These Alabama Fire Crackers are easy to mix up and full of flavor. A little bit spicy, a lot savory, with the perfect hint of ranch they’re a beloved Southern tradition that can be served as an easy snack or an appetizer.

Any of you with teenage boys, really boys of any age, will understand it when I say that my kids are always hungry. Always.

If you didn’t know better, their appetites would give you the impression that they hadn’t seen a good meal in who knows how long.

To their great dismay, in between regular meals they have to settle for a snack, but snacks are seriously expensive and prices seem to climb higher every week.

In an effort to keep my food costs down, and also to keep my four hungry monsters at bay, I try to find affordable alternatives I can make myself.

Luckily these Alabama Fire Crackers take minimal effort to make and use easily affordable everday ingredients.

It’s since become a regularly recurring snack selection and a crowd pleaser that’s a game day and party must have.

Ingredients Needed

Making these Alabama Fire Crackers is super easy and only uses a handful of affordable everyday ingredients.

You’ll need:

Crackers – 1 16 oz (1 lb) box of original saltine crackers
Oil – Canola oil recommended, but can substitute vegetable oil if needed. Do Not try substituting another oil in this recipe because the absorption isn’t the same, which will result in a greasy inedible mess.
Ranch Dressing Mix – 2, 1 oz, packets of dry ranch dressing mix. If you buy it in bulk that’s the equivalent of 4 tablespoons.
Red Pepper Flakes – Crushed red pepper flakes give these crackers a spicy flavor infusion, which is where the ‘fire’ in the name comes from.
Seasonings – A blend of garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper round out the seasoning blend for these crackers.

Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients

How To Make

Making these crackers is super easy, which is another reason we love them.

Start by adding the oil to a large ziplocking bag, making sure the bag is opened wide and remains sturdily open.

I like to fold the top over a couple inches and press the bottom out wide and flat to ensure this.

Add the remaining seasonings to the bag then close it, squeezing some of the excess air out as you do. Make sure it is sealed tightly.

Using your hands gently squeeze the contents of the bag together until evenly combined.

Set the bag upright, carefully open it, and add the crackers. Reseal the bag tightly, ensuring the seal is complete.

Lay the bag out flat and let it rest for 1 hour. Flip and rest again for another hour.

Repeat this step at least another 2-4 times, then let the bag rest overnight.

Remove the crackers from the bag, transfer them to a serving bowl, and serve.

Storing

Alabama fire crackers can be store in the same bag they were made in, or another air tight container, for up to 1 week at room temperature.

I DO NOT recommend refrigerating or freezing them as the cooling/thawing affects the texture and causes them to crumble and turn soggy.

Do I Have To Use Saltine Crackers?

I know the recipe quite obviously calls for saltine crackers, but sometimes we all have to make due with what we have on hand.

So if you don’t have saltine style crackers, all’s not lost- you can still get your snack fix!

Try these other options instead:

ritz crackers
club crackers
oyster crackers
cheez it crackers – YES, you read that right!

Saltine’s are ideal because they’re low in sodium, and ranch dressing mix is very salty.

So keep that in mind when deciding on a cracker alternative.

Are Fire Crackers Spicy?

As hinted at in the title, these crackers are somewhat spicy.

You can easily nix the spice by ignoring the red pepper flakes which will leave you with an equally delicious, more mild snack cracker.

Tips & Tricks

Do Not Skip The Oil. The recipe will not turn out without the oil because it absorbs into the saltines and gives them a delicious texture of crisp, yet still smooth & crumbly. Without it, the crackers won’t taste like much and the seasonings will just fall right off. Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it!
You can sub vegetable oil, if that’s a sticking point, but don’t sub olive oil. Olive oil won’t absorb nearly as well. While these crackers can be a bit ‘greasy’, with olive oil they will just be gross.
Increase or decrease the amount of red pepper flakes to adjust the heat to your liking. This is especially important to keep in mind if making this snack with kids in mind.

Other Easy Snack Cracker Recipes

These Alabama fire crackers are easy to make and always a crowd pleaser wherever they’re served.

These tasty bites are budget friendly, and perfect for your next get together. Make a batch today and discover the deliciousness.

Looking for other easy snack cracker recipes to enjoy?

Try these:

If you’ve tried these ALABAMA FIRE CRACKERS, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!