Taste-Testing (& Ranking) Glen Powell's Smash Kitchen Potato Chips
He has two favorite flavors at the moment.
Glen Powell is so much more than just an actor. He’s also established himself as a condiment king, thanks to his brand, Smash Kitchen. Now, the How to Make a Killing star is moving into the snack category with kettle potato chips.
Smash Kitchen’s debut lineup of non-GMO chips includes four flavors — classic sea salt, American-style barbecue, hot honey barbecue, and rosemary — which will be available starting Tuesday, Feb. 24, online and in Walmart stores. Since its launch in April 2025, Smash Kitchen has released everything from ketchup and mustard to mayonnaise (including a Thanksgiving-approved cranberry mayo) and barbecue sauce. By October, the brand had branched out into cooking oils as well. They basically have everything your pantry needs, so snacks just seemed like a natural next step.
Even though these debut flavors seem pretty basic, the barbecue chips are named after Smash Kitchen’s two sauces, which I’m already a fan of. Intrigued by Powell’s next move, I was able to get my hands on Smash Kitchen’s kettle chips for an early taste-test. Below, you’ll find my honest ranking of each flavor, and which ones are Powell’s current faves.
04American Style BBQ
The American Style BBQ flavor is a classic chip choice. It’s meant to be comparable to Smash Kitchen’s American Style BBQ sauce, and it definitely has that same mix of sweet and spicy flavors that I loved from Powell’s recipe.
The heat has more of a kick than Lay’s barbecue flavor, but at the end of the day, this is a traditional BBQ chip. I wouldn’t really be able to tell the difference in a blind taste-test against other brands. It’s just a necessary classic.
Rating: 4.6/5
03Hot Honey BBQ
I am a big Smash Kitchen hot honey fan. I have at least two bottles of the Hot Honey Ketchup in my kitchen right now, so I was most excited for this flavor. The brand also says this is one of Powell’s favorite flavors at the moment. With all that hype, I was a *bit* let down. The Hot Honey BBQ is very similar to the American Style BBQ.
While there is more spice, I found the hot honey to have less sweetness overall. For this flavor to get a higher rating, I would love more of the honey to come through like it does in the ketchup. TBH, Smash Kitchen could just make this a Hot Honey Ketchup flavor instead of BBQ, because ketchup-flavored chips are also popular and it would be more unique.
Rating: 4.6/5
02Classic Sea Salt
You really can’t go wrong with a classic sea salt kettle chip. This traditional flavor reminded me of the Kettle brand and Cape Cod’s chips, and had the perfect crunch. It wasn’t very salty either, which I enjoyed.
Ultimately, it’s exactly what you’d think and was the bag I finished first, so it gets high points.
Rating: 4.8/5
01Rosemary
This was the surprise winner for me and, according to the brand, it’s Powell’s go-to as well. Similar to how Smash Kitchen’s Cranberry Mayo tastes like fresh cranberry sauce, this was like rosemary straight from the grocery store. I loved how flavorful and natural it tasted. It is strong, though, with additional onion and garlic powder, so I didn’t eat it as quickly as the sea salt.
What I loved the most was how unique the flavor was, along with how Smash Kitchen really nailed the deliciousness. These chips would be an amazing crunchy addition to a perfect turkey sandwich, along with Smash Kitchen’s Cranberry Mayo. I can’t wait to try that next.
Rating: 4.9/5
