Take your snack game to the next level with this addictive Smoked Chex Mix! Loaded with crunchy rice cereal, nuts, pretzels, and a buttery seasoning, it's the best snack for game day, tailgating, or any occasion. This tasty party mix will satisfy your cravings and leave you coming back for more. Try it out and see for yourself how irresistible it is!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Why Smoked Chex Mix Is the Perfect Combination of Traditional Chex Mix and Your Smoker
With its tasty combination of sweet and savory flavors, Chex Mix has found a place on party tables for decades. There are dozens of variations based on the original recipe, and everyone seems to have a favorite. But get ready for something completely different: Smoked Chex Mix.
This dish takes the classic snack in a new direction by cooking in a pellet smoker! The smoke adds an incredible depth of smoky flavor and complexity, transforming what is almost a kids' snack into something much more sophisticated.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
The ingredients in this Smoked Chex Mix recipe are pretty standard, and it is the technique of smoking the mix that is important here.
Luckily, it's almost impossible to make a mistake smoking Chex Mix, so this is a wonderful project for anyone new to using a smoker.
Smoked Snack Mix Ingredients
For Smoked Chex Mix Traeger style, you'll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Worcestershire sauce
- Seasoned salt
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Wheat Chex cereal
- Corn Chex cereal
- Rice Chex cereal
- Salted mixed nuts
- Mini pretzels
Ingredient Notes and Variations
Chex Mix ingredients are pretty flexible. If you don't like one, leave it out or replace it with something you prefer. Pretzel twists, Cheerios, Goldfish, or Cheez Its crackers are popular ones. Just try to keep a good mix of sweet and salty ingredients.
To make a spicy Chex mix, add ½ teaspoon of chipotle pepper or cayenne pepper.
For a little sweetness, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
How to Make Smoked Chex Mix on a Pellet Grill
To prepare Chex Mix on the smoker:
- Preheat the smoker to 250°F for at least 15 minutes with the lid closed.
- Put the butter in a heavy-duty 9 X13 disposable aluminum baking pan. Once the smoker is at temperature and full of smoke, pop the pan inside until the butter melts.
- Remove the baking pan from the smoker using heat-resistant gloves and stir the Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and onion powder into the melted butter.
- Pour the Chex, salted mixed nuts, and mini pretzels into the baking pan with the melted butter mixture and coat well in the flavored butter.
- Return the baking pan to the smoker for one hour. Stir the mix carefully using a silicone spatula every 15 minutes.
- Remove the baking tray from the smoker and serve the mix warm.
Recommendations on the Type of Pellets to Use
Although hickory is one of the most popular woods used for smoking, it imparts a strong taste to food that can easily overpower the other flavors in this recipe.
Pecan wood isn't as overwhelming as hickory, and its sweet nuttiness pairs well with the ingredients. However, pecan smoke may still be a little too much for those who prefer the sweeter smoke produced by apple, maple, and cherry wood.
Equipment You Will Need
Although you don't have to use a pellet grill to smoke the Chex Mix, it does make it easy. A traditional smoker works almost as well, and you can even use a stovetop smoker if you want. If all you have is a standard grill, you can pick up a smoke tube for a few bucks and use it.
A disposable baking pan saves on cleanup, but you can also use a standard or perforated baking tray instead.
How to Store Smoked Snack Mix
Keep extra Chex Mix in an airtight container in the cupboard. You don't have to refrigerate it.
Since Chex Mix is best when warm, try reheating it in a microwave for about a minute. Or spread them out on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them in a 250-degree Fahrenheit oven for a few minutes. Watch carefully to prevent the snack mix from burning.
How Long Does It Last?
When Smoked Chex Mix is well sealed, this crunchy snack should last for several weeks before it starts to go stale.
More Smoker Recipes
Smoked Chex Mix
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons butter (1½ sticks)
- 8 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups Wheat Chex cereal
- 2 cups Corn Chex cereal
- 2 cups Rice Chex cereal
- ¾ cup salted nuts
- ¾ cup mini pretzels
Instructions
- Set the smoker to 250°F and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a large roasting pan on the smoker.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Add the Wheat Chex, Corn Chex, Rice Chex, salted nuts, and pretzels. Stir well and toss until coated.
- Close the lid and smoke for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Leave a Reply