Today I’m bringing you one of the tastiest and healthiest things to snack on—Spicy Edamame. Typically enjoyed with salt and pepper, these young soybeans are the next-level yumminess when spiced up with a little heat and packed with savory, umami goodness. Trust me, you’d be obsessed!
What Are Edamame?
Edamame beans are green soybeans, with a sweet, mild, and buttery taste. The two main ways to enjoy edamame: in pods or shelled. In Japan, edamame beans are often boiled in salted water in their pods and served as appetizers. Between sips of beer, you pop the beans out to eat before the main course is served.
You can easily find frozen edamame in pods and shelled edamame sold in plastic bags in the freezer aisle at most grocery stores.
See also The Health Benefits and How to Cook Edamame (The Authentic Japanese Method).
Why You’ll Love Spicy Edamame
- Low carb, low-calorie, high protein, rich in fiber and nutrients.
- Perfect healthy snack or as an appetizer for all occasions: movie nights, game days, home parties, etc.
- Super simple to make and irresistibly delicious!
How to Make Spicy Edamame
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Frozen edamame pods – I recommend using the edamame pods for this recipe. Even though you could still use the flavorings for shelled edamame, they are more suitable for use in salads, rice bowls, noodles, etc.
- Neutral flavored oil
- Garlic
- Chili paste – I used sambal oelek to add heat, but you can use Sriracha or other brands of garlic chili sauce.
- Miso (Japanese fermented soybean paste)
- Soy sauce
- Mirin (Japanese rice wine) – You can use a little bit of sugar or maple syrup.
Overview: Cooking Steps
- Cook edamame according to package instruction.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the garlic until fragrant. Add the chili paste, miso, soy sauce, and mirin and cook until combined.
- Add the cooked edamame pods to the sauce and toss to combine with the sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature.
How easy is that! The edamame pods get a transformative kick from the simple spicy sauce of chili paste, garlic, miso, and soy sauce. It’s fiery and punchy, with the perfect mix of peppery spice and aromatic garlic flavor. And miso gives it an extra oomph. As you pop the soybeans into your mouth, every bite is exciting and enjoyable, leaving you wanting more.
A Non-Spicy Variation
If you are not a big fan of heat or spicy food, no problem! Just skip the chili paste or gradually increase the heat level as you like. My level of heat tolerance is typically “mild” when I order spicy food. This Spicy Edamame is mild spicy level.
You can always add more or less chili paste to suit your taste. Even if you reduce the heat, it still has plenty of flavor from the garlic, miso, and soy sauce.
Plus, all the flavor is mostly on the pods and not inside soybeans. Your lips will pick up some heat as you pop the soybeans into your mouth.
Best Beverages to Serve with Spicy Edamame
The best beverage to pair with spicy edamame is foamy cold beer, but you can also serve it with sake, rosé wine, cocktail, or mocktail.
For healthy options, we love pairing it with Cold Brew Green Tea or Cold Brew Hojicha.
More Edamame Recipes
- How to Cook Edamame (Fresh & Frozen)
- Mosaic Sushi
- Vegan Poke Bowl
Trader Joe’s Japanese Fried Rice with Edamame, Tofu, and Hijiki Seaweed - Pan-fried Teriyaki Tofu Bowl
- Meal Prep Bento Ideas
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Spicy Edamame
Ingredients
- 10–14 oz edamame (in their pods; I recommend frozen pods for convenience)
- 1 Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (see end Notes below)
- 1 QT water (4 cups)
For the Spicy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp sambal oelek chili paste
- 2 cloves garlic (minced or crushed)
- 1 tsp miso
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. I use frozen edamame pods here. To use fresh pods, see my tutorial How to Cook Edamame (Fresh and Frozen) for detailed instructions on how to prep and cook them.
To Prepare the Edamame
- Add 1 QT water to a pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add 1 Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- Add 10–14 oz edamame pods (frozen; do not defrost) to the boiling water. Boil, stirring once in a while, until the soybeans are an al dente texture. Boil precooked pods for 1 minute to reheat and raw pods for 4–5 minutes to cook. Nami's Tip: Check the package instructions to see if the frozen soybeans are raw or cooked. Frozen edamame pods imported from Japan are always precooked, so you only need to boil them for 1 minute to reheat.
- Skim off any foam and debris from the water's surface with a fine-mesh skimmer. When the edamame are done cooking, drain in a colander. DO NOT RINSE, or the edamame will lose their salted flavor. Set aside.Nami's Tip: It's important to remove the debris at this stage to keep the edamame clean.
To Make the Sauce
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is warm, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil and 2 cloves garlic (minced, or crush with a garlic press). Sauté with a spatula until fragrant. Do not burn the garlic.
- Add 1 Tbsp sambal oelek chili paste and 1 tsp miso and stir until miso dissolves into the paste.
- Add 2 Tbsp soy sauce and 2 Tbsp mirin and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens a little bit. The sauce is done when you can draw a line through it with a spatula and see the bottom of the pan for 1–2 seconds.
To Serve
- Add the drained edamame pods to the pan and toss to coat them with the sauce. Transfer to a plate and serve warm or at room temperature. The pods are not meant to be eaten—simply squeeze or bite the soybeans out and discard the pods.
To Store
- Keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don't recommend re-freezing. To serve, bring them to room temperature or gently reheat to warm.
Notes
- Kosher salt: Edamame pods are thick. Therefore, we need to salt the cooking water to give the soybeans a subtle base flavor. The spicy and salty flavors are mostly on the pods.
- Skip the spice – Omit the chili paste for a non-spicy version. The other ingredients in the sauce still bring plenty of flavor.
- Use another chili paste – I use sambal oelek for its bright heat and thick texture, but you can use whatever you have on hand like sriracha or other garlic chili sauce brands.
- Replace the mirin – No mirin? No problem! Swap it out for a bit of sugar or maple syrup.
- Swap out the edamame – This sauce tastes amazing on other veggies like snap peas and carrots.
Nutrition
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Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on October 18, 2013. It’s been republished with new pictures and the revised recipe on August 8, 2022.