This Hilarious (But Also Ingenious) Doritos Hack Will Have You Emptying Out Your Pepper Grinder

It might not come as a surprise to you, dear reader, that we love cooking hacks at Sporked—especially when it involves something we already have in our pantry. Whether it’s a hack to spruce up your instant ramen or a healthy fast food hack to make your order a little more nutritious, we’re always down to try out something new in the kitchen. Sometimes, though, a hack comes along that makes you take a sharp intake of breath, before bursting out in a loud “HA!” only to think, actually, this is a pretty great idea. Today, that hack comes courtesy of Doritos. The free thinkers over at everyone’s favorite chip brand have decided that it’s time to start putting them in your pepper grinder.

What? Yes. You heard us. Doritos in your pepper grinder. Let’s break this one down. 

Grinding Up Doritos Could Give Your Food a Burst of Instant Flavor

So, the hack goes like this: Instead of putting regular old peppercorns into your grinder, Doritos says that you can shove in crushed-up pieces of its Nacho Cheese flavor instead. Then, you simply mill the chip shards like you would pepper, twisting the top until little flecks of cheesy, salty dust sprinkle out, all over your food. 

Look, we know this is ridiculous. We know it is. But somehow, we can’t help but feel like this would lead to food that tastes really, really good. Think about it: Nacho Cheese Doritos are concentrated little flavor bombs, with every mouthful delivering an intense burst of saltiness, savoriness, and (of course) a hefty hunk of cheesy taste. When the chips are broken up into tiny pieces, they won’t dominate your dish, but will instead infuse it with all of those notes.

Not a Fan of Nacho Cheese Doritos? Use Your Favorite Flavor Instead

Now, obviously, you don’t have to use Nacho Cheese Doritos if you’re opting for this bizarre hack. In fact, you can try any flavor you like. Cool Ranch is one of our favorite Doritos flavors, and it’ll give your food all of the saltiness and umami of Nacho Cheese, but without any of the funk. Using Doritos’ Tapatio flavor, on the other hand (which is one of many Tapatio products that you may not know exist), can give you a hot sauce note without any of the moisture. It’s up to you, though: Throw in the flavor that you want, and check out how it’d transform your food. Just be ready to wipe up all of the extra little Dorito dots that might speckle your dinner table as you grind them up.

One thing to bear in mind, though, is that this hack won’t work for every type of food. You probably won’t want to mill Nacho Cheese Doritos onto a bowl of stir-fried noodles, for example. Oh, and be prepared to wash out your pepper grinder afterward if you ever intend on using it for pepper again.