REVIEW: Taco Bell Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos

Taco Bell Flamin Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos Wrapper

What are the Taco Bell Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos?

The recently released Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos now has its own Taco Bell Doritos Locos Taco shell. It’s available with a regular Crunchy (seasoned beef, lettuce, and cheese) and Crunchy Supreme (seasoned beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sour cream) taco. There’s also a Doritos Cheesy Gordita Crunch with the spicy tangy shell.

How are they?

Well, let me start with a few thoughts about Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos, the tortilla chips. I didn’t review them on the site, but I think I loved them slightly more than our reviewer did. I know it’s only February, but they are my favorite snack of the year so far. If you haven’t had them, they’re basically Cool Ranch with a noticeable kick. The tangy seasoning helps tone down the spiciness to a Flamin’ Not-Too-Hot, but that’s what makes the chips so hard to put down. There’s no need for beverage breaks that I have to take when eating regular Flamin’ Hot snacks, and I can just keep shoving them into my mouth.

Taco Bell Flamin Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos Shell

This Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco shell is almost as outstanding as the chips. It has the same flavor profile — spicy Cool Ranch – although the flavor and heat are slightly less potent than the chips.

Even with the seasoned beef, the tangy seasoning comes through. Actually, I think the Cool Ranch shines better on this shell than what I remember from the original Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco (R.I.P.). Like the chips, the ranch seasoning tones down the Flamin’ Hot’s fieriness, and the taco’s vegetables (and the sour cream in the Supreme) affect the spiciness slightly more. But overall, I love the flavor and heat of these tacos, and I could probably eat a Party Pack of them. It’s my new favorite Doritos Locos Taco variety.

Taco Bell Flamin Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos Filling

Anything else you need to know?

These are available for a limited time, and that makes me sad. I guess after they’re gone, I could publicly complain, get others to complain, and, if there’s enough of us, maybe Taco Bell will bring it back like the Mexican Pizza. Or perhaps it’ll return periodically like the Nacho Fries. Or maybe it’ll disappear from the face of the Taco Bell menu forever like my previous D.L.T. favorite — the Fiery Doritos Locos Taco (which, by the way, was spicier than this).

Conclusion:

Taco Bell Flamin Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos Side by Side

If you enjoy Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos as much as I do, then these tacos are a no-brainer. If you love these tacos, eat a lot, because I really want them to return.

Purchased Price: $2.29 (regular) $2.99 (Supreme)*
Size: N/A
Rating: 9 out of 10 (both)
Nutrition Facts: Regular – 170 calories, 10 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 23 milligrams of cholesterol, 370 milligrams of sodium, 12 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 8 grams of protein. Supreme – 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 380 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

19 thoughts to “REVIEW: Taco Bell Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos”

  1. $0.70 for some tomatoes and sour cream? Nah.. just get regular and add your own if you want to save.

    1. What if one doesn’t have any tomatoes and/or sour cream at home? Not everyone does; I know I never do. Given that, it’s plenty worth it (to me, at least), to “splurge” on the extra $0.70 to get something I really want. Just saying.

  2. Tried to try these last night. They were awful. We think something was wrong with them. They tasted like they had been stored in an old box sitting in a musty abandoned office building for the last 6 years. Between my fiancée and myself we threw away 3 hardshell tacos and one cheesey gordita crunch variety. I’ve NEVER thrown away food from Taco Bell before. I rarely throw away food in general. Will try again from a different location.

  3. Thanks, for this review…including the timing of it! Friday nights happen to be the one (and only) time, each week, that I allow myself fast food. THESE are now what I going to get tonight…and I can’t wait! 😀

  4. I strongly disagree with this review, I found the shells to be flavorless, not even a hint of spice, nor cool ranch flavor. They also have a very weird, brittle texture that I found off-putting.
    I ate them, but I didn’t enjoy them much, and won’t be ordering again.
    On the plus side, my taco lovers pass has now more then paid for itself, I hope they keep that around.

      1. Taco Bell offered a $10 pass that would allow you to get a taco every day for 30 days. It doesn’t seem to be available anymore.

      2. For $10 you get a taco lovers pass which gets you a free taco everyday for 30 days.
        The day I bought it there was a reward in the app that if you spent $10 you got a free chips and queso ( a 1.49 value), so I did that.
        Once you pay for the pass a new category appears (I had to close the app, then reopen to see it) on the menu for “taco lovers pass” there you can choose which one you want (it includes the nacho cheese dorito loco supreme which goes for 2.99 around here, so after 3 trips it has paid for itself)
        The $10 also counts toward your rewards, so that’s 40% of another free taco.
        You can use the regular reward free taco, and a taco lovers free taco on the same order, just use the taco lovers pass after you put the regular reward free taco in the cart, otherwise it removes the first one.

        Just to be clear, this new flamin cool taco is not included on the taco lovers pass.

        Probably more then you wanted to read, but thought I’d share some experiences, hope it helps…

    1. Aw man. Is this going to be like my take on the new Coke Zero Sugar all over again? I love it, but everyone else hates it.

      1. Sorry Marvo,
        I had high hopes going in, I even ordered two of them. I knew they wouldn’t be as hot as I wanted, but I just got nothing for flavor.
        As for the texture, I knew it was familiar, and I think I have finally recalled it as when Pringles had a nacho cheese tortilla chip out. It has like extra course corn meal in them and wasn’t chip like crunchy at all to me.

        I’m really not trying to be a disagreeable _rick, but I just looked at my taco bell app, and on the home screen, if you scroll down toward the bottom, I still see a taco lovers pass for sale.

        There’s also something that says something BIG is coming on the 13th… Heard anything?

        Thanks for all you do brother, it is appreciated even if I don’t always agree!

        1. No need to apologize. I’m happy you shared your thoughts about them. Also, I just checked the Taco Bell app and now I see it when I scroll to the bottom. I think when it first came out it was in the Tacos section, so I assumed it would be there. Thanks for letting me know. As for the 13th, I have no idea. Might be a Super Bowl-related thing? Maybe Taco Bell is giving away tacos tomorrow?

          1. Now it says something saucy is coming on 5/29 and I will be rewarded then.
            If I remember, good lord that’s three months out

    2. Man, when you said “taco lovers pass,” I really got the wrong idea! I thought you meant, ‘these gave me diarrhea, so I passed them extremely easily.’ Oops.

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