Crunchy? Yes.
Masaledaar? Yes.
Can you stop after one? Not possible.
Potato chips are one of the most addictive snacks that you just can’t stop munching on. With multiple types of masala chips available in the market, we set out to find which are the best masala potato chips brands in India.
After testing and tasting half a dozen brands, we chose Lay’s Indian Magic Masala and Uncle Chipps (Masala) as our Top Picks. They are crunchy, tasty and have the best masala blend. Both these brands have a staunch fan following. And as it turns out, it’s for a valid reason.
Table of Contents
Quick Comparison of Masaledar Potato Chips Brands
Quick glance at all the masala potato chips brands we reviewed and the rating awarded to them.
Brands | Mishry Rating | Buy Now |
Lay’s | 4 | Add to cart |
Uncle Chipps | 4 | – |
Bingo | 3.5 | – |
Haldiram’s | 3 | Add to cart |
Too Yumm | 2.75 | Add to cart |
Fun Flips | 2.25 | – |
Our Review Factors
What are we looking for? A crunchy bag of chips with the best tasting Indian-style masala.
To find the best masala potato chips, we set the following parameters –
1. Taste
Our checklist included – spice and salt levels, sourness, and overall flavor of the blend of masalas used. Can we taste the potatoes? Is there any oily aftertaste?
2. Texture
The crunch should be pronounced without the chip feeling or tasting oily.
We also checked for price, packaging, and shelf life.
Parameters like ingredients and nutritional information did not play a huge role.
Also read – The tastiest classic salted potato chips
Our Review Process
We conducted a blind taste test. This helped eliminate any bias any reviewer had towards a particular brand.
Barring 1 brand, almost all potato chips looked identical.
Best Masala Potato Chips Brands – Detailed Review
Details about the brands we tested, their pros and cons, and individual ratings are discussed below –
1. Lay’s India’s Magic Masala – Mishry Top Pick
Lay’s is our winner for two reasons that held the most importance – they are the crunchiest potato chips out of all the brands we tried and these have the tastiest, most addictive blend of Indian-style masalas. We could not stop going back for these, even when we didn’t know which brand is which.
This has a distinct tomato tang paired with bold garlicky flavors. The salt levels are balanced. We liked the lingering spiciness that spreads in the mouth after a few bites.
These chips are neither oily to touch or taste.
Product Details
A 50 gm pack is priced at Rs 20/-. Its shelf life is 4 months. The main ingredients include potatoes, edible vegetable oil (palm oil, rice bran oil), seasoning, salt, maltodextrin, black salt, sugar, and tomato powder.
It also contains acidity regulators, anticaking agents, color and natural/nature identical flavoring substances.
- Very crunchy.
- Not oily to touch or taste.
- Best tasting Indian-style masala.
- Balanced salt levels.
- We liked the lingering spiciness.
- Tomato and garlic flavors are in sync with each other.
Deliciously addictive! Lay’s Indian Magic Masala is a familiar flavor that you just cannot say no to.
2. Uncle Chipps Spicy Treat – Mishry Top Pick
Uncle Chipps not only pulls on your nostalgia cord, but it is actually tasty. Although these look different, and have a different definition of ‘Indian Masala’, we found these to be as delicious and crunchy as Lay’s. Meant for those who like the pudina-kick to their bag of masala chips.
Medium spice levels with a well-balanced masala that coats the crunchy chips well.
Product Details
A 50 gm pack of Uncle Chipps is priced at Rs 20/-. The shelf life is 4 months. Main ingredients include edible vegetable oil, seasoning, maltodextrin, edible starch, salt substitute, and milk solids. It also contains anti caking agents, flavor enhancers, color and modified starch.
- Crunchy chips.
- Delicious and well-rounded masala that coats all the chips well.
- Non-oily to touch.
- Like Lay’s, this is also one of the best tasting Indian-style masalas albeit a bit different.
Minty masala? Uncle Chipps is a bag of masaledaar crunchy potato chips that we couldn’t stop munching on.
3. Bingo Masala Chips
Bingo’s Masala Chips are well-seasoned. These have a slight tang and a prominent chilli flavor. These were the spiciest of the lot. The crunch is pronounced. The only reason this did not win is because the masala is not as well rounded as our winners.
Product Details
A 25 gm pack is priced at Rs 10/-. It has a shelf life of 4 months.
- Well-seasoned.
- Pronounced crunch.
4. Haldiram’s Mast Masala
Although Haldiram’s Masala Chips are tasty by themselves and there isn’t anything particularly wrong with them in any way, these did not win because in a comparative tasting, we found better tasting, crunchier potato chips.
These are fairly crunchy and are masaledaar with a low-medium spice level.
Product Details
Haldiram’s 65 gram pack is priced at Rs 25/- and comes with s shelf life of 4 months.
- Crunchy.
- Well-seasoned, flavorful chips.
5. Too Yumm Indian Masala
Too Yumm’s Indian Masala Chips did not win because this isn’t as crunchy or masaledaar as our winners. In comparison, it tastes flat and the intensity of the masala is very low. This brand was also the least spicy.
Product Details
A 70 gm pack is priced at Rs 30/- and has a shelf life of 6 months.
- Not as crunchy.
- Tastes flat. Masala intensity is low.
6. Fun Flips Mix Masala Chips
Fun Flips Potato Chips did not win our review because these have an overpowering, peculiar sourness which masks the flavor of any other masala present in this chip. It is dominant on the dried mango-like sourness, has a low masala intensity and lacks the well-rounded flavor we were looking for.
Moreover, these are slightly thicker and the crunch is low in comparison.
Product Details
A 52 gram pack is priced at Rs 20/- and has a shelf life of 4 months.
- Overpowering peculiar souness.
- Low masala intensity.
- Lacks a well-rounded flavorful masala.
- Thicker.
- Lower crunch levels.
Our Top Picks & Recommendations
Why did we choose Lay’s and Uncle Chipps as our Top Picks?
Crunchy? Check.
Masaledaar? Check.
DELISH? Check.
Lay’s Indian Magic Masala and Uncle Chipps are both our Top Picks because they are crunchy, masaledaar and have a certain addictive quality about them.
Although their definition of Indian masala differs vastly from each other, they both stood out and won this title unchallenged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some interesting FAQs on Indian masala chips.
1. Are these potato chips healthy?
No. None of these potato chips can be categorized as healthy.
2. Can these chips be paired with tea or coffee?
Yes. If you like pairing savory and spicy crisps with your cuppa, these can be consumed with tea or coffee.
3. Do mayo and jalapeño dips enhance the taste of these chips?
We suggest you consume these masala chips as is. These are already masaledaar and would taste very spicy with a jalapeno dip. If you must, you can consume these with a cooler dip like mayonnaise or hung curd.
4. Are these chips a vegetarian food item?
Yes, all the above brands we tested are 100% vegetarian.
5. Do these chips contain preservatives?
No. There are no added preservatives. But these do contain flavor enhancers, anti caking agents and acidity regulators which are not meant to be consumed on a regular basis.
Final Verdict
Chomp, crunch and YUM!
We chose Lay’s Indian Magic Masala and Uncle Chipps as our Top Picks. They are crunchy and have the tastiest masala blend.
Which are your favorite bag of potato chips?
Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.