Cheetos Bold New Flamin' Hot Flavor Is An Elevated Take On The Classic

When Flamin' Hot Cheetos hit the market in the early 1990s, they took the food world by storm. Teens and hungry adults suddenly couldn't get enough of the crunchy snack that set their tongues on fire and turned their fingertips bright red. Since that time, Frito Lay has doused the popular flavoring onto its Cheetos Puffs, added Limón flavoring, coated popcorn, and added it to the baked snack line, per Cheetos. You can even find the flavoring on Doritos, Funyuns, and Smartfood, via Flaminhot.

The crunchy snacks are so beloved and popular that many professional and home cooks have utilized Flamin' Hot products in their dishes, pop-up restaurants featuring the snack have debuted, and recipes like Flamin' Hot Cheeto Chicken have gone viral. Indeed, the Flamin' Hot fan base is fierce, and their loyalty will be put to the test again in mid-January 2023 when Frito Lay rolls out a brand new flavor of the Cheeto line that promises not only heat but a nuance of flavors not yet seen in the Flamin' Hot family thus far.

According to a press release sent to Tasting Table, Cheetos is going rogue for the newest flavor of Flamin' Hot, not just adding the signature chili pepper flavor, but throwing in the flavors of garlic, ginger, and citrus. The result is a snack Frito Lay has christened Cheetos Crunchy Flamin' Hot Tangy Chili Fusion and it will debut across the country on January 16th. 

Of course, some lucky snackers have gotten their hands on the chips early and shared their reactions on YouTube, like Jason Mazurek who puts his stamp of approval on them, overall enjoying the heat and flavor he describes as "sweet chili." Snack reviewer casualgamereed agrees on his channel, calling the combination of flavors a "pretty good recipe for greatness."

So far, there is no mention of the new flavor being a limited edition, so hopefully, fans will be able to enjoy Tangy Chili Fusion as long as they want. Skeptics may want to start by purchasing the 1 oz size for $0.50, available at some retailers, while others can choose between the 3.25 oz size ($2.29) and the largest 8.5 oz bag ($5.19).