle would be seriously challenged. 

7. Wavy Fire Roasted Jalapeño

Hot damn! Finally, an actually spicy Pringle. Granted, I’ve got a weak tongue, but the spice on this hits immediately and sent my ass scrambling for milk. But once it cooled, it really did have the flavor of roasted jalapeños. This blows the regular jalapeño -- my least favorite of the bunch -- out of the water. Also, it gave me another excuse to indulge in my love of milk and salty snacks

buffalo ranch pringles
Cole Saladino and jason Hoffman/Thrillist

6. Buffalo Ranch

What’s the best match for Buffalo wings? Celery! No, seriously. It’s ranch -- unless you're in actual Buffalo, in which case you should probably ignore that sentiment unless you want to get run out of town. Anyway, this is the flavor with which Pringles finally cracks the code on ranch by realizing the flavor works better as a supplemental flavor than as a concentrated blast. Maybe a blue cheese flavor is in order?

salt and vinegar pringles
Cole Saladino and Jason Hoffman/Thrillist

5. Salt & Vinegar

A classic. And here, the vinegar and salt are more balanced than most chips of similar brininess. Pringles are not often lauded for their restraint, but here we go!

lightly salted
Cole saladino and Jason Hoffman/Thrillist

4. Original Lightly Salted

I mean, it’s just a regular Pringle. And regular Pringles are perfect. But it has less salt, so it tastes more like potato. That’s all. It’s a regular Pringle's milquetoast older brother who's got a steady job and a 401(k). He still parties, though not very often. But when he comes out, he makes the party better.

3. Wavy Original

To reiterate: These Wavy Pringles taste like eating three crisps at once. There is little to differentiate them from Original outside the girth and texture. I’d totally be behind Pringles making Wavy versions of every flavor.

original pringles
Cole Saladino and Jason Hoffman/Thrillist

2. Original

Oh, whatever. You knew this was gonna be close to the top. I don't feel like I need to explain anything aside from why it's not No. 1.

cheddar pringles
Cole Saladino and Jason Hoffman/Thrillist

1. Cheddar Cheese

Though naysayers are no doubt riled (and probably still whining about sour cream & onion), I do decree that cheddar cheese brings out the full potential of everything Pringles can be. The flavor of the Original -- that potato taste coupled with glorious salt -- meshes beautifully with a generous dusting of bright-orange cheddar dust that melts in your mouth. When you inevitably get to the pile of broken chips at the bottom of the can, they somehow get even better. I recommend shaking the can until it's a drinkable dust of chips and cheese. Still not convinced? Well, consider this: have you ever wondered why they always carry these on airplanes? Well, if the plane goes down, rescue workers can see the bright-orange chips from as high as 10,000 feet. OK, maybe not. But they're still the best.

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Andy Kryza is a senior editor at Thrillist. He came. He popped. He stopped. Follow him to a salt lick: @apkryza.