I Tried Trader Joe’s New BBQ Potato Chips and They’re GOOD

Trader Joe’s sells blue cheese potato chips, garlic butter potato chips, and potato chips that taste like everything bagel seasoning. But somehow, they’ve never carried BBQ potato chips. Isn’t that weird? We were stunned. I’m still not sure I believe it. (In fact, the product description on their site alludes to the fact that BBQ chips have been on their shelves in the past, but it’s been a long time.) All that matters is that the weather is heating up, you’re invited to a million cookouts, and now BBQ potato chips are one of the things you can pick up at Trader Joe’s when you stop there at the last minute so you don’t have to arrive at the function empty handed.

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Are they good? The short answer is: Hell, yes. But allow me to tell you why.

New Product!

Trader Joe’s BBQ Flavored Potato Chips

Trader Joe’s

Pros: I know it seems impossible that a brand could, in the year of our lord 2026, release BBQ potato chips that are worth writing about. I’m not talking about protein BBQ potato chips or BBQ potato chips that are fried in beef tallow to make RFK happy. There’s nothing timely about these BBQ potato chips from Trader Joe’s, but we’re so glad they exist. These are basically perfect. They have body. You can see potato skin around the edges, and they actually taste like potato rather than the oil they were fried in. They’re not too greasy. And the seasoning has an ideal blend of sweetness, saltiness, and smokiness, although they definitely lean sweet. Even if you’re dubious that these could be an improvement upon your current favorite BBQ potato chips, try them.

Cons: Okay, I know I said that “not too greasy” was a pro, but I also understand that some people love the thin, crackly, oily nature of Lay’s potato chips. If that’s you, these chips might fall a little flat by virtue of being drier. They kind of remind me of Calbee potato chips, which are always a touch thicker and less greasy. If you’re really attached to oily fingertips, I suppose you can skip these.

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

About the Author

Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks. Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction. Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home. Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.