Inspired By A Southern BBQ Sauce, One Of Trader Joe's Best Summer Snacks Is Only Around For The Season

Trader Joe's is always coming out with new and exciting seasonal goodies, but some are so tasty that they make repeat appearances. One of Trader Joe's best summer snacks to stock up on before they run out has actually been making fleeting appearances in a short window in August for the past few years. We're talking about Trader Joe's Carolina Gold Style BBQ Ridge Cut Potato Chips, which have captured the hearts (and stomachs) of customers since debuting. 

Unlike the tomato-based barbecue sauces you'll find in Texas, Carolina-style barbecue sauce is mustard-based with an acidic flavor that's balanced with sweetness. Trader Joe's Carolina Gold Style BBQ Ridge Cut Potato Chips capture the tangy, sweet nature of Carolina barbecue sauce beautifully. These ridge-cut chips are also decadently crunchy, with each groove trapping all the barbecue seasoning for a flavor bomb that Trader Joe's customers can't get enough of.

A customer on Reddit summed up the flavor and texture of the chips nicely, stating, "These are a thick ridge cut that CRUNCH with a spicy/tangy/not too sweet mustard-based bbq season." Another Redditor said that the Carolina Gold Style BBQ Ridge Cut Potato Chips are "genuinely my favorite chip that TJ's has ever made," while one fan went so far as to say that they're "the greatest achievement of human culture in the 21st century." Since they're only around for a limited time, customers recommend stocking up on as many bags as possible because, as one Redditor says, "these lasting over 24 hours is a challenge."

If you can refrain from eating an entire bag of TJ's Carolina Gold Style BBQ Ridge Cut Potato Chips in one sitting, you'll find that these uniquely vinegary and mustardy chips have a wide range of delicious uses. The most obvious way to enjoy these chips are as an accompaniment or garnish to Carolina-style barbecue. For example, they'd be the perfect topping for a pulled pork sandwich. If you're having a summertime cookout these chips would make the perfect hot dog topping, too. One Redditor even recommended crushing the potato chips into a flavorful breading for chicken tenders or chicken cutlets.

Trader Joe's also has a long list of dips and spreads to pair with these sweet and tangy potato chips. For a true Southern experience, you can dunk them into TJ's Pimento Cheese Dip. They'd also taste delicious paired with the chain's Chicken Uncured Bacon Ranch Dip. You can also give the potato chips even more flavor with a Trader Joe's seasoning mix. The high ridges will catch all the extra seasoning that you sprinkle over them. Just as they'd taste good with a ranch dip, you could also add some of TJ's Ranch Seasoning Blend to the chips to complement their sweet, tangy flavor with a punch of aromatics and fresh herbs.