Spicy Chex Mix

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Spicy Chex Mix is a sweet and salty twist on a classic party snack. This spicy, crunchy, and totally addictive crowd favorite combines crunchy peanuts, crispy Chex, and a sriracha-based blend of spices and seasonings that will have everyone at the party reaching for more.

spicy chex mix in a white bowl

Picture this: traditional Chex mix ingredients like salty pretzels, sweet rice, corn, and wheat Chex cereal pieces, and roasted peanuts are coated in a spicy, tangy blend of sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, butter, and aromatic spices, and then lightly toasted in the oven for a crispy finish. Each handful of this snack is an irresistible blend of salty, spicy, and sweet flavors, and it is always the first snack to disappear on game days, picnics, pot lucks, and cozy movie nights.

You can modify the ingredients to include your favorite chips, nuts, crackers, and even swap out the sriracha for your favorite spicy, or not so spicy hot sauce. Crunchy, addictive, and tons of sweet, spicy flavor: sriracha Chex mix has it all.

What is Chex Mix?

Chex Mix is a popular snack that combines Chex cereal (corn, wheat, or rice) with nuts, bite-sized pretzels, and specialty ingredients like bagel chips or Bugle corn chips. The snack mix is seasoned with spices like garlic powder and onion powder, as well as savory and sweet elements like Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and butter. 

spicy chex mix on a sheet pan

How to Make It

  1. Dry ingredients. Combine cereal, Bugles, peanuts, and pretzels.
  2. Wet ingredients. Melt the butter, then add the remaining ingredients. Pour over the cereal mixture and stir to combine. 
  3. Bake. Bake on the prepared baking sheet for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. 
  4. Cool and store. When cool, store in an airtight container. 
snacks for chex mix in a white bowl

Ingredients

  • Rice, Wheat, or Corn Chex – Use your favorite Chex cereal, or use a combination of all three for a taste of everything. 
  • Bugles Corn Chips – Light, crunchy bugle-shaped corn chips create visual appeal, and more sweet corn flavor.
  • Roasted Peanuts – To ensure the Chex mix doesn’t get too salty, use unsalted roasted peanuts. 
  • Bite-Sized Pretzels – Every spicy snack mix needs something salty. You can also use pretzel rods if you have them on hand.
  • Unsalted Butter – Butter does some heavy lifting in this recipe by coating the cereal mix as it crisps up in the oven, and giving the pieces of buttery taste.
  • Worcestershire Sauce – Worcestershire sauce coats the crunchy ingredients in the most amazing savory, tangy flavor.
  • Brown Sugar – For a touch of sweetness to complement the sriracha spice.
  • Hot Sauce – Sriracha sauce is such a versatile ingredient, and it’s my go-to hot sauce when I make spicy Chex. But, feel free to use your favorite, if you have one.
  • Garlic Powder, Onion Powder – Aromatic spices for the seasoning.
a jar of chili crisp

How to store

Spicy Chex mix disappears pretty quickly, but you can store this tasty snack for up to a week at room temperature in an air-tight container if needed.

Tips

  • Wrap spicy Chex mix in mini gift bags around the holidays for an easy (and delicious) homemade gift.
  • Don’t skip stirring the Chex mix as it toasts in the oven. This ensures every piece is perfectly seasoned and ultra crispy.
  • Use bat and pumpkin-shaped pretzels or Christmas-themed pretzels in place of traditional pretzels for your next holiday party snack mix. 

Variations

  • Try different nuts – Swap peanuts with pecans, cashews, almonds, or a nut of your choice.
  • Add mix-ins – Bagel chips (garlic or plain) and rice crackers are a fun, crunchy mix-in. Cheese crackers give the sriracha chex an addicting cheesy flavor.
  • Make it spicer – Add your favorite spicy chip like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or Trader Joe’s Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips in Chili and Lime for an extra spicy snack.  
adding butter mixture to chex mix

FAQs

Is Chex Mix spicy?

Sriracha Chex is mildly spicy. If you like your snacks super duper spicy, try Tabasco sauce for an even spicier kick.

What kind of hot sauce to use?

Some hot sauces are more mild and vinegary, and others are hot, hot, hot. I find Sriracha’s hot, but slightly sweet taste to provide the perfect balance of flavors. If you like just a smidge of spicy heat, try Frank’s Hot Sauce or Louisiana Hot Sauce, two of the most mellow sauces on the market. Craving a mightier kick? Tapatio Hot Sauce and Crystal Hot Sauce are guaranteed to have your taste buds tingling! 

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spicy chex mix in a white bowl
5 from 6 votes

Spicy Chex Mix Recipe

Spicy Chex mix is a sweet and salty twist on a classic party snack. This spicy, crunchy, and totally addictive crowd favorite combines crunchy peanuts, crispy Chex, and a sriracha-based blend of spices and seasonings that will have everyone at the party reaching for more.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12

Equipment

  • Half Sheet Pan
  • Parchment Paper
  • Saucepan

Ingredients 

  • 9 cups rice, wheat, or corn Chex (any combination will do but I like equal parts of the three)
  • 3 cups Bugels corn chips
  • 1 cup roasted peanuts
  • 1 cup bite-sized pretzels
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 to 3 tablespoons chili crisp (see note)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 250 F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Combine cereal, Bugels, peanuts, and pretzels in a large mixing bowl or plastic bag.
  • In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in all of the remaining ingredients. Pour over the cereal mixture and stir evenly combined.
  • Spread the snack mix out on the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown and fragrant, about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
  • Allow to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to a week.

Notes

Chili Crisp – Chili crisp gives this Chex Mix its spicy crunch and adds more flavor and texture. I use Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch which is fairly mild, so 2 1/2 tablespoons is the right amount for a Chex Mix that is spicy but not excessively so. If you are using a particularly spicy brand, be sure to adjust the amount accordingly. This recipe also works well with 1 tablespoon of Sriracha hot sauce instead of the chili crisp. 

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 403mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 989IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
Cost: $4.00
Calories: 371
Keyword: easy snack, family friendly, game day snacks, party snacks, snack mix, spicy snack
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About Jess Smith

Jess is the recipe creator and photographer at InquiringChef.com. She spent nearly a decade as the Chief Recipe Developer for the award-winning meal planning app Cook Smarts. Her colorful, healthyish recipes have been featured in popular online publications including Parade, Hallmark, and HuffPost.

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11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I’ve been making these for a while and they remain my favorite snack mix. The combination of sweet and spicy and the fragrance of the lime leaves (or even lime zest as a substitute) is addictive. Thanks for a great recipe!

  2. Delicious! I just made a double batch for snacks at the annual Father’s Day Golf tournament.
    The Brammer men will flip for this. Thankyou!

  3. I saw this mix and immediately thought; “I wonder if cheerios would have been one of the cereals 12 months ago” I don’t know about you – but we never had them in the house until the babe came around! Looks super tasty!

  4. Oooooh, this looks good! It reminds me of a snack mix my grandparents used to make, but fancied up with sriracha and kaffir lime leaves. Pinning this for when I can get my hands on some chex!

  5. YES! Making this over the weekend. TJ’s has this chili lime nut mix that I’m obsessed with and of course can’t find at the KC locations. This may be a suitable replacement!