Doritos is bringing Lemon Pepper chips to store shelves in early 2027 as a limited-time release, USA Today reports. The brand says lemon pepper has become one of food culture's most recognizable and beloved flavors, and it is combining that bold seasoning with its iconic triangular crunch.

It marks the first time the brand has turned this specific Southern favorite into a chip.

The inspiration traces directly back to Atlanta, the city credited with popularizing lemon pepper chicken wings, a flavor that later became a staple at chains like Wingstop and Zaxby's.

Docksiderestaurant notes Doritos has explored wing territory before with Blazin' Buffalo & Ranch and Ultimate Garlic Parm, but never this Atlanta specialty.

PepsiCo marketing SVP Jess Spaulding told USA Today that lemon pepper was born out of Atlanta's wing scene and felt like a natural fit for Doritos.

Getting lemon pepper right on a chip is harder than it sounds, Spaulding told USA Today: you want the bright citrus up front and the pepper to build as you eat. The brand describes the chip as opening bright and tangy, moving into peppery heat and savory notes, and finishing with a lingering zest.

Docksiderestaurant adds that the flavor was deliberately sequenced to unfold across the bite rather than blend into one flat note.

Doritos previewed the yellow-bagged flavor at the National Association of Convenience Stores Show in Las Vegas, where retailers tasted it and the reaction was immediate, Spaulding said.

Delish reports the food account @snackolator spotted the display with a 'Limited Time' label and suggested a possible January release, though Doritos has not confirmed a date.

Delish's commenters reacted with enthusiasm, with one planning to pair the chips with Wingstop lemon pepper wings and another calling for a Baja Blast on the side.

The buzz arrived well before any shelf release, and Delish's readers showed how devoted the flavor's following already is. One commenter wrote they would 'eat so much of that,' another said 'okay. they got me with these,' and a more cautious fan admitted to being simply 'chip curious.'

Delish's writer already expects a bag to land in the cart come January, even beside the Baked Lay's, which shows how much a single yellow bag has moved loyal chip shoppers.

The new flavor joins a lineup of 14 current Doritos flavors, USA Today reports, alongside recent launches like Doritos Protein chips in Nacho Cheese and Sweet & Tangy BBQ, and the dye-free Simply NKD Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch varieties.

Docksiderestaurant cautions that Lemon Pepper is expected to be available for a limited time only, with exact retailers unconfirmed, so fans will want to stock up when it arrives in early 2027.