Smoked Chex Mix

Smoked Chex Mix is a unique and tasty snack! It’s smoky, crunchy and delicious – perfect for watching football games or just hanging out with friends.

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Smoked Chex Mix is a unique and tasty snack!  It's smoky, crunchy and delicious - perfect for watching football games or just hanging out with friends.

“Hmmm, that’s different. But now I can’t stop eating this stuff!” Continuing with my latest obsession of cooking different things on the smoker, I decided to try my hand at making homemade Chex Mix…with a bit of added smoke flavor. It was different. But it was delicious!

At the end of last summer, I grabbed my recipe for ranch pretzels and turned ’em into Smoked Ranch Pretzels. They were packed with flavor, and I found myself reaching into the bowl for just one more…and then another…and then another.

Smoked Chex Mix is a unique and tasty snack! It's smoky, crunchy and delicious - perfect for watching football games or just hanging out with friends.

This summer, I decided to take the smoked snack mix game up a notch – with this Smoked Chex Mix. Imagine homemade Chex Mix but with the added flavor of smoke. It’s quite tasty! This snack is a great option to serve with cold beers and friends on a hot summer day. It would also be a fantastic game day snack.

Smoked Chex Mix

The recipe for this Smoked Chex Mix is pretty straight-forward. You’ve got the ingredients for homemade Chex Mix below. Then instead of putting the pan in the oven to bake, you put it on the smoker to smoke. You do need to stir the Chex Mix regularly, though – otherwise the bottom portion could burn. While Smoked Chex Mix has a great smoky flavor, I don’t think Burnt Chex Mix wouldn’t be as good.

When it comes to smoking, one of the most important factors is the type of wood you use. Trust me here. For milder recipes (like this snack mix), you want to go with a lighter-flavored wood. Apple or cherry would be great options. Mesquite or hickory are more intense, and those should be reserved for meats like brisket or pulled pork.

Smoked Chex Mix is a unique and tasty snack! It's smoky, crunchy and delicious - perfect for watching football games or just hanging out with friends.

I learned this lesson the hard way when I used mesquite wood with the smoked pretzels last summer. The smoke flavor was a little too intense. This time I went with apple wood. The smoke flavor is definitely there with this recipe, but it’s not as overpowering.

Ingredients for Chex Mix on the Smoker

  • Chex Cereal – an equal part mix of Corn Chex, Rice Chex and Wheat Chex forms the base for this snack mix.
  • Pretzels – I personally love mini-pretzels, so I included an equal part of those with the various Chex cereals.
  • Bagel and/or Rye Chips. Rye chips are my all-time favorite Chex Mix ingredient. They do have a stronger flavor, so feel free to use plain bagel chips instead.
  • Peanuts. A handful of peanuts adds a nice flavor and texture to a handful of homemade Chex Mix.
  • Seasonings: Melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder and onion powder.
Smoked Chex Mix is a unique and tasty snack! It's smoky, crunchy and delicious - perfect for watching football games or just hanging out with friends.

Optional Add-Ins

Want to mix this recipe up? Feel free to add in or omit any of the ingredients. Other fun options include:

  • Try different nuts like pecans, cashews or almonds.
  • Add some cheesy crackers like Cheez-Its or Goldfish.
  • Mix up the types of cereals. Cheerios are a good addition to homemade Chex Mix!
  • Instead of bagel chips, try your favorite crunchy chip like Bugles, Fritos or sesame sticks.
  • Add a bit of chocolate like M&Ms – just make sure to add these after the rest of the mix gets smoked!
  • Want a spicier version? Add some hot sauce or cayenne pepper!

How to Store Leftover Smoked Chex Mix

Once the snack mix comes off the smoker, make sure to let it cool completely. Leftovers can then be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Pro Tip: Separate the leftovers into smaller snack bags – these are great to grab for snacks or lunches!

Smoked Chex Mix is a unique and tasty snack! It's smoky, crunchy and delicious - perfect for watching football games or just hanging out with friends.

If you’re looking for a fun and tasty party mix, then put this Smoked Chex Mix recipe on the list. Cheers!

Did you make a batch of Smoked Chex Mix at home? Let me know how it turned out, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!

Smoked Chex Mix is a unique and tasty snack! It's smoky, crunchy and delicious - perfect for watching football games or just hanging out with friends.

Smoked Chex Mix

Smoked Chex Mix is a unique and tasty snack! It's smoky, crunchy and delicious – perfect for watching football games or just hanging out with friends.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 348kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat smoker to 225°F with indirect heat. (See note.)
  • Add several chunks of hardwood – I recommend a lighter flavored wood like apple or pecan.
  • Using a large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients; stir until well combined. Transfer snack mix into a deep baking pan. (Tip: I used a deep, disposable aluminum pan – it worked great!)
  • Using a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder and onion powder.
  • Pour half of the butter mixture over the snack mix; gently stir until well combined.
  • Repeat with remaining butter mixture; gently stir until well combined.
  • Place the pan on the smoker for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
  • Remove Chex mix from smoker and let cool before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. (Tip: Spread the Chex Mix out on a large baking sheet to allow it to cool faster.)

Notes

Indirect cooking on a grill is the opposite of cooking over direct flame.  Most ceramic grill/smokers have inserts for indirect grilling.  If you have a gas grill, you can set it up for indirect grilling by turning the two outside burners on medium or medium-low.  Then just leave the middle burner(s) off.  This method is called “M-O-M,” or medium-off-medium.  You will smoke the Chex mix over the middle (off) portion of the grill.  For charcoal grills, simply pile equal amounts of charcoal on either side of the grill but leave the center portion without any charcoal.  You will smoke the Chex mix over the middle (no charcoal) portion of the grill.
Smoked Chex Mix is a unique and tasty snack! It's smoky, crunchy and delicious - perfect for watching football games or just hanging out with friends.

Looking for more smoked snack recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:

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16 Comments

  1. Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use vegan worcestershire sauce i never had smoked chex mix before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work

    1. Yes, vegan Worcestershire sauce would be a good substitution to make this snack vegan, Ramya. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

  2. This Smoked Chex Mix recipe sounds absolutely addictive! I love the idea of adding a smoky twist to a classic snack mix, and your tips on using lighter wood like apple or cherry are super helpful. I can’t wait to try this out, it sounds perfect with a cold beer.

    1. Honestly, this smoked Chex Mix really is pretty addicting, Raymund. One bite becomes two becomes three…and then the bowl is empty! And, yes, it’s even better with a cold beer!

  3. 5 stars
    I’m not a fan of Cereal/ mixes, but I think that the fact this mix is smoked makes a HUGE difference! Besides, as you’ve mentioned, the mix is super versatile, and you can play with different ingredients. Now I urgently need a smoker! 🙂

    1. Haha – I do love smoking things, Ben! The added smoke flavor is fun in so many different recipes…although don’t try smoking ice cream. It doesn’t work. 🙂

    1. Hmmm, that doesn’t surprise me that Chex Mix is an American thing. Do you have a similar snack mix down there? It’s just a mix of a couple types of cereals and pretzels and rye chips – in fact, there are lots of copycat recipes out there to make your own snack mix!

  4. I have an annual summer barbecue, and it coincides with a time when my summer work has kind of hit a fever pitch – I always ask myself why I do that to myself, but let’s ignore that for the time being. 🙂 In any case, I would like to prepare some of the barbecue items in advance – like, months in advance if I could – and I’m wondering if there’d be a way to preserve this smoked Chex mix beyond the five days you recommend. Like, by vaccum sealing it? Or keeping it refrigerated? I’m wondering if you have any guesses about that.

    1. Haha – I was just wondering why you do a summer bbq at a time when work is crazy. Hey, if nothing else, it provides a nice distraction and a way to blow off some steam, right??

      Interesting question about preparing this way in advance. I’ve honestly never tried it, but I feel like vacuum sealing and then freezing would work. At least that’s what I would try as a first attempt. I’m intrigued about this idea now though…

  5. 5 stars
    Wow this is such a good idea David! My daughter and I love inventing new snack mixes, or putting a twist on one we already love. I never would have thought of using a smoker. I need to try this, yum!

    1. Hey Shannon! Putting a smoky flavor on a favorite recipe is always a fun way to mix things up. I’ve smoked all kinds of crazy stuff…and a lot of it turns out really well! (We tried cold smoking ice cream one time. It was really bad.) Hope all is well on your end!!

  6. 5 stars
    So, at our place, Steve is the one who is in charge of making chex mix. He makes a delicious batch which is quite addicting. However, he won’t share his recipe, as he says it brings him joy to be able to be the chex mix supplier – with that said, should I make your recipe and surprise him? 🙂 This looks fantastic, David and gosh darn, just like I have trouble with the batches Steve makes, I totally would not be able to stop eating this either!

    1. Haha – I love that Steve has assumed the title of Chex Mix Maker in your house! 🙂 I say let Steve keep his title…but gently suggest (i.e. demand) that he smokes it next time. Just be careful with the smoke. A little bit goes a long way! (I learned that the hard way…)

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