Smoked pretzels are so delicious and so easy to make. Seasoned and full of smoky goodness, smoking pretzels leads to a wonderful depth of flavor that you just can't get any other way.
Pretzels are the classic snack, and smoking is a classic cooking method. My husband and I love them both, so we decided to put them together to create these delicious smoked pretzels.
Smoking Pretzels
This was inspired by my ranch oyster crackers that I previously put on the site. I figured if I could take regular oyster crackers and turn them into something great, then I could do the same with the humble pretzel. That's just what I did!
Ingredients
It only takes a few ingredients to make all three of these delicious smoked pretzels. Each recipe uses just a handful of ingredients to deliver a huge flavor.
Smoked Taco Pretzels
- Sourdough pretzel bites or equivalent
- Taco seasoning
- Unsalted butter
Smoked Garlic Parmesan Pretzels
- Butter snap pretzels or equivalent
- Unsalted butter
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Minced garlic
- Granulated garlic
Garlic Mustard Parmesan Pretzels
- Butter snap pretzels or equivalent
- Unsalted butter
- Dijon mustard
- Dried mustard
See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities and cooking times.
Smoked Taco Pretzel Bites Instructions
Making all three of these delicious pretzel varieties is as easy as gathering up the ingredients for them. They come together quickly and have far more flavor than you would think for the scant amount of effort required to make them.
Step 1: Melt the Butter
Place butter in a large, microwaveable mixing bowl and heat until the butter is fully melted.
Step 2: Coat the Pretzels
Add the pretzels to the melted butter in the bowl and gently fold them until fully coated.
Step 3: Add Taco Seasoning
Sprinkle taco seasoning over the pretzels and fold them gently again until fully coated. Allow them to sit while the smoker is preheating.
Step 4: Smoking the Pretzels
Spread the pretzels evenly on a baking sheet and smoke for about 30 minutes. Let them cool and enjoy!
Hint: Use a fruitwood like apple or cherry. The pretzels will soak up a lot of smoke, so a lighter smoke is better.
Smoked Garlic Parmesan Bites Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Butter
Place butter in a large, microwaveable mixing bowl and heat until the butter is fully melted. Then, add the parmesan cheese, minced garlic, and granulated garlic and mix well.
Step 2: Coat the Pretzels
Add the pretzels to the bowl and gently fold them until evenly coated.
Step 3: Smoking the Pretzels
Spread the pretzels on a baking sheet - it's okay if they are on top of each other - and smoke for about 30 minutes.
Hint: Again, go with a fruity wood for smoking these pretzels. Hickory, oak, and the like would be too strong.
Smoked Mustard Pretzels Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Butter
In a large microwaveable bowl, heat the butter until it's fully melted. Next, add the dijon mustard and half of the dried mustard, whisking until combined.
Step 2: Coat the Pretzels
Add the pretzels to the mustard mix and gently fold them in until well combined. Sprinkle the remaining dried mustard on the pretzels and mix again until fully coated.
Step 3: Smoking the Pretzels
Spread the pretzels evenly on a baking sheet and smoke for about 30 minutes.
Hint: Again, fruit woods are preferred here. The pretzels soak up so much smoke, you need a lighter wood or it's overpowering.
Substitutions
Don't have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for smoking pretzels a bit differently.
- Pretzels - These three recipes use two different kinds of pretzels, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Yellow Mustard - If you don't have dijon mustard, yellow mustard will work, too.
Variations
Want to personalize this smoked pretzels recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.
- Spicy - Add red pepper flakes to any of these recipes to give them a kick of heat.
- Parsley - Parsley makes a nice addition to the butter mixture in any of these recipes.
- Honey - For a honey mustard flavor, try adding a teaspoon of honey to your mustard mixture.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy these jalapeno cheese stuffed pretzel bites.
Equipment
It takes next to no equipment to make all three of these delicious pretzel varieties. It couldn't be easier.
- Mixing bowl
- Spoon
- Baking sheet
- Smoker
Storage
These pretzels can be kept in an air-tight container at room temperature for 7 to 10 days.
Tips
All three of these pretzel varieties are exceedingly easy to make, but that doesn't mean there aren't some things you need to know to make them the best they can be. These are easy tips that can make a big difference.
- Check your pretzels around the 20 minute mark to be sure they don't burn.
- Don't let your pretzels sit in your butter mixture for too long or they'll get soggy.
- Only use unsalted butter or your pretzels will be too salty.
- You may need to loosen your pretzels a bit after smoking if they overlapped one another.
- While you can use any kind of pretzel you like, smaller pretzel bite shapes work better.
- Use a fruity wood for smoking, as pretzels soak up a ton of smoke.
- If you have a smaller baking sheet that requires you to layer your pretzels, add about 10 minutes to the smoking time.
More Pretzel Recipes
Do you like pretzels? Here are some recipes you may also like to try
FAQ
Do you have questions about smoked pretzels? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about smoking pretzels.
I find that fruit woods work best because the pretzels soak up so much smoke. However, if you really love smoke, feel free to use stronger wood.
Any good brand of pellets will work. I don't recommend using generic pellets. They usually contain fillers and their smoke doesn't taste as good.
Yes, you can. To bake simply place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake them at 250 for the same amount of time.
Absolutely. For doubling the recipe, simply double the ingredients. To make half the recipe, halve the ingredients.
These pretzels will keep for 7 to 10 days in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Yes. You can freeze these pretzels for up to 3 months.
Simply place them in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag.
Smoked Pretzels
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Smoked Pretzels - 3 flavors
Equipment
- smoker
- pan
Ingredients
- 16 Ounces Sourdough Pretzel Bites 1 bag or equivalent
- 2 Ounces Taco Seasoning
- 1 Stick Unsalted Butter ½ cup
GARLIC PARMESAN
- 1 lb Butter Snap Pretzels or equivalent
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
Mustard Pretzels
- 1 lb butter snap pretzels or equivalent
- 3 tablespoon dijon mustard or your favorite mustard
- 1 oz dried mustard
Instructions
- Preheat your pellet smoker to 250 degrees.
- Place the butter in a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl and heat it for 1 minute or until fully melted.
- Add your pretzels to the bowl, and gently fold them until the butter has coated all of them.
- Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the top of the pretzels and fold them gently again, until fully coated. Allow to sit until the smoker is ready.
- Spread the pretzels on an average sized baking sheet and place in your smoker for 30 minutes.
- Remove, let cool for a couple of minutes, and enjoy!
- Follow the steps above and adjust seasonings for each recipe.
Notes
2 Ounces of taco seasoning equals two packets.
I haven’t tried homemade taco seasoning mix with this recipe yet. Homemade taco seasoning tends to be stronger, so you may want to test it out on the lower end first.
It’s best to use a fruit flavored pellet for this recipe. Pretzels are porous and tend to soak up a lot of the smoky flavors. Fruity woods are lighter on the flavor and seem to work best. However, if you like a strong smoky flavor, go for something like hickory.
I highly recommend using name brand pellets as they tend to have the best flavor outcome. I used Traeger cherry pellets for this recipe and it was perfect. You can also bake these pretzels in the oven at 250 degrees for the same amount of time. However, they will not have a smoky flavor like they would from the smoker.
You can swap out the dijon for any mustard you have on hand.
If you have a smaller baking sheet so that your pretzels are piled on top of each other, increase the smoke time by 10 minutes. They will still cook just fine like this, so no worries. Nutritional information will vary based on what ingredients you use.
Leave a Reply