The $1 Million Chip: Ranking Every Lay's Do Us A Flavor Winner, Including The New Bacon Grilled Cheese Champion

The Lay's "Do Us a Flavor" contest has once again cemented its place as the ultimate crowdsourcing marketing phenomenon, and as of December 18, 2025, the snack world is still buzzing about the newest million-dollar chip. After a highly anticipated return that generated over 700,000 flavor submissions, the grand prize was awarded to a flavor that perfectly captures the essence of comfort food: Bacon Grilled Cheese.

This innovative competition, which began in the US in 2012, challenges everyday consumers to dream up the next great potato chip flavor, offering a life-changing $1 million prize or a percentage of the flavor’s net sales. The latest winner, Paula George from Oklahoma, beat out two other wildly creative finalists, proving that nostalgia and simple, savory goodness still reign supreme in the snack aisle. The contest is a masterclass in consumer engagement, turning a simple bag of chips into a national obsession and a temporary flavor laboratory.

The $1 Million Quest: Lay's Do Us a Flavor's Triumphant Return

The "Do Us a Flavor" contest, sometimes rebranded as "Lay's Flavor Quest" in different markets, is more than just a competition; it's a massive, multi-year marketing strategy that drives incredible media coverage and sales spikes. After a hiatus, the US contest returned, generating a frenzy of flavor submissions in late 2024 and early 2025.

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The process is rigorous. From hundreds of thousands of entries, a panel of Frito-Lay culinary experts and judges narrows the field down to a handful of finalists. These finalists have their flavors professionally developed, manufactured, and released nationwide for a limited time. The ultimate decision is then handed over to the public, who vote for their favorite to win the grand prize and earn a permanent spot on store shelves.

The Latest Champion: Bacon Grilled Cheese (2025)

The most recent winner, Bacon Grilled Cheese, was submitted by Paula George and was announced as the champion in mid-2025. This flavor was an immediate hit, combining the creamy, sharp notes of melted cheddar and American cheese with the salty, smoky crunch of bacon. It perfectly encapsulated a beloved comfort food, making it a natural choice for a wide audience.

The other finalists in the 2025 competition demonstrated the sheer creativity of the submissions:

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• Valentina & Lime: A bold, spicy, and tangy flavor inspired by the popular Mexican hot sauce, Valentina, which offers a vibrant kick of chili and a bright citrus finish.
• Wavy Korean-Style Fried Chicken: An adventurous flavor that captured the sweet, savory, and slightly spicy glaze of authentic Korean fried chicken, presented on a Wavy Lay's chip for extra crunch.

The Hall of Fame: Every US Lay's Do Us a Flavor Winner and Finalist

Since its US debut in 2012, the contest has produced five million-dollar winners, each representing a unique moment in American culinary trends. Reviewing the finalists provides a fascinating look at the flavors that captured the nation's imagination.

1. Bacon Grilled Cheese (2025 Winner)

• Winner: Paula George (Sapulpa, Oklahoma)
• Finalists: Valentina & Lime, Wavy Korean-Style Fried Chicken.
• The Vibe: Pure, unadulterated comfort food nostalgia.

2. Crispy Taco (2017 Winner)

• Winner: Ellen Sarem (Phoenix, Arizona)
• Finalists: Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese, and Fried Green Tomato.
• The Vibe: A fusion of crunchy texture and classic Mexican-American seasoning, capturing the essence of a fast-food favorite.

3. Southern Biscuits and Gravy (2015 Winner)

• Winner: Hailey Green (Indiana)
• Finalists: New York Reuben, Wavy West Coast Truffle Fries, and Kettle Cooked Greektown Gyro.
• The Vibe: A bold, regional breakfast flavor that sparked intense debate. The four finalists in this year were particularly diverse, representing different regional cuisines across the US.

4. Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger (2014 Winner)

• Winner: Meneko Spigner McBeth (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Finalists: Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese, Wavy Mango Salsa, and Cappuccino.
• The Vibe: An unexpected, sophisticated, and globally-inspired flavor. The inclusion of Wasabi Ginger and Cappuccino showed Lay's willingness to experiment with sweet, spicy, and savory combinations, pushing the boundaries of what a potato chip could be.

5. Cheesy Garlic Bread (2012 Winner)

• Winner: Karen Weber-Mendham (Wisconsin)
• Finalists: Chicken and Waffles, and Sriracha.
• The Vibe: The original winner, setting a high bar with a flavor profile that was universally loved and easy to translate to a chip. It demonstrated that simple, well-executed flavors could win against more avant-garde competitors like the controversial Chicken and Waffles.

Global Chip Craze: The Most Wild International Lay's Flavors

The "Do Us a Flavour" concept is not exclusive to the United States; it has been a global phenomenon, with each country adapting the competition to reflect its unique culinary landscape and regional tastes. This global approach demonstrates Lay's commitment to hyper-localization and consumer-driven innovation, creating a treasure trove of unique, limited-edition snack entities.

The international variations often feature flavors that would be unthinkable in the US market, showcasing the dramatic differences in global snack preferences.

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Canada's Poutine and Dessert Chips

The Canadian version of the contest has consistently delivered some of the most unique and regionally-focused chips, with a prize of $50,000. A key winner was P.E.I. Scalloped Potatoes, a tribute to Prince Edward Island's famous potato crop, which captured a creamy, cheesy, and savory baked potato flavor.

However, the 2014 Canadian finalists pushed the boundaries even further, including:

• Bacon Poutine: An ode to the iconic Quebec dish, combining gravy, cheese curds, and bacon.
• Tzatziki: A fresh, Mediterranean-inspired flavor with cucumber, yogurt, and dill.
• Jalapeño Mac n' Cheese: A spicy, cheesy twist on a classic comfort meal.
• Cinnabon: Arguably the most daring, this sweet, cinnamon-sugar roll flavor was a true dessert chip, proving that no flavor is off-limits.

These international competitions provide valuable insight into consumer behavior and market trends. The success of flavors like Bacon Poutine and P.E.I. Scalloped Potatoes shows that consumers worldwide are eager to see their favorite local dishes—whether it's a greasy late-night snack or a family staple—transformed into a crunchy, shareable format. The chips become a temporary novelty, a talking point, and a point of national pride.

The Lasting Impact of Lay's Crowdsourcing Strategy

The "Do Us a Flavor" contest is a brilliant example of modern crowdsourcing and consumer engagement. By offering a massive prize and the chance for "infamy" as a chip creator, Lay's effectively turns every customer into a temporary product development specialist. This strategy achieves several critical business goals:

• Massive Free Publicity: The contest generates millions of social media mentions, news articles, and taste-test reviews, providing invaluable, low-cost marketing.
• Product Innovation: It provides Frito-Lay's culinary experts with a massive, unfiltered database of flavor trends and consumer desires, far exceeding what traditional market research could achieve.
• Brand Rejuvenation: The limited-edition nature of the finalists creates urgency, driving consumers to stores to buy and try the new flavors before they disappear, keeping the Lay's brand fresh and exciting.

From Cheesy Garlic Bread to the latest Bacon Grilled Cheese, the Lay's "Do Us a Flavor" contest has left a permanent mark on the snack industry. It proves that the most successful flavors often come not from a corporate boardroom, but from the imaginative mind of an everyday chip lover.