Air Fryer Edamame is a healthy snack high in protein, gluten-free, oil-free, low in calories, and simply delicious. All you need is an air fryer, some frozen or fresh edamame, and 10 minutes! Serve as a tasty snack, delicious side dish, or quick appetizer.
What is Edamame?
Edamame is a popular Japanese snack made from green soybeans that are still in their pods. The word "edamame" literally means "stem beans" in Japanese, and it is often served as an appetizer in Japanese restaurants.
Benefits of Edamame
Edamame is not only high in protein and fiber, but it is also low in fat and calories, and rich in vitamins and minerals.
Whether you eat it as a snack, add it to your favorite stir-fry, or toss it into a salad, edamame is a great way to add plant-based protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to your diet. Plus, it's gluten-free.
Air Fried vs Steamed Edamame
When it comes to cooking edamame at home, we use two different methods: steaming and air frying. Both ways result in yummy edamame and both cooking methods are an easy way to enjoy these soybeans. If we had to choose one, we would choose air-frying edamame, for the crispy texture and its convenience.
Steamed Edamame
When we started cooking Edamame at home, it was always steamed edamame. You can use a small or medium size pan with boiling water and add the edamame for a couple of minutes (7-8 minutes).
All you need to do after is drain the edamame, add some sea salt and flavorings of your choice, and serve them. We absolutely love edamame served with some toasted sesame oil.
This is a great way to cook edamame if you don't have an air fryer.
Air Fried Edamame
Recently, we have discovered that you can cook edamame using the air fryer. We've got the Ninja Air fryer and since we first got it, we've using it nonstop.
People tend to think you need some oil added to Air Fryer Edamame, but you don't necessarily need to add any oil. All you need to do is add the frozen or fresh edamame directly into the air fryer basket, set your air fryer, and cook the edamame for 10 minutes.
Additionally, we add some tamari or soy sauce when the edamame has been cooking for 5 minutes, to add some flavor, umami, and saltiness.
Air frying produces a crispy, crunchy texture that we prefer over steamed edamame, so we have been air frying this plant-based protein since we discovered this cooking method.
How to cook Air Fryer Edamame
Ingredients
Edamame. For this recipe, we use frozen unshelled edamame. We use frozen edamame as they are easier to find in different countries in most grocery stores. We can find this type of edamame in our local supermarket, which makes it really handy. You can choose to buy shelled or unshelled edamame. Shelled edamame is the one that has been already removed from its pod. You can use this type of edamame to cook in your air fryer, but we prefer using unshelled edamame when we are cooking them to have as a snack or side dish.
Soy sauce or tamari. We like adding a little soy sauce or tamari (gluten-free option) to add umami and saltiness to this snack.
Sesame seeds. This is another ingredient we like to add to our Air Fryer Edamame. White or black sesame seeds, or alternatively, some toasted sesame oil.
Sea salt. Edamame pairs beautifully with sea salt. This enhances the flavor of the soy beans taking it to the next level.
Optionally, you can add other seasoning ingredients to add spiciness, saltiness, or sweetness.
Cooking Method
- Add your frozen edamame to the air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 200 C (400F) and cook for 10 minutes. Halfway through, open the air fryer, shake the basket so the edamame beans cook evenly, add some soy sauce, and keep cooking.
- Take the edamame out, serve with some sea salt, sesame seeds, and your favorite seasoning ingredients, and enjoy!
Variations to our Air Fryer Edamame recipe
- Use shelled edamame. You can use shelled edamame and follow the same cooking instructions. Normally, you can find shelled and unshelled frozen edamame in large supermarkets, or Asian stores.
- Change the seasoning. We use soy sauce, sesame seeds, and sea salt. Three simple ingredients that you probably already have at home. As well, we love adding some Shichimi Togarashi, which is a Japanese chili pepper spice mix. Some other popular seasoning ingredients are garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, Italian seasoning, curry powder, coconut aminos, maple syrup, lemon juice, or spicy condiments such as red pepper flakes, chili flakes, red chili powder, cayenne pepper, or chili oil.
- Use fresh edamame. If you are using fresh edamame, you may need to adjust (reduce) the cooking time as they will cook faster. As well, using fresh edamame you will have to spray some olive oil or another type of vegetable oil on the edamame pods before cooking them. When you use frozen edamame, the steam helps cook the young soybeans.
Serving Suggestions
Air Fryer Edamame is a versatile dish that can be served in a variety of ways. It can be a great side dish, appetizer, or snack. Here are some ideas on how to serve this great source of protein dish.
- Side dish. Air Fryer edamame makes a delicious side dish to accompany your favorite Asian-style meals. It is a healthy and flavorful alternative to traditional side dishes like noodles or rice.
- Appetizer. You can serve air-fried edamame as a quick appetizer too. We love serving edamame and gyozas, or Agedashi Tofu as starters when we make Asian-style dinners or party-style meals.
- Snack. Edamame is a healthy and satisfying low-calorie snack that you can enjoy anytime. It is high in protein and fiber, which makes it a great option for the whole family. Edamame has become an after-school or afternoon snack at home, as it's a great way to add more plant-based protein to our diets. We mash the edamame beans for our toddler, as it can be a choking hazard for your little ones.
- Topping for salads. This recipe makes a great salad topping that adds a crunchy texture and nutty flavor to your greens. If want to use the edamame as a topping for your salad or stir-fries, we recommend using shelled edamame instead of whole edamame.
Store and Reheat
Making Air Fryer edamame takes just 10 minutes, and this is why we recommend you to simply cook a portion big enough to enjoy right after cooking. It doesn't make much sense to make bigger portions to keep for later. If you still have some leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge, using an airtight container, and reheat using the air fryer for 3-4 minutes at 200C. If your air fryer has a reheat mode, you can use that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use shelled edamame?
Yes, you can use shelled edamame for air frying. You don't need to adjust the cooking method.
Is it necessary to thaw edamame before air frying?
It is not necessary to thaw edamame before air frying. We find that cooking edamame directly from frozen is the perfect way to do it. The steam helps cook the edamame evenly and you won't need to use oil.
Do I need to add oil for air frying edamame?
If you are using frozen edamame, you don't need to add any oil when air frying edamame. The steam helps cook the soybeans evenly.
Air Fryer Edamame
Ingredients
- 500 g frozen edamame unshelled
- 1 ½ tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- A pinch sea salt
- sesame seeds for garnishing
Instructions
- Add your frozen edamame to the air fryer basket.
- Set the air fryer to 200 C (400F) for 10 minutes.
- When the edamame has been cooking for five minutes, open the air fryer, shake the basket so the edamame beans cook evenly, add some tamari or soy sauce, and keep cooking.
- Take the edamame out, serve with some sea salt, sesame seeds, and your favorite seasoning ingredients.
Notes
- You can add some spice by adding chili sesame oil or chili flakes. We love adding some Shichimi Togarashi.
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If you tried our recipe, please leave a comment or tag us on Instagram @Sixhungryfeet. We are always happy to see your creations!
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