Description
Those spicy and delicious Szechuan-style toasted walnuts only take 10 minutes to make over the stovetop or in the oven.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon homemade hot chili oil or high-quality extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Szechuan numbing peppers (also known as Szechuan peppercorns)
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes or crushed dried chili
- 2 cups raw walnut halves
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt or sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
Instructions
To toast on the stove:
- Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, 2-3 minutes.
- Add numbing peppers and chili flakes in the skillet. Stir until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add walnuts, sprinkle with salt and sugar. Stir frequently to prevent walnuts from burning. Toast for 1-2 minutes or until the walnuts are golden brown. Transfer to a plate to let cool. Taste and add more salt if desired.
To toast in the oven:
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Toss walnuts with oil and all spices together in a mixing bowl.
- Spread nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (for easy clean-up).
- Place in the oven and roast for 5-10 minutes until the nuts are golden brown. Stir or shake the pan during toasting in order to make them brown evenly.
- Remove from oven and let cool before enjoying.
Notes
- If you don’t have homemade chili oil on hand, you may use a store-bought one or olive oil.
- Want extra flavorful toasted walnuts? Feel free to double the dry spices. I did it, and the flavor wasn’t overwhelming. On the contrary, it’s actually to my liking.
- To store the toasted walnuts, place them in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 Cup
- Calories: 429
- Sugar: 6.7g
- Sodium: 374mg
- Fat: 42.9g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2g
- Carbohydrates: 9.4g
- Fiber: 4.5g
- Protein: 9.4g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
