Garlic Peanuts

Garlic Peanuts are a delicious snack, salad mix-in or stir-fry addition. The roasted peanuts are toasted in olive oil, salted, and mixed with golden garlic, dried chile de Árbol and a bit of earthy, floral chopped rosemary.

Jump to:

• What You'll Need
• How to Prepare
• Variations
• How to Store
• FAQ
• How to Serve
• Recipes You'll Love
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Traditionally a Filipino street food or snack called Adobong Mani, garlic peanuts are normally fried in oil and dressed with salt and, sometimes, chiles.

My version uses a bit less oil so the roasted peanuts are toasted rather than fried. If you are not a fan of rosemary or would prefer a more traditional taste, feel free to omit it. Same goes for the chile.

I am one of the biggest fans of garlic I know—it's where the name for the blog comes from! My family always jokes that if a recipe calls for one clove of garlic, we will use two, or three, or eight. Here I've used a modest six.

It's what I consider a very healthy garlic to peanut ratio. If you are sensitive, try dialing back the garlic just a bit.

What You'll Need

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• Peanuts roasted, unsalted peanuts are what I prefer. You can try this with salted roasted peanuts, but it is always my preference to control the amount of salt in a dish. If you do use salted peanuts, skip salting the peanuts themselves (but not the garlic).
• Fresh Garlic
• Fresh Rosemary If you only have access to dried rosemary, I would omit it. It will not cook long enough to soften and you'll have little poke-y bits in your peanuts.
• Chile de Árbol Just one dried chile will be plenty for this dish but you can add more. This is optional. You could also try a dash of a hot spice like cayenne.
• Olive Oil Extra virgin olive oil is best!
• Kosher Salt I buy this 3-pack of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and it lasts for a very long time. It’s important to keep in mind that kosher salt will affect the flavor of your food differently—it is a different shape than table salt and sea salt, and delivers less “salty” flavor per teaspoon because it is less compact.

How to Prepare

Step One: Slice the garlic - be sure it is not paper thin or the garlic may burn.

Step Two: Lightly toast the garlic over medium-low heat in olive oil and salt.

Step Three: Remove the garlic from the pan when it is just golden, not browned. The image below shows the correct doneness for the garlic on the lefthand side and an overcooked, bitter piece of garlic on the right. Place on a paper towel to drain.

Step Four: Add the peanuts to the remaining oil and toast until warmed through and just golden, 2-4 minutes.

Step Five: Add the rosemary and chopped chile de Árbol and the remaining salt. Stir.

Step Six: Remove the peanut mixture from the heat and place in a bowl. Mix in the garlic and serve.

Variations

Traditional Garlic Peanuts For more traditional garlic peanuts, omit the rosemary and fry the peanuts in a neutral oil like canola oil. Here is a more traditional preparation.

Even More Garlicky Garlic Peanuts Instead of kosher salt, use about half the recommended quantity of garlic salt.

Hatch Chile Garlic Peanuts In place of the chile de Árbol, try some hatch chile flakes. I found these Green & Red Hatch Chile Flakes at Trader Joe's, but if you don't have a local store, try an online shop like this.

How to Store

I find these peanuts don't last for more than a few hours in our home, but if you need to store them, place them in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 3 to 5 days.

If you'd like, warm them in a pan over medium-low heat before serving.

You can freeze the peanuts in a tightly sealed bag for up to 1 month. The texture of the garlic may suffer a bit, but the texture of the peanuts will remain the same.

FAQ

How to Serve

Garlic peanuts are an excellent snack. That is how I eat them most frequently.

They are also amazing mixed into a stir-fry, like this Shrimp Yaki Udon, or in fried rice like this Blackstone Chicken Fried Rice or this delicious, non-traditional Brisket Fried Rice. Just add them near the end of cooking or sprinkle on top when serving.

These are also a fantastic addition to salads. My lunch often consists of a big salad with a bunch of things thrown in - lettuce (or spinach or arugula), some veggies, a nut/seed/legume (like these peanuts), maybe some cheese. Top it with a homemade vinaigrette.

Recipes You'll Love

For more super tasty garlic-forward recipes, try:

Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine

Pasta Aglio Olio e Peperoncino

📖 Recipe