Name: Fire Crackers
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup vegetable oil; 1 (1-ounce) package ranch dressing mix; 2–4 teaspoons red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon dried dill; 1 teaspoon granulated garlic; 8 ounces saltines

Why This Recipe Works

Also called “Alabama Fire Crackers” and “Comeback Crackers” (because they keep you coming back for more), fire crackers are a clever snack made by seasoning saltines with butter or oil and flavorings. To make them, we marinated the saltines with oil, ranch seasoning, red pepper flakes, dried dill, and granulated garlic for at least 1 hour (or up to 24 hours); this seasoned the crackers with bold ranch flavor. Then we baked the crackers to dry them out again, resulting in golden, deeply flavorful crackers with a delightfully flaky texture. These Fire Crackers are delicious on an appetizer tray, with a cheese board, or as an accompaniment to soups.

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe using Hidden Valley Original Ranch Seasoning, Salad Dressing & Recipe Mix. Two sleeves of saltines weigh about 8 ounces and contain about 72 crackers. Three teaspoons of red pepper flakes add modest heat to these crackers; feel free to increase or decrease the amount, if desired. This recipe can easily be doubled.

Instructions

Combine oil, ranch dressing mix, pepper flakes, dill, and granulated garlic in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Seal bag and knead mixture with your hands until well combined. Add saltines and reseal bag. Shake and turn gently until crackers are thoroughly coated. Let sit, turning bag occasionally, for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread saltines into single layer over 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until light golden brown and slightly puffed, 20 to 25 minutes. Let crackers cool on sheets for at least 10 minutes before serving. (Fire crackers can be stored in airtight container at roomtemperature for up to 1 week.)