Spicy Sweet Chili Baked Crackers
Sweet and Spicy
For last-minute entertaining or quick snacks and meals, a semi-homemade approach is the way to go to save yourself on time and dishes. Taking an item from the grocery store and up-leveling the flavors keeps things simple in the kitchen, but exciting to eat. These sweet chili baked crackers take a classic, buttery taste and coats them in a sweet, spicy chili sauce, then bakes them until they’re crisp and the flavor has saturated each bite.
These would make a perfect addition to a movie night menu, game day watch party spread, or after work snack. The spice level can be customized to whoever is enjoying this baked cracker recipe and is nicely balanced with a bit of sweetness from a premade sweet chili sauce and a drizzle of honey. The sweet, spicy, and salty combination makes for a snack where you can’t stop after only one bite. A surefire hit for your next get together!
Spicy Sweet Chili Baked Cracker Recipe Tips
When you make these sweet chili baked crackers, here are a few tips to make sure you’re successful:
- Before you pour the sweet chili butter mixture onto the crackers, give them a quick taste. If you think it could use a bit more heat, add another small pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
- When picking a cracker, opt for one that’s already buttery on its own. I picked Ritz crackers, but Club crackers or any generic brand butter cracker would be perfect.
- When the baked crackers first come out of the oven, they may feel a bit soft or sticky still, but don’t fret! As they cool on the pan, they’ll continue to crisp up and result in a nice, crunchy bite.
- I will always and forever advocate to buy and use local honey. The flavor will be substantially better and you get to support a local business. A quick Google search will help you find a local beekeeper, or keep an eye peeled at the next local farmers or makers market you attend to find a jar of the sweet stuff.
The Recipe Details
The star of this show is the spicy sweet chili butter sauce that you pour onto the crackers before you bake them. This sauce is made of melted butter, sweet chili sauce (like this one from Whole Foods on Amazon), rice vinegar for tang, onion and garlic powder for extra flavor, and crushed red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper for heat. I like to mix all of the ingredients in a glass liquid measuring cup. That way I can melt the butter directly in the cup, measure the ingredients in the cup directly, and then use the spout to easily pour the sauce onto the crackers.
Toss the crackers in the sauce, using a silicone spatula single layer and then bake in a low temperature oven. Give them a good stir halfway through and then when they’re almost crisp, take them out of the oven and let them cool completely on the tray. The residual heat from the tray will finish crisping the crackers up. Once they’re cool, transfer the crackers to a bowl or an airtight container to enjoy throughout the week.
I hope you love these sweet chili baked crackers as much as I do!
A spicy, sweet butter mixture is tossed on buttery crackers and then baked until crisp. These baked crackers are spicy, just a bit sweet, and crisp
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Large pinch of crushed red pepper lakes, to taste
- Pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
- 4 cup butter crackers, like Ritz
Preheat your oven to 200°F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Set out a large baking tray.
In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, honey, onion powder, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper until thoroughly combined.
Add the butter crackers to a large mixing bowl. Slowly pour the sweet chili butter mixture over the crackers and toss to evenly coat the crackers with the sauce.
Transfer the seasoned butter crackers and any extra sweet chili mixture from the bowl onto the baking tray and spread them into an even layer.
Bake the crackers for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through to encourage even baking.
Let the crackers cool on the tray completely and then serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week. Enjoy!
