This classic Thai snack will disappear fast at any gathering. A mix of peanuts, cashews, crispy garlic, makrut lime leaves, and chilies tossed in a seasoning mix that hits all the flavour notes – salty, sour, sweet, spicy and umami. Highly addictive!
What are Chili & Herb Peanuts?
In Thai, these nuts are called tua tod samunprai ถั่วทอดสมุนไพร. Tua means nuts, tod means fried, and samunprai means herbs. You can find these sold all over Thailand in little baggies or little tubs. And I’ve had many requests for the recipe from people who fall in love with them during their vacation in Thailand!
Iconic Thai herbs such as lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, garlic and chilies are first fried until crispy, and then the peanuts and cashews are fried in the herb-infused oil. The classic Thai ones are simply tossed with salt, but I like to make a “tom yum” flavour which is salty, sweet, sour, spicy and umami!
Ingredients and Notes
Here are all the ingredients you’ll need and important notes about them. For amounts, see the the full recipe card below.
- Raw peanuts, preferably skin-on. While you can make these with blanched peanuts, the skins do make them look better and the added fiber is a nice bonus. They also tend to taste better in my experience. Skin-on peanuts are available at most Asian grocery stores, and you’ll probably see a few different types being sold—they’re not all the same! My preferred peanuts are the smaller ones with the brightest red skins. Typically, they will also cost more than other types, but really not by much.
- Raw cashews. These are optional, but I find they really make the whole mix look and taste better! If raw cashews are not available at Asian stores, look for them at health food stores, and check the bulk section.
- Large cloves of garlic, we will be making garlic chips so we need large cloves for the most substantial chips.
- Makrut lime leaves. Frozen is okay for this, but be sure to dry them very well after they thaw as we will be frying them, and any water left on them will splatter aggressively in the oil.
- Lemongrass
- Small dried chilies, optional. While these are optional, they do make the mix look so much prettier so I like to add them even if I don’t end up eating them. Once the chilies are fried they will be crispy and edible if they’re not too spicy for you. I get the generic dried chilies from Chinese grocery stores which tend not to be very spicy, but if you want spicy, arbol chilies from Latin American stores will work.
Seasoning Mix (Tom Yum Flavour)
The classic version of these are simply tossed in salt, which you can absolutely do, but I prefer the more interesting “tom yum flavour” which I highly recommend you try!
- Salt. My recipe uses table salt, but you can use whatever salt you have, keeping in mind that larger grains such as Kosher salt measure differently, so check some online conversions to get the right amount.
- Sugar. The balance of sweet and salty is what makes these nuts incredibly addictive!
- True Lime brand lime juice powder. I specify the brand only because I have tried another brand (generic from a specialty food store) that was rather awful, and I have not seen any other brand here, though in Thailand Knorr also makes one. I love using lime juice powder as a way to add acidity and lime flavour when I don’t want the liquid, and as a backup for when I’m out of fresh limes. I see True Lime sold in little packets at the supermarket, or you can also buy them on Amazon. I also use True Lime powder in my zingy and spicy Thai “Wing Zabb” recipe which I highly recommend!
- Chicken bouillon powder (optional). This is the secret to all your Asian aunties’ delicious cooking! Chicken bouillon powder (most commonly Knorr brand) is a very commonly used ingredient in Asia, including Thailand. In our nut mix, it adds a the umami factor that other seasonings don’t.
- Chili powder, optional, to taste. If you want the nuts to be spicy, add whatever kind of chili powder that you have on hand, though be careful with adding too much because a large amount of chili powder will dilute the other seasonings, so keep the amount no more than 1-2 teaspoons only.
How to Make Thai Chili Lime Peanuts
Here’s a bird’s eye view of the process. The full instructions are in the recipe card below, and if this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success!
- Thinly slice garlic as evenly as you can; I recommend using a mandolin for this if you have one.
- Dry the makrut lime leaves if needed so they are 100% dry. Fold each leaf in half and pull out the centre rib.
- Tear the halves in half again, so for each leaf you will get 4 pieces.
- Thinly slice lemongrass on a diagonal; no need to be precise here as we will not eat the lemongrass
- Combine all the seasonings into a coffee grinder and grind into a powder.
- Add about ¾ inch of frying oil into a wok or pot, then add 1 piece of garlic as you test piece. Once it starts to bubble, add the rest of the garlic.
- Fry the garlic on low heat, stirring constantly, until they are golden (not brown) and the bubbling has almost completely stopped. Don’t let them brown or they will be bitter. Drain on paper towel.
- Fry the lime leaves on low heat until the bubbling stops, this should only take about 10 seconds. Remove and drain on paper towel.
- Fry the lemongrass just until the bubbling has subsided significantly, but no need to wait for the bubbling to stop. Remove and discard as they are for infusion only.
- Fry the chilies for about 15 seconds, stirring coostantly, just until they darken slightly. Remove and drain on paper towel.
- Turn the heat up to medium and let the temperature come up to 350°F (175°C). Fry the peanuts until the are golden, about 7-9 minutes depending on the size. If peanuts have skins on, check the colour of ones that have split open. Do not let them brown or they will be bitter. Remove and drain on a paper towel lined brownie pan or casserole dish.
- Fry the cashews until golden, 3-5 minutes. Remove and add to the peanuts to drain.
- Pull the paper towel out from under the nuts.
- While the nuts are still warm and oily, sprinkle the seasoning over the nuts evenly, then stir until they’re all evenly coated.
- Add the fried herbs and toss again to coat.
- Wait until the nuts cool completely before eating. Enjoy!
Pro Tip: The Secret to Crispy Garlic
Of all the things you need to fry, the trickiest thing to get right is the garlic chips, and a common issue people have is the garlic chips nice and golden… but not crispy.
In order for something to become crispy, it has to lose most of its moisture, and this takes time. So if your heat is too high, the garlic will quickly reach temperature where it can brown, and the moisture will not have had enough time to evaporate, hence soggy garlic chips. The key is LOW heat, so there’s plenty of time for the moisture to evaporate, but not so low that the garlic never turns any colour and becomes oil-sogged.
How do you know the moisture is gone? The bubbling! Bubbling of fried foods is due to water in the food evaporating. So as you fry the garlic, you’ll notice that the bubbling decreases as the moisture runs low. The garlic is crispy once there is almost no bubbling left.
With the right heat, the bubbling of the garlic should be moderate, not super weak but not aggressive (see the video for a visual). And if you do it right the bubbling should start to die down before the garlic develops any colour, so by the time the garlic develops colour, the bubbling will be almost gone. It can take some trial and error to figure out the perfect heat setting, but I’d recommend starting , of your particular stove, so don’t be discouraged if you fail the first time!
Storage
These nuts will last at least a couple of weeks in an airtight container, at room temperature. What can go bad is the oil which can go rancid, and this happens faster when the nuts are exposed to air, sunlight, and heat. So to make them last longer, keep the nuts in an airtight container, and stored in a cool place and away from direct sunlight.
The other issue to watch out for is the herbs losing their crispiness, which will happen if they are exposed to moisture for a long time. So if you live in a warm, humid place, and you want these to last to for a long time, you can also keep most of the nuts in the fridge, and keep a small container outside and refill as needed.
But let’s face it, they are so good they won’t last long!
Frequently Asked Questions
While the nuts can be baked in theory, remember that the key technique here is frying the herbs in the oil that we use to fry the nuts, and then the nuts will pickup flavour from the oil. Baking will cook the nuts…but they won’t have all those wonderful flavours!
While peanuts and cashews are the only two nuts used in Thailand, you can substitute with other nuts, such as almonds. However, I have not personally tried them so you will need to experiment with frying time.
No, none of the herbs are mandatory, but the fewer herbs you use the less flavourful they become. So I would at the very least have the garlic, and my second priority would be the makrut lime leaves.
Before you start, if this is your first time, be sure to watch the video tutorial to ensure success!
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Thai Chili & Herb Peanuts (Tom Yum Peanuts)
Ingredients
- 10 large cloves garlic peeled
- 15 makrut lime leaves large
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 10 small dried chilies optional, to taste
- Frying oil as needed
- 12 oz raw peanuts preferably skins on (see note 1)
- 6 oz raw cashews see note 2
Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice powder see note 3
- 1 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder optional but recommended
- 1 teaspoon chili powder optional, to taste
Instructions
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Thinly slice the garlic crosswise as evenly as possible. I recommend using a mandolin for this, if you have one, as even slices will be tremendously helpful when you fry them. Aim for a thickness of around 1-1.5 mm thick. Spread the sliced garlic out on a plate to let them dry while you prep other things, as the dryer they are the faster they fry.10 large cloves garlic
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Make sure makrut lime leaves are absolutely 100% dry, otherwise the oil will splatter when you fry them. Fole the leaf lengthwise and tear off the center stem, then tear each half into 2 pieces. (So each single leaf should give you 4 pieces, see the step by step photos above if you're confused.)15 makrut lime leaves
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Thinly slice the lemongrass on a diagonal. We will not be eating these so no need to be super precise or meticulous about it.1 stalk lemongrass
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Combine all the seasonings together in a coffee grinder and grind into a powder; this will help them stick better to the nuts.2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon table salt, 1 teaspoon lime juice powder, 1 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder
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Line a large plate with a paper towel for the herbs, and line a 9×13 brownie pan with paper towel. (If you don’t have a brownie pan, a large mixing bowl will work, but the nuts will cool faster in a brownie pan).
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Put about ¾ inch of frying oil in a wok or medium size pot and heat it over low heat. Add one piece of sliced garlic as your test piece. Once the garlic start to bubble, add the remaining garlic and fry gently, keeping the heat low and stirring constantly, until the garlic is golden and the bubbling has gone almost completely. Remove with a wire skimmer and drain on the paper towel lined plate. Remember the garlic will darken slightly after it leaves the oil so take it out when it's still a little too light.Frying oil
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In the same oil, still on low heat, add the makrut lime leaves and fry until they stop bubbling completely, about 10-15 seconds. Remove with a wire skimmer and drain on the plate.
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In the same oil, still on low heat, add the dried chilies and stir until they darken slightly, about 10-15 seconds. Remove and drain on the plate.10 small dried chilies
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Using the same oil, turn the heat up to medium then add the lemongrass and fry, stirring frequently, until the bubbling has subsided. The lemongrass is for infusing only, we will not eat them as they are hard and chewy. Most Thai people will add them to the nuts cuz they look nice and it shows that lemongrass is an ingredient, but I prefer to discard them for easy eating. You can do either.
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Now it’s time to fry the nuts. Let the oil heat up to 350°F (175°C). Add the peanuts. If needed, top it up with more oil to keep the nuts barely submerged. Stir the peanuts frequently until they darken slightly, about 7-9 minutes, until the peanuts are golden (check by splitting one peanut open). The timing will vary greatly depending on the size of your peanuts and the heat of your oil, and remember they will brown further after leaving the oil. Use a wire skimmer to remove the peanuts and drain on the brownie pan.12 oz raw peanuts
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Now add the cashews to the same oil, still on medium heat, and fry until they are golden, stirring constantly, about 3-5 mins. Use a wire skimmer to scoop them out and add them to the peanuts. *Some cashews are higher in sugar content and take a short time to fry, so it's important not to walk away from them!6 oz raw cashews
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Shake the nuts pan a few times to allow all the excess oil to drain, then remove the paper towel from under the nuts. While the nuts are still warm and oily, sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the nuts, then stir or toss to coat them thoroughly. Add the fried herbs and toss again to coat. Allow them to cool completely before eating as the nuts will not be crunchy while still hot. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
2. The cashews are optional, but I do find they taste better with the mix of the two. You can also change the ratio of cashews to peanuts to whatever you want. (Honestly, I only use 320 g of peanuts because my peanuts come in a 320 g bag!)
3. I use True Lime brand lime juice powder. Other brands may work but I have not tried them.
Nutrition
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