Smoked and Savory Chex Mix

So let’s break down WHY this Smoked and Savory Chex Mix is so amazingly GOOD! Obviously it becomes significantly better when smoked with steak rub, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic butter, but let’s take a deeper dive on this snack!
  1. Smoking Process: Smoking imparts a deep, complex flavor that is difficult to achieve through other cooking methods. The long, slow cooking process allows the smoke to thoroughly permeate every piece of the mix. Different types of pellets / wood (like hickory, oak, or applewood) can contribute different flavor profiles—ranging from sweet and mild to rich and strong. This introduction of smokiness can provide a subtle backdrop or a bold contrast, depending on the wood used and the smoking time.
  2. Steak Rub: Most steak rubs contain a blend of spices, including salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and other seasonings. When sprinkled on Chex Mix, this rub adds layers of savory, spicy, and umami flavors. The salt content helps to enhance the existing tastes of other ingredients, while the spices add warmth and complexity. And let’s be honest, what doesn’t a good steak seasoning make better!
  3. Worcestershire Sauce: This condiment is known for its umami richness due to its ingredients like anchovies, tamarind, vinegar, molasses, and several spices. It’s a potent way to add depth and a slight tanginess to the mix. When it’s catching some heat and smoke on your pit, Worcestershire sauce can actually caramelize slightly, adding to the overall rich and savory profile.
  4. Garlic Butter: Butter adds a creamy richness and a slight sweetness which balances out the saltiness and strong flavors from the steak rub and Worcestershire sauce. The garlic, when combined with butter, turns into a more mellow, sweet, and aromatic flavor. This combination helps to tie all the other flavors together, making the mix more cohesive in taste. Plus it’s butter, so it tacks up all the spices from each of the various ingredients here.
  5. Texture: The smoking process also affects texture. The slow cooking method involved in smoking helps to dry out the snack mix just the right amount, ensuring it remains crunchy while also allowing it to absorb the flavored butter mix.
We think these components together create a multi-layered snacking experience: the smokiness adds a new depth, the steak rub provides a robust savory backbone, the Worcestershire sauce offers a tangy umami punch, and the garlic butter rounds everything out with a rich, aromatic smoothness. This Smoked and Savory Chex Mix is going to be the only way you’ll ever make it again!

INGREDIENTS

    Dry Ingredients
  • 4 cups of Wheat Chex
  • 4 cups of Corn Chex
  • 4 cups of Rice Chex
  • 4 cups of Cheezits or Goldfish
  • 4 cups of Small Pretzels (Butter Braids or Traditional)
  • 1 bag of Gardettos only Rye Chips
  • Optional: 1 lb of Mixed Nuts

    • Sauce
  • 2 sticks of Melted Salted Butter
  • 3-4 Tablespoons of Bear and Burtons Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of a Butter Garlic Rub (Grillheads Supply OMG or Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Butter)
  • Your Preferred BBQ or Steak Rub
  • Kosher Salt to Taste
  • Coarse Ground Black Pepper to Taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combining all of the dry ingredients in a full foil pan, mix to ensure all are well combined.

2. In a glass bowl of 4 cup measuring cup, melt butter, then add W sauce, and dry seasonings, whisk together until well incorporated.

3. Pour wet ingridents over the dry mix, then with either a spoon or your gloved hands mix the ingredients until everything is well coated.

4. Place on the smoker at 250 degrees, stirring every 20-30 minutes for 1.5-2 hours. You will be able to tell when the butter is baked into the chex mix.

Let cool and enjoy!