DIY Doritos Seasoning for the Nacho Cheesiest Everything

Jul 21, 2023

By Zoe Denenberg

Who hasn’t tipped back an empty bag of Doritos and inhaled the spicy, cheesy, intoxicating powder, colloquially known as Dorito Dust? Sure, naked corn chips are fine, but that scientifically engineered seasoning is what makes a Dorito a Dorito.

In The Dorito Effect, author Mark Schatzker discusses the complex flavor profile that makes snack foods and drinks, like Doritos and Coca-Cola, so craveable. Everybody knows what Coca-Cola should taste like, but it’s very difficult to isolate exactly what’s going on flavor-wise. Do we detect a little bit of vanilla? A hint of lime? Maybe some cinnamon? It’s the same with Doritos, which are at once cheesy, garlicky, peppery, and packed with umami. Your brain can’t completely process their taste—which means it’s easy to consume large quantities without ever getting sick of that elusive nacho-cheese flavor.

While the exact formula for that sacred seasoning blend might be under lock and key, we set out to replicate Doritos seasoning with common pantry ingredients. The result? Our own Doritos spice blend that’s as good on chips as it is on chicken or tofu. With this handy recipe in your arsenal, you can get your snack on without making a trip to the corner store.

Some DIY Doritos seasoning recipes rely on obscure or hard-to-find ingredients, like tomato powder or cheddar cheese powder. Ours comes together with spices you’re likely to have in the cupboard already. Nutritional yeast brings the cheesy flavor, while MSG brings the umami punch the chip is known for. Giving the spice blend a quick whiz in the food processor (or a spice grinder) breaks it down into a fine powder, ideal for coating chips or sprinkling over popcorn. (If you don’t have a food processor, just give the mixture a nice whisk.)

What you’ll need:

What to do:

In the bowl of a small food processor or spice grinder, combine ¼ cup nutritional yeast, 1 tsp. chipotle chile powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. smoked paprika, and ¼ tsp. MSG. Pulse until the mixture is powdery, with no large flakes of nutritional yeast remaining.

Use Doritos seasoning to make flavor-charged tofu bites.

Want to make your own DIY Doritos? It’s as easy as coating tortilla chips in this transformative powder. (If you’re an overachiever, feel free to cut and fry corn tortillas yourself—but the easier route is to use a bag of tortilla chips from the grocery store.) We like to flash them in the oven until toasty and golden before tossing them with the Doritos seasoning blend. Remember that tortilla chip brands vary in their salt content, so taste them and adjust the amount of salt in the spice blend as necessary.

Here’s how to do it: Preheat the oven to 425°. Spread a bag of tortilla chips on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Pour chips into a large bowl, spray with cooking spray, then toss with 1 batch of the Doritos spice mix, spraying with additional cooking spray as needed to help the spice mix adhere.

But don’t stop there. With this cheesy spice mix, you can make almost anything Dorito-flavored. Toss almonds, walnuts, or your favorite nuts with oil and Dorito mix and bake until golden brown. Or toss it into your homemade party mix.

Looking for a surefire way to jazz up roasted veggies? Two words: Doritos seasoning. Toss chopped vegetables with oil and Dorito mix (to taste) and roast until nicely caramelized. Broccoli is especially amenable to this treatment, but you can use any veg you like: cauliflower, carrots, or potatoes all work. Any protein can also be improved by Doritos seasoning’s magical powers. If you’re breading and frying chicken cutlets, spice the breadcrumbs with Doritos seasoning. You can also use the supercharged breadcrumbs to coat pork chops or fish fillets.