This oven roasted nuts recipe has loads of flavor from the fragrant oil that results from frying the sage, rosemary and garlic. An elegant cocktail party snack that's ready in minutes!
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If you know me at all, you know I love a nibble. And when that nibble comes with infused oil, herbs and most of all—crispy garlic—I am all in.
This oven roasted nuts recipe is classy enough for a cocktail party and quick enough for Friday night movie snacks. You can use any variety of mixed nuts you like. Create your own mix, or buy them already mixed up.
Nuts are nature's bounty, so you kinda don't have to feel bad about this all-natural snack. And they're so pretty!
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Crispy garlic and herbs will change your life!
What makes these oven roasted nuts so special is that we are going to quickly fry rosemary, sage and garlic in olive oil until they are crispy and fantastically delicious! We'll toss the nuts in the flavorful garlic-herb oil left behind. Then when we add the crispy herbs and garlic back into the roasted nut mixture, well, I'm telling you the flavor is life changing. You're going to be frying herbs and garlic left and right from now on!
Ingredients for oven roasted nuts
Only six ingredients in this recipe, but it's got loads of flavor!
- Raw mixed nuts: You can get them already mixed or mix up your own batch with your favorite kinds.
- Fresh sage
- Fresh rosemary
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Flaky sea salt: I like Maldon.
How to make oven roasted nuts
Adapted from Justin Chapple in Food & Wine.
Step 1: Roast the nuts in the oven
Preheat the oven to 350.
Spread the nuts out evenly on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for about 8 minutes, just until fragrant.
Step 2: Slice the garlic and prep the herbs
While the nuts are roasting, use a good chef's knife and slice the garlic cloves thinly.
Remove the rosemary fronds from the stems, and measure out your sage leaves.
Step 3: Fry the garlic and herbs
Heat ¼ inch of oil in a large skillet. Once it is shimmering, add the garlic slices. Let them sizzle until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel with a slotted spoon to drain.
Disclosure: I am a member of the Lodge Blogger Network and the carbon steel skillet pictured here was provided to me free of charge. All opinions are my own.
Next, add rosemary to the oil and fry until crisp, 30 - 60 seconds, and transfer to the paper towel.
Then add sage to the oil and fry 30 - 60 seconds until the leaves are crisp and have mostly stopped bubbling, and transfer to the paper towel. I recommend doing the sage in a couple of batches to ensure that they are crispy.
Season the herbs and garlic with a bit of sea salt while still warm.
Step 4: Warm the nuts in the oil, add the herbs, garlic, and salt
Drain off all but about 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil. (Save the rest of this oil for salad dressings and roasting vegetables. Don't waste all that good flavor!)
Put the nuts into the skillet over medium heat with the remaining oil and toss to coat. Cook until the nuts are coated with the fragrant oil and warmed through. Remove from heat, add in the herbs and garlic, and season with some good sea salt such as Maldon. Serve immediately.
Tips for best results
- Make sure the herbs are dry. Any moisture on the leaves will pop up out of the pan and you are in danger of burning yourself.
- Don't crowd the herbs when frying. They have a lot of moisture and will bubble up a lot! Do them in a couple of batches so you don't get burned and so the herbs get nice and crispy.
- Save the leftover olive oil! This is now an amazingly flavored infused oil that you won't want to waste. Make a salad dressing, use it to roast some butternut squash, drizzle it onto toasted bread.
- You can make oven roasted nuts up to 5 days ahead. Store in an airtight container.
FAQ
350 degrees F is a nice, gentle temperature that will coax the oils and roasty-toasty flavor out of your nuts without burning them.
They don't need very long in the oven, usually 6-10 minutes, depending upon the type of nut.
More party snack recipes
Try these snack ideas from breakfast to brunch to cocktail hour!
- Simple and elegant, Radishes with Radish Leaf Butter are great for a champagne brunch, or served with evening cocktails.
- If you want to impress, Parmesan-Rosemary Gougères with Goat Cheese Filling are the way to go!
- Just whisk up a quick sauce and drizzle over store-bought chips and you've got Paprika Potato Chips.
Recipe
Oven Roasted Nuts with Rosemary, Sage, and Crispy Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 lb raw mixed nuts
- ½ cup olive oil
- 6 sprigs rosemary
- ½ cup sage leaves lightly packed
- 8 cloves garlic
- sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Spread the nuts out evenly on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for about 8 minutes, just until fragrant.
- While the nuts are roasting, slice the garlic cloves thinly. Remove the rosemary fronds from the stems, and measure out your sage leaves.
- Heat ¼ inch of oil over medium heat in a deep skillet. Once it is shimmering, add the garlic slices. Let them sizzle until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel with a slotted spoon to drain.
- Next, add rosemary to the oil and fry until crisp, 30 to 60 seconds, and transfer to the paper towel.
- Then add sage to the oil and fry 30 - 60 seconds, until the leaves are crisp and have mostly stopped bubbling, and transfer to the paper towel. I recommend doing the sage in a couple of batches to ensure that they are crispy. Season the fried herbs with a little sea salt while they are still warm.
- Drain off all but about 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil. (Save the rest of this oil for salad dressings and roasting vegetables.) Put the nuts into the skillet with the oil over medium heat and toss to coat. Cook until the nuts are coated with the fragrant oil and warmed through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the herbs and garlic, and season with some good sea salt such as Maldon. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I've said ½ cup of olive oil here, but the exact measurement may be different depending on the pan you use. You want about ¼ inch of oil in the pan for it to be deep enough to handle frying the herbs and garlic without burning them. I used my Lodge 12-inch carbon steel skillet.
- Don't crowd the herbs when frying. They have a lot of moisture and will bubble up a lot! Do them in a couple of batches so you don't get burned and so the herbs get nice and crispy.
- Save the leftover olive oil! This is now an amazingly flavored infused oil that you won't want to waste. Make a salad dressing, use it to roast some butternut squash, drizzle it onto toasted bread.
- You can make these nuts up to 5 days ahead. Store in an airtight container.
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