Well, yep, smoked Cheetos are different. And boy, you gotta be careful smoking them too. It doesn’t take much smoke to get these little crunchy morsels mighty smoky. I admit, my first time making them I got distracted and smoked them longer than I should have. I was able to rescue them (the longer they rest after smoking, the more mellow the smoke flavor gets) but I suggest you start with less smoke time, try them, and go from there. They come out totally new, something people won’t expect! Nice and crunchy and smoky cheesy!
To smoke Cheetos you use a cold smoking technique. You do not want high heat. You can get by with temperatures up to 180 F, but I suggest cold smoking, which is generally below 90 F.
Use A Smoker Tube For The Best Results
I use a pellet smoker tube when cold smoking. It gives me perfect control over the temperature and produces consistent smoke. I buy wood pellets and stuff the tube completely, then light one end. The tube stays lit for a few hours, perfect for smoking Cheetos. I highly recommend it. It’s also great for adding smoke flavor to dishes being cooked on a gas grill.
Since you have your cold smoke set-up going, throw on some potato chips or Chex mix too! Cheez-Its are delicious smoked also!
Smoked Cheetos
Ingredients
For cold smoking (using charcoal)
- 4 charcoal briquettes lit
- 1 small chunk apple wood
For cold smoking (using a smoke tube)
- wood pellets
For the smoked Cheetos
- 1 bag Cheetos
Instructions
For cold smoking (using charcoal)
- Place the 4 lit briquettes in the bottom of your smoker.
- Add the wood chunk.
- Once the wood is smoking, you can add the Cheetos.
For cold smoking (using a smoke tube)
- Fill the tube with the wood pellets. Place into the bottom of your smoker and light one end. Once the pellets produce smoke, you can add the Cheetos.
For the smoked Cheetos
- Place the Cheetos in an aluminum pan over your cold smoke setup that is already producing smoke (from above).
- Smoke 20-30 minutes, gently tossing once or twice, until the desired smoke taste is achieved.
- It's best to let the smoked snacks sit out for a while before serving. The smoke flavor can be a little strong at first. A little rest time will mellow it.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.