Smoked Cheez Its

This Smoked Cheez Its recipe is perfect for snacking any time of the day or night. Fire up the grill and smoke these tasty crackers for your next party or tailgating event.

These tasty cheese crackers are ideal for everyone who loves tailgate recipes and appetizer recipes. They are an exceptional smoked snack you can make on any grill or smoker. If you love Traeger recipes, this one is for you!

I’m a huge fan of cheese in any form. I absolutely love cheesy recipes. I absolutely gravitate to any recipe that has cheese in it, on it or anywhere near it!

Cheese crackers are already addictive as a snack. Then some genius decided to add some extra flavour and smoke them on the grill. Whoever was the first person to do that is, I’d like to personally thank you for paving the way for the rest of us to smoke these little beauties in a variety of flavours.

Now before any Cheez-It fanatics flip out on me and say “those are NOT cheez-its”, let me confirm for the record they are NOT, in fact, cheez-its. They are hard to get where I live in Canada. So, I used Cheese Nips. They are very similar to your beloved cheez-its, I promise.

That said, use whatever cheese crackers you can get your hands on. Seriously, use whatever cheese crackers blow you skirt up or make you do the happy dance. It’s no big deal. Choose the cracker that works for you.

I’ve since made them with the official Cheeze-its and will post photos whenever I have time to edit them. No clue when that will be if I’m being honest.

What are Smoked Cheez Its?

• If you are a huge fan of Traeger grills, you have likely heard about smoked cheez-its in many of their Facebook groups. People have been experimenting with smoking these crackers for some time now.
• Essentially they are just crackers coated with either oil or non-stick spray then shaken up in various mixtures of spices and sauces. There are SO many variations online. Google “smoked cheez-its” and you will see there are tons of cool recipes out there.

What Spices to Use on Smoked Cheez Its?

• This is where you can let your imagination run wild. The variations you can make are limitless. You can use anything from Ranch seasoning to sauces and rubs.
• I’m just going to boldly say there is no right or wrong spice for these. I mean, within reason, people!! Use some common sense. Don’t go adding freaking chocolate or caramel sauce to them or you’ll go down in the grilling hall of shame. Use your noggin!
• I used Traeger Prime Rib Rub on this batch. Feel free to adjust the amount. I like mine spicy and salty but you can tone down yours if you like.
• I highly recommend making multiple batches and taste testing them to find your perfect cracker combination. Go nuts!

How Long to Smoke Cheez Its

• Honestly, this is a tricky question. Smoking enthusiasts are passionate about smoke times and temperatures. With that passion comes lots of variation in both time and temperatures.
• Personally I think a minimum of 1 1/2 hours and a maximum of 2 hours is the sweet spot. I’ve heard of people smoking them for as little as 45 minutes and up to 4 hours.

How to Make Smoked Cheez Its

1. Start by picking up your favourite cheese crackers at the store.
2. Pour them in a bowl and add other ingredients. Mix well.
3. Transfer to a cookie sheet or aluminum pan.
4. Place on preheated smoker and cook for desired time.
5. Stir occasionally to keep them from sticking together.
6. Remove from smoker and allow to cool. Good luck with this one! They are really good when they are still warm from the smoker!
7. Once cooled, transfer to a serving bowl and chow down!

How to Store Smoked Cheez Its

• Transfer cooled cheez-its to an airtight container. Store in a cool, dry place for up to a week. You can also store them in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or the freezer for up to 4 weeks.
• These make great holiday and birthday gifts for friends and family. Put them in decorative tins or fancy boxes for a nice presentation. They look great in mason jars with ribbon tied on them as well.
• You can also bring these to picnics, potlucks, church socials, cookouts or tailgate parties. Just load them into a container and you are good to go. I think they would be great for the Super Bowl, especially if you served them in a football bowl or on a football platter.

What Kind of Pellets to Use for Smoking Cheez Its

• I find this to be a very personal decision. Everyone has different tastes and preferences.
• I opted to use Traeger’s Signature Blend for this batch.
• The pecan would be good for this version. Personally, I think mesquite or hickory would be fun to try as well.

I wanted to share this last summer but life sort of threw a monkey wrench into those plans. For those of you wondering why Kiss My Smoke was dormant for so long I promise an explanation soon. I’ve been wanting to write a post about some personal things but I feel like it should be a stand-alone post. I don’t want to rattle on about heavy things in a snack post. So, at some point I’ll share some personal information with you, either here or on my other blog, Cravings of a Lunatic.

You should make these for all your friends and family. Or send me some. I ran out awhile back and could use some more! Just sayin’!

More Great Cheesy Recipes:

• • Cheesy Melt
  • Grilled Pizza Burger
  • Smoked Chicken Sandwich
  • Grilled Buffalo Chicken Pizza
  • Cheesy BBQ Sausage Bites

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Now be confident and get your grill on!

Originally posted Dec 21, 2019.