Mini Fire Crackers are a spicy Southern snack made by soaking mini saltine crackers in a seasoned oil blend with dill, garlic, crushed Hatch chile peppers, and other spices. After resting, they're baked low and slow until golden and crisp. Easy to make, boldly flavored, and totally addictive.
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Recipe at a Glance
- ✅ Ready In: 40 minutes plus 6 hours resting
- 🛒 Ingredients: Mini Saltines, Canola Oil, Spices
- 👩🍳 Serves: 8 servubgs
- 💡 Difficulty: Easy
- 📦 Make-Ahead Friendly: Yes
- 👧🏻 Kid Friendly: No - probably too spicy
History of Alabama Fire Crackers
Fire Crackers are commonly believed to have originated in Alabama or at least gained popularity there. This is why they are often referred to as Alabama Fire Crackers.
While it's challenging to pinpoint a precise origin story, as with many regional recipes, many of the earliest published references refer to them as Alabama Fire Crackers. In fact, Alabama cookbooks and food blogs were among the first to feature the recipe online. One reason the name stuck was that it sounded catchy, and Southern cooks embraced it.
Whatever the origins, Fire Crackers started as a simple Southern snack, using basic ingredients to create a bold flavor. They're usually made with plain saltines, vegetable oil, and ranch seasoning. Over time, the recipe gained popularity across the South due to its addictive crunch and spicy zest.
Over the years, various versions have emerged, including options such as garlic, crushed red pepper, or dill, for a customized flavor enhancement.
This recipe for Southern Mini Fire Crackers elevates the tradition with mini saltines and Hatch chile heat!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Flavorful: Bold, zesty flavor in every bite
- Easy: Minutes to prep with no fancy tools required
- Customizable: Adjustable heat level with different types and amounts of crushed peppers.
- Budget Friendly: Pantry staples won't break the bank
- The Rest: Perfect make-ahead snack that stays crisp for days and is giftable
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
Making the Mini Fire Crackers - Simple Steps
- Seasoned Oil: Add the Canola Oil, dried dillweed (sometimes referred to as dill), dried parsley, crushed chile peppers, onion powder, garlic powder, Kosher salt, and pepper to a gallon Ziploc bag.
- Whisk: Whisk the seasoned oil ingredients together in the Ziploc bag.
- Mini Saltine Crackers: Add the mini saltine crackers to the Ziploc bag.
- Seal and Shake: Seal the Ziploc bag and gently shake to evenly coat the crackers in the seasoned oil.
- Let Sit: Let the seasoned mini saltines sit for at least 6 hours at room temperature, shaking several times to redistribute the seasoned oil.
- Bake: Transfer the seasoned mini saltines to a disposable aluminum pan or rimmed baking sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil. Spread in a single layer and bake at 250°F for 30 to 35 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes, until golden brown, toasted, and mostly dry.
- Cool: Let cool in the baking pan for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!
Whether you're preparing for game day or looking for a quick, crowd-pleasing snack, these Easy Mini Fire Crackers are always popular. With minimal preparation and maximum flavor, they deliver spicy Southern charm in every bite. Try them once, and you'll be hooked. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Reduce or omit the crushed Hatch chile peppers for a milder version.
Yes. Baking ensures they crisp up and the oil fully absorbs without leaving a greasy finish.
Stored in an airtight container, Mini Fire Crackers stay fresh and crunchy for up to one week.
Yes, but mini saltines absorb the seasoning more evenly and offer a better snacking texture.
Yes. For a 9-ounce package of oyster crackers, I would recommend reducing the amount of oil to ¾ cup.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- You can vary the heat in these tasty morsels by using mild or hot chili peppers, and/or adjusting the quantity of the chili peppers. Hatch chile peppers tend to be mild, Jalapeño peppers tend to be medium, and Thai-style peppers tend to be hot.
- Don't oversalt. Mini saltines are already salted. Use kosher salt or reduce the amount of table salt accordingly.
- Make a ranch version by adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of dry ranch seasoning for a flavor twist.
- Package these mini seasoned crackers in a mason jar or festive bag for a homemade, edible gift.
Other Seasoned Cracker Recipes
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Easy Southern Mini Fire Crackers
Equipment
- Gallon Ziploc Bag
- whisk
- 13 ½ x 9 ⅝ x 2 ¾ inch disposable alluminum pan (See Tip 1)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Canola oil
- 1 tablespoon dried dillweed (a.k.a. dill)
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons crushed Hatch chile peppers (See Tip 2)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (See Tip 3)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 11 ounce box mini saltine crackers, about 6 cups
Instructions
- Place the canola oil, dill, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, Kosher salt, and black pepper in a gallon Ziploc bag. Whisk the ingredients together to combine.
- Add the mini saltine crackers to the Ziploc bag. Seal the bag and gently shake to evenly coat the mini saltines in the seasoned oil. Let sit at room temperature for at least 6 hours and up to 12 hours, gently shaking the bag several times to redistribute the seasoned oil. (See Tip 4)
- Preheat the oven to 250°F. Transfer crackers to a disposable aluminum pan or rimmed half-sheet baking sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil. Spread into an even layer.
- Bake the crackers in the preheated 250°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes, until golden brown, toasted, and mostly dry.
- Let cool in the baking pan at least 5 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.
- Yield: 8 servings (about 6 cups) (See Tip 5)
Video
Tips/Notes
- I like to use the disposable aluminum pan to minimize cleanup. Also the high sides make tossing the seasoned saltines a bit easier. You can, however, use a half-sheet pan instead.
- When I went to the grocery store to purchase crushed peppers, I had a choice of crushed Hatch chile peppers, Jalapeño chile peppers, or Thai-style chile peppers. I wanted some heat in the Fire Crackers, but not a lot. I took a picture of my options, uploaded the picture to ChatGPT, and asked which of the three was the mildest. ChatGPT responded that Hatch Chile Pepper was typically mild to medium, Jalapeño Pepper was medium, and Thai Style Chili Pepper was hot to very hot. Based on this, I opted for the Hatch Chile Peppers.
- If using table salt, reduce the amount to ¼ teaspoon. The mini saltine crackers are already salted, so you don't need to add a lot of extra salt.
- The longer the mini saltines rest in the seasoned oil, the more oil will be absorbed, resulting in better adhesion of the spices.
- The Mini Fire Crackers can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.
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