Make your own crunchy roasted peanuts, with your favorite seasoning, in less than 10 minutes! We love these peanuts as a snack (perfect with a cold beer), to sprinkle on top of Chinese congee, or to even toss in a salad. Make them spicy (add dried chili flakes), sweet (honey), and even savory with Asian spices and seasonings.
Why These Roasted Peanuts Are So Good
- Crunchy, healthy, roasted peanuts in the microwave – in less than 10 minutes!
- No oil, no fats.
- Variations include: Honey Roasted Peanuts, Chinese Five Spice Peanuts and Japanese Furikake Peanuts.
Ingredients
Microwave Honey Roasted Peanuts Recipe
- Water
- Honey
- Salt
- Shelled raw peanuts
Microwave Japanese Furikake Peanuts Recipe
- Water
- Soy sauce
- Sugar (or honey)
- Salt
- Shelled raw peanuts
- Furikake
Microwave Chinese Five Spice Peanuts Recipe
- 1 cup water
- Soy sauce
- Sugar (or honey)
- Salt
- Chinese five-spice powder
- Star anise (optional)
- Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
- Dried chili pepper flakes (optional)
- Shelled raw peanuts
- Furikake
How To Make Roast Peanuts – Step By Step
Microwave Honey Roasted Peanuts Recipe
1. In microwave -safe cooking dish, stir together water, honey and salt. Microwave 2 minutes.
2. Stir in raw peanuts. Microwave 2 minutes.
3. Drain peanuts, discard water. Spread out half of the peanuts on a plate in single layer, do not crowd. Microwave, uncovered, 2 minutes.
4. Stir peanuts, microwave 2 minutes.
5. Stir peanuts, microwave 30 seconds.
6. Check to see if peanuts roasted (golden brown), if peanuts pale in color, continue in 30 second increments until roasted.
7. Cool on baking sheet until completely cool, about 20 minutes – the peanuts will become crunchy as it cools. Repeat with other batch.
Microwave Japanese Furikake Peanuts Recipe
1. In microwave -safe cooking dish, stir together water, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Microwave 2 minutes.
2. Stir in raw peanuts, cover and microwave 2 minutes.
3. Drain peanuts, discard water. Spread out half of the peanuts on a plate in single layer, do not crowd. Microwave, uncovered, 2 minutes.
4. Stir peanuts, microwave 2 minutes.
5. Stir peanuts, microwave 30 seconds.
6. Check to see if peanuts roasted (golden brown), if peanuts pale in color, continue in 30 second increments until roasted.
7. Cool on baking sheet. Immediately toss with furikake. Let peanuts cool completely, about 20 minutes – the peanuts will become crunchy as it cools. Repeat with other batch.
Microwave Chinese Five Spice Peanuts Recipe
1. In microwave -safe cooking dish, stir together water, soy sauce, sugar, salt, Chinese five spice powder (and star anise/Sichuan peppercorn, chili pepper flakes, if using.) Microwave 2 minutes.
2. Stir in raw peanuts, cover and microwave 2 minutes.
3. Drain peanuts, discard water. You can keep the star anise and Sichuan peppercorns in with the peanuts. Spread out half of the peanuts on a plate in single layer, do not crowd. Microwave, uncovered, 2 minutes.
4. Stir peanuts, microwave 2 minutes.
5. Stir peanuts, microwave 30 seconds.
6. Check to see if peanuts roasted (golden brown), if peanuts pale in color, continue in 30 second increments until roasted.
7. Cool on baking sheet. Let peanuts cool completely, about 20 minutes – the peanuts will become crunchy as it cools. Repeat with other batch.
What Kind Of Peanut Is Best To Roast?
My Mom first learned this microwave peanut roasting technique years ago, in a Chinese cookbook, but the recipe required using a stovetop and a microwave. We’ve simplified the technique, and made roasted peanuts 100% in the microwave.
You’ll start with shelled, raw peanuts. If you go to an Asian market, you’ll find red-skinned raw peanuts that is perfect for this recipe. Of course, you can use a different raw peanut. Just make sure that they are shelled and raw.
What Spices Are Good For Roasted Peanuts?
There are so many choices! You can just start with honey and salt, to make Honey Roasted Peanuts in the microwave, or your favorite spice blend – like a bbq rub. Here are some Asian spices:
Chinese Five Spice Powder
This is a blend of star anise, cinnamon, clove, fennel and Sichuan peppercorns, though the spice combination can vary. This spice is easy to find at most grocery stores.
It gives a warm, sweet flavor to stir fries and braises. Chinese Five Spice is concentrated, a little goes a long ways!
Other recipes using Chinese Five Spice:
- Satay Noodles and Greens Recipe
- Taiwanese Noodles with Meat Sauce Recipe
- Noodle Soup with Baby Bok Choy and Crispy Shallots
Star Anise
Star anise has a beautiful licorice flavor, it’s meant to be used whole (but not eaten). It’s used in many Chinese braised dishes, especially meats, and also used in Vietnamese Pho. Star Anise is an essential component to these recipes:
- Chinese Marbled Tea Egg
- Chinese Boiled Peanuts
- Vietnamese Pho Recipe
- Vietnamese Pho Pressure Cooker Recipe
- Vietnamese Pho Slow Cooker Recipe
- Slow Cooker Asian Bone Broth Recipe
Japanese Furikake
Furikake is dried seasoning made of any combination of: seaweed, bonito flakes, sesame seeds, freeze dried salmon, egg, roe and dehydrated vegetables. Its most common use is to be sprinkled on plain rice, to provide savory, sweet and salty flavor — and to provide a nice crunchy topping.
I love the history and origins of Furikake – in 1912, a Japanese pharmacist combined dried small fish, sesame seeds and seaweed to help with calcium deficiency. Later, during WWI, modern Furikake was created for the masses and military to combat malnourishment.
Today, the condiment has many different flavors, and is used as a topping for many things, other than just rice! I love it sprinkled on popcorn. Furikake sprinkled on our Roasted Peanuts is addictive!
Roasted Peanuts in Microwave
The first step is to combine 1 cup of water with your desired seasonings. Here I’m using soy sauce, sugar, salt, Chinese Five Spice Powder and Star Anise.
2. Cover, microwave for 2 minutes:
3. Add raw peanuts:
4. Cover, microwave for 2 minutes:
5. Drain peanuts:
6. Divide peanuts into 2 batches on large plates in single layer:
7. Microwave, uncovered, for 2 minutes:
8. Give it a good stir:
9. Microwave another 2 minutes:
10. Another good stir:
11. Microwave 30 seconds:
The peanuts should be roasted, golden brown.
A few of the peanuts might be a little more pale – if too many are pale, keep repeating the 30 second microwave/stir until roasted. If you carefully taste the peanut, the texture will still be soft (they will turn crunchy after cooling completely).
Here’s a pale peanut – but since there’s only one of them, I’m just tossing that bad nut out – the rest of the peanuts are perfect.
12. Immediately transfer nuts to baking sheet to cool completely. As the peanuts cool, they’ll be come crispy and crunchy – just be patient and let them cool.
Top Tips For These Roasted Peanuts
- When microwaving the peanuts, if too many are pale, keep repeating the 30 second microwave/stir until roasted.
- Have fun experimenting with spice combinations.
- Use honey instead of sugar if you want it healthier.
- Make sure to let cool completely – at least 20 mins.
Check Out These Delicious Peanut Recipes
- Chinese Boiled Peanuts Recipe
- Chicken Satay with Peanut Noodles
- Beef Satay Skewers with Habanero Peanut Sauce
- Peanut Pesto and Peas Pasta Salad
Have you tried any of these roasted peanut recipes? Feel free to leave a star rating and I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Roasted Peanuts 3 ways
Ingredients
Microwave Honey Roasted Peanuts Recipe
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shelled raw peanuts
Microwave Japanese Furikake Peanuts Recipe
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shelled raw peanuts
- 2 tablespoons furikake
Microwave Chinese Five Spice Peanuts Recipe
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 8 star anise optional
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns optional
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chili pepper flakes optional
- 2 cups shelled raw peanuts
- 2 tablespoons furikake
Instructions
Microwave Honey Roasted Peanuts Recipe
- In microwave -safe cooking dish, stir together water, honey and salt. Microwave 2 minutes.
- Stir in raw peanuts. Microwave 2 minutes.
- Drain peanuts, discard water. Spread out half of the peanuts on a plate in single layer, do not crowd. Microwave, uncovered, 2 minutes.
- Stir peanuts, microwave 2 minutes.
- Stir peanuts, microwave 30 seconds.
- Check to see if peanuts roasted (golden brown), if peanuts pale in color, continue in 30 second increments until roasted.
- Cool on baking sheet until completely cool, about 20 minutes - the peanuts will become crunchy as it cools. Repeat with other batch.
Microwave Japanese Furikake Peanuts Recipe
- In microwave -safe cooking dish, stir together water, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Microwave 2 minutes.
- Stir in raw peanuts, cover and microwave 2 minutes.
- Drain peanuts, discard water. Spread out half of the peanuts on a plate in single layer, do not crowd. Microwave, uncovered, 2 minutes.
- Stir peanuts, microwave 2 minutes.
- Stir peanuts, microwave 30 seconds.
- Check to see if peanuts roasted (golden brown), if peanuts pale in color, continue in 30 second increments until roasted.
- Cool on baking sheet. Immediately toss with furikake. Let peanuts cool completely, about 20 minutes - the peanuts will become crunchy as it cools. Repeat with other batch.
Microwave Chinese Five Spice Peanuts Recipe
- In microwave -safe cooking dish, stir together water, soy sauce, sugar, salt, Chinese five spice powder (and star anise/Sichuan peppercorn, chili pepper flakes, if using.) Microwave 2 minutes.
- Stir in raw peanuts, cover and microwave 2 minutes.
- Drain peanuts, discard water. You can keep the star anise and Sichuan peppercorns in with the peanuts. Spread out half of the peanuts on a plate in single layer, do not crowd. Microwave, uncovered, 2 minutes.
- Stir peanuts, microwave 2 minutes.
- Stir peanuts, microwave 30 seconds.
- Check to see if peanuts roasted (golden brown), if peanuts pale in color, continue in 30 second increments until roasted.
- Cool on baking sheet. Let peanuts cool completely, about 20 minutes - the peanuts will become crunchy as it cools. Repeat with other batch.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
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Any recommendations for roasting other nuts? I have some brazil nuts that I’d like to try this on, they’re much larger & oilier than peanuts.
This explanation and recipe was so helpful! I am living in South Sudan and our kind neighbors have sporadically been gifting us various amounts of groundnuts. The last batch I fried over the charcoal stove but it takes so long (and it’s very hot)! This is the absolute perfect method for the smaller amounts. I made the honey version last night and will try a savory one next. I was surprised by how perfectly crunchy they were! That’s something we’re always craving.
Thank You so much for this recipe! Â I am addicted to flavored nuts and they are so expensive in the stores…now I can make my own… Yeah!
Would this recipe also work with walnuts?
Hi Hazel, yes it would! You’ll have to adjust the timing a bit (experiment with a small batch) depending on the size of your walnut pieces.
i love this way,i also want to learn about roast peanuts microwave i read many articles all ideas are difficult and boring but in this articles your ideas is best and amazing i really impressed this idea today i will follow this method then i will give you feedback
I love this idea. I have raw peanuts and home and everything needed to make furikake peanuts. I will be making them tonight. I have a friend who won’t eat anything that’s been microwaved. Do you know how long and at what temperature to roast them in a conventional oven after they have been soaked in the flavoring liquid?
Hi Patti – sorry I don’t! This recipe is specifically for microwave.
A nice one. I prepare Masala Peanuts using gram flour and chat masala, dry mango powder and red chilli powdfer. This preparation also looks interesting. Thanks. BTW, beautiful snaps.
The flavors sound amazing and I love how simple and easy this is in the microwave!
I happen to have a big bag of peanuts right now. Guess tomorrow my job will be to shell 2 cups worth, plus more to eat while I’m shelling them. I never knew you could make roasted peanuts in the microwave. Now I don’t have to waste my peanuts because I couldn’t eat them fast enough before they go stale.
Thanks for the recipes.
Do love peanuts and I am so excited to try these! Can’t believe microwave can make them crunchy? Wow!
Hi Jaden,
This may be a ridiculous question but will agave syrup give a pretty much same result as honey? (Agave has a lower glycemic value than honey).
Thanks
Dave
Yes – you can use any sweetener you’d like.
Wonderful! I’ll have to try it. Sent it to my daughter and sister and may think of a few others.
Barbara
I’m so glad that you posted this so everyone will know how to do it! I’ve been microwaving roast peanuts for ages! So easy!
I just make up any spice blend that I’m in the mood for. It’s never the same twice!
I like boiled peanuts, too! Luckily for me I can get raw peanuts any day of the week at one of my local Asian markets. Yum!
What a great technique! I’d never thought I could make roasted nuts in the microwave. In fact, I think I would have said before not to put them in or they’d explode! I love trying anything new so will try to give it a go.
fun
Looks really yummy!
My Dad likes mixed nuts. Does this recipe work well with only raw nuts or with store bought mixed nuts that are roasted already?
It is fantastic and so easy. I can’t wait to try this recipe, Sue! I just happen to have a big bag of peanuts sitting in the fridge too 😉
Delicious idea! I will most certainly try this! Have you ever tried it with almonds?
I haven’t yet, but it would be a fun experiment.
What a yummy, healthy snack! I like all the possible variations!