Packed with a combination of slightly spicy barbecue herbs and spices, and a touch of brown sugar sweetness, this crunchy homemade rice chex mix will have you reaching for another handful before you even finish the first. Its perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and barbecue flavors, along with its satisfying crunch, make this snack mix a real crowd-pleaser for almost any party, game day, or event.
As each day goes on, every week comes to an end, and all twelve months of the passing year slowly dwindle away, I get more and more enamored with snacky dinners. Slices of thick creamy, sharp, and crumbly cheese, crispy crackers, crunchy pretzels with sweet hot mustard, salty olives of all varieties, or a random piece of leftover holiday chocolate at the bottom of the candy jar; it really doesn’t matter what the snack is, as long as it doesn’t require way too many hours spent in the kitchen, cooking for what seems like hours before spending even more precious time washing a virtual mountain of dirty dishes. Recipes like this one are now pretty much what I live for. I can bake up a snacky batch of delicious heaven and it allows me to skip the whole dinnertime routine of cooking followed by dishwashing for at least a day or two. If you need a break and feel the same way, say hello to your new favorite dinnertime meal. A bowl of slightly sweet seasoned barbecue rice chex mix, with just the right spicy kick. Feel free to finish off the meal with a random holiday chocolate or two if that’s your thing. No judgment here.
Ingredients:
- 6 Cups of Rice Chex Cereal
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Melted
- 2 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
- 3/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 3/4 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cayenne
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
- Place the Rice Chex in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, vinegar, chili powder, paprika, salt, oregano, onion powder, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne.
- Pour half of the butter mixture over the Rice Chex and use a silicone spatula to gently stir the cereal until it is evenly coated. Pour the remaining butter mixture over the cereal and once again gently stir it until it is evenly coated.
- Empty the butter-coated cereal onto a baking sheet and use a silicone spatula to spread it out into an even layer.
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring the cereal every 15 minutes to make sure that it bakes evenly.
Suggestions:
- If you like things less spicy, add less ground cayenne. If you like things more spicy, add more ground cayenne.
- Make sure to gently stir the cereal until it is evenly coated. There will be some pieces that have more seasoning than others, however, you don’t want any of the pieces to be completely bare of seasoning.
- Bake the Rice Chex until they are crunchy and no longer appear wet. This should take between 45 and 60 minutes at 250 degrees.
- Allow the baked cereal to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container.
Improvements:
- If you so desire, replace the Rice Chex in this recipe with Corn Chex or Wheat Chex.
- Add a 1/2 cup of peanuts to the Rice Chex.
- Make sure to check out this Crockpot Rice Chex Mix recipe or this Gluten-Free Sweet & Salty Baked Spicy Rice Chex recipe.
Ingredients:
- 6 Cups of Rice Chex Cereal
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Melted
- 2 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
- 3/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 3/4 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cayenne
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
- Place the Rice Chex in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, vinegar, chili powder, paprika, salt, oregano, onion powder, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne.
- Pour half of the butter mixture over the Rice Chex and use a silicone spatula to gently stir the cereal until it is evenly coated. Pour the remaining butter mixture over the cereal and once again gently stir it until it is evenly coated.
- Empty the butter-coated cereal onto a baking sheet and use a silicone spatula to spread it out into an even layer.
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring the cereal every 15 minutes to make sure that it bakes evenly.
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In 2024, we’ll be cooking and baking our way through the alphabet with several of our food blogger friends. Every other Wednesday, for the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, we’ll be sharing a new recipe featuring a consecutive letter of the alphabet, starting with A in January and ending with Z in December.
“A” – Dried Apple & Bourbon Oven-Baked Sauerkraut
“B” – Spicy Barbecue Seasoned Rice Chex Mix
“C” – Dove Dark Chocolate Chunk Cakey Muffins
“D” – Italian Deviled Eggs with Heart-Shaped Tomatoes
“E” – Buttery Everything Bagel Seasoning Biscuits
“F” – Butternut Squash Soup with French Herbes
“G” – Creamy Simple Stovetop Gouda Mac & Cheese
“H” – Sweet Honey Deviled Eggs with Fennel Fronds
“I” – Orange & Feta Italian Orzo Pasta Salad
“J” – Brown Sugar Caribbean Jerk Seasoning
“K” – Kalamata, Mozzarella, & Tomato Couscous Salad
“L” – Fresh Dill Deviled Eggs with a Hint of Lemon
“M” – Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Fresh Mint
“N” – Great Northern Bean Summer Caprese Salad
“O” – Firecracker Oatmeal Peanut Butter Blossoms
“P” – Creamy Potato Salad with Crunchy Fennel
“Q” – Butternut Squash Taco Ravioli with Queso Fresco
“R” – Cheeseburger Broccoli Rice Soup Casserole
Please make sure to check out the other great “B” recipes below. A huge thanks to A Day in the Life on the Farm for hosting this 2024 Alphabet Challenge event.
- Bagel Chip from Leftover Bagels by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Barley Karamani Adai (Barley Cowpea Savoury Pancake) by Sizzling Tastebuds
- Beet Fennel Paratha by Magical Ingredients
- Beetroot Mezhukkupuratti by Sneha’s Recipe
- Beetroot Tomato Soup by Mayuri’s Jikoki
- Bisque of Lobster by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Blueberry Biscuits by Palatable Pastime
- Börek with a California Twist by Culinary Cam
- Brooklyn Blackout Cake by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Spicy Barbecue Seasoned Rice Chex Mix by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly by Food Lust People Love
- 20 Minute Bean and Beef Tostadas by Blogghetti