Mesquite-Smoked Almonds
Make your own smoked nuts for snacking or setting out for guests to nibble before a dinner party
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Smoked almonds tend to be a guilty pleasure because of the sugar, sodium, and MSG that go into flavoring them. Lighten the guilt and heighten the pleasure by making your own. If the nuts are not lightly toasted at the end of the smoking time, bake 4 to 5 minutes in a 350°F oven, or until crisp.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Tbs. fine mesquite wood chips
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground chipotle chile powder
- 2 cups whole unblanched almonds
Preparation
1. Prepare stove-top smoker with wood chips. Poke about 50 holes throughout bottom of 12- x 8-inch disposable aluminum pan with fork or metal skewer.
2. Combine salt, sugar, chipotle powder, and 2 Tbs. water in skillet, and bring to a simmer, swirling pan to dissolve salt and sugar. Stir in almonds, and reduce heat to low. Cook and stir 1 minute, or until bottom of skillet is dry and almonds start to lose some of their gloss. Transfer to prepared aluminum pan.
3. Set pan of almonds on smoker rack, and smoke 10 to 25 minutes, checking to make sure they don’t burn. Remove from heat, and cool. Store in airtight container up to 5 days.
Nutrition Information
- Calories 208
- Carbohydrate Content 8 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 18 g
- Fiber Content 4 g
- Protein Content 7 g
- Saturated Fat Content 1 g
- Sodium Content 242 mg
- Sugar Content 2 g