The Ultimate Chip Lineup for Your Cookout

You could just buy a few bags of potato chips and throw them on a table for your next party. Or you could curate the perfect lineup. You could satisfy everyone’s crunchy chip cravings. You could open your guests’ eyes to new flavors while still playing the hits—with our help, of course.

We’ve tasted so many chips—spicy, BBQ, tortilla, plain, corn. So we have a pretty good idea about which ones are worthy of your chip table. Here is the ultimate chip lineup to take any party from good to great. 

The Tortilla Chip: Maiz Blue Corn Totopops Corn Tortilla Chips

Sporked taste tester Ariana Losch called these tortilla chips game-changing, but I’d go a step further. These are life-changing. Come on, man. Soaking the corn kernels in citrus juice to infuse a little lime into the sitch? That is creative. Innovative. Magical! Illegal? Well, maybe it should be illegal for chips to be this good. If you’re serving guac or salsa at the function, the tortilla chips you grab can be such an afterthought. But you WILL get compliments all day long about these unique, flavorful blue corn tortilla chips—and you don’t even have to share that praise with us. All the glory goes to you for grabbing them (and Maiz for making them, of course). —Vinz Karl

Read our full ranking of the best tortilla chips

The Spicy Chip: Kettle Brand Krinkle Cut Habanero Lime

Habanero Lime might sound like a pretty niche flavor, but trust us, these chips are crowd pleasers. Kettle Brand Krinkle Cut Habanero Lime chips are for the texture girlies and spice lovers alike. The crunch of Kettle Brand chips is unmatched. It scratches an itch in the back of your brain you didn’t even know you had. That signature crunch is accompanied by a flavor powder that brings a warm heat and citrusy zip to the party. You’ll probably want to have a few canned cocktails on hand to cool things down a bit. —Vinz Karl

Read the full ranking of the best spicy chips

The BBQ Chip: Lay’s Sweet Southern Heat Barbecue

Not everyone loves the aggressive crunch of kettle-cooked chips, and that’s okay. This pick—our top-rated BBQ chip—is for the thin chip lovers. Lay’s Sweet Southern Heat BBQ chips are a revelation. They’re sweet, hot, and have a distinctly southern BBQ twang that’s best enjoyed by the handful. Pro tip: Pile these puppies on a squishy pulled pork sandwich or crumble them atop a loaded hot dog if you really want to party. The best chips for a cookout do double duty like that. —Vinz Karl

Read the full ranking of the best BBQ chips

The Chip for Dips: Cape Cod 40% Less Fat Kettle Cooked Original Potato Chips

You may think they’re boring, but plain potato chips need to be in the lineup. Now, I know what you may be thinking: “A reduced fat chip…really?” Really. These are perfect chips for dipping into fatty, delicious dips. They’re sturdy and crunchy like kettle chips, but just a little less oily and with just the right amount of salt. No one will know they’re reduced fat—we promise. Pair these with a rich French onion dip or a creamy Buffalo chicken dip for the cookout. —Vinz Karl

Read the full ranking of the best plain potato chips

The Limited Edition Chip: Lay’s Crispy Taco

The summer of ’24 is about to slap, in part because one of the best Lay’s flavors ever is back in stores for a limited time. If you’ve never tried Lay’s Crispy Taco chips and you come across them, you absolutely must add them to your cookout chip lineup. They don’t just taste like taco seasoning—they really taste like an entire crunchy taco in a chip. You can taste spicy beef, shredded cheese, and sour cream—really, we swear you can taste lettuce, too. Don’t knock ’em till you try ’em. —Gwynedd Stuart

The Topping Chip: Fritos Lightly Salted

If you’re serving chili at the cookout, then you better have a big bag of Fritos handy—but not regular, classic Fritos. Instead, opt for Fritos Lightly Salted. They’re a corn chip that tastes like actual corn and they’re much crispier than regular Fritos, which makes them much better as a topping. In my write up of the best corn chips I also suggested using them as a topping for a salad in place of croutons and I especially stand by that idea when it comes to cookout salads. —Justine Sterling

The Cheesy Chip: Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream

Not all cheesy chips can handle a dip, but Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream chips are some of the best chips for dipping, period. And you better have dips at a cookout. The ridges help hold onto the dip and also add extra crunch to contrast creamy textures. Try them with French onion dip or any sour cream-based dip. But they’re also delicious on their own with a unique flavor that walks that line of salt and tang. —Justine Sterling