Crispy Masala peanuts are the most addictive snack we can make in under 15 minutes. This air fryer crispy masala peanut recipe is healthy, vegan, and gluten-free and is loved by kids and adults.
When looking for a tea time/coffee time snack, these spicy masala peanuts are the best. We can enjoy them guilt free as they are air fried. And the best part is, it just takes under 15 minutes to make a quick batch of these masala peanuts.
Table of contents
With Diwali fast approaching, I was looking to make some kind of edible gift to pack for our neighbors and friends. I have made many different candied nuts like thess candied cashews (Nokkal), candied almonds, mixed nut brittle and old fashioned peanut brittle. But I have never made a spicy nut recipe to give out as gift.
On our trip back to India, appa had got few packs of spicy peanuts (I think Haldiram brand). Pranesh loved them but they were a little too spicy for him to eat a lot. He still kept eating the crispy peanuts as they were addictive.
This gave me an idea to make a batch of them at home. And having an air fryer is a boon. If you are looking for another reason / another recipe to make you invest in one, this crispy masala peanut recipe is the one.
More edible gift ideas
What are masala peanuts?
Masala peanuts are simple, flour coated peanuts that are either deep fried, baked or air fried. These are crispy peanut snack that are best enjoyed as an evening tea time snack.
I also have another masala peanut recipe which is the cooked version. It is more like a Peanut salad / sundal and is commonly found as a beach side snack back in India
Why make this masala peanut recipe?
- These crispy air fryer peanuts are vegan, gluten free and quite healthy.
- They are very inexpensive to make.
- These crispy peanuts are wonderful as edible gifts for holidays.
- Peanuts can be made under 15 minutes.
- Doubling or tripling a batch is very easy to make a large quantity.
- These air fryer crispy peanuts are so addictive. Kids and adults both enjoy it equally.
Ingredients and substitutes
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipes.
Peanuts - We will be using raw peanuts with skin for this crispy peanut recipe. I usually buy my raw peanuts from the Indian grocery stores. I also like to buy peanuts that are smaller in size like the Spanish peanuts.
Flours - Besan / chick pea flour and rice flour are the two different flours I have used in the masala peanut recipe. Rice flour gives the crispiness for the peanuts. We can swap the rice flour for corn starch (corn flour in India) or use a little of both rice flour and corn starch.
Spices - We use turmeric powder, red chili powder (Kashmiri), garam masala, asafetida (skip if making it gluten free), chat masala, amchur powder (dry mango powder). We also need salt.
Tips and spice suggestion - The spices used here are completely optional and can be flavored as per your choice. If dry mango powder is not available, use 1 teaspoon of lemon / lime juice.
Oil - Use any oil that you would use for deep frying. We will be making the masala peanuts in the air fryer and won't be using much.
Step by step process
- Measure the peanut and place it in a bowl. Wash the peanuts and drain them.
Tip - Washing the peanuts is optional but I find that this yields the most crunchy and evenly roasted masala peanuts. This moisture also helps in not drying out the masala peanuts and the spices and flour seem to stick better when done this way.
- Add oil to the wet peanuts and mix.
- In another bowl, measure and add both flours. Add all the spice powders to the flour. I have used 1 teaspoon of chili powder, ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon of garam masala, ½ teaspoon of amchur powder (dry mango powder), and ½ teaspoon of chat masala. Also, add salt needed. Chat masala has salt in it, so be careful when adding more salt.
- Mix flours and spices well. I find that using my fingers worked better in getting all the spices incorporated well.
- Add the drained peanut to the flour mixture and mix to coat. Take time and mix before adding more liquid. We want the peanuts well coated and at the same time not clumpy.
- If the peanuts are too dry, add water little by little. I use a spoon and add water and then mix. Also, add a teaspoon or so of oil to help coat (if needed).
- Preheat the air fryer at 330 F for couple of minutes.
- Add the peanuts to the air fryer basket and spread it in a single row. To get the perfect crispy masala peanuts, it is very important that the peanuts are in a single row and not overcrowded.
- Air fry them for about 8 to 10 minutes. Depending on the individual air fryer cooking time will vary. So keep checking the peanuts every 2 minutes or so and shake them up to evenly roast.
- If you feel that the peanuts are browning too quickly, reduce the air fryer temperature a little and continue.
- The peanuts will still be soft when hot. Once the masala peanuts are evenly brown, turn off the air fryer and let them sit for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Serve the peanuts after they cool down or store them for later.
How to store masala peanuts
It is important to keep the peanuts crispy to enjoy them later. So before storing make sure to let the peanuts cool down completely. Then store the peanuts in an air-tight container. I like using Mason jars to store mine.
Serving suggestion
Masala peanuts are great as after school snack or with coffee or tea. My son loves to take a few in his lunch box to snack on between his lunch. It is also his favorite after-school snack along with Homemade Monster drink.
I make spicy masala peanuts as edible gifts during holidays. I place them in Mason jars and label the jars and they are ready to gift.
Every now and then I like to eat masala peanuts as a side with sambar rice or rasam rice.
Expert tips
- Use raw peanuts with skin to make the masala peanuts. Since we are going to be frying (air frying) the peanuts, roasted peanuts will burn.
- Washing the peanuts has given me the best result in achieving crispy peanuts without making them overly dry.
- Use spices as you like. I made them medium spicy but make them spicy or milder.
- Let the peanuts cool down completely before storing them. Otherwise, they will lose their crispness.
- If for some reason, the peanuts become soft after a couple of days, air fry them for a couple more minutes before serving.
Frequently asked questions
If the peanuts did not fry for too long, or if you air-fried them at high temperatures for a shorter time, they could remain soft. It is important to fry them at a lower temperature to make sure it is crispy all the way through.
Cashew nuts would work well to make masala cashew.
Masala peanuts can be stored in an air-tight container for up to a month. I like to make smaller quantities and use them quickly to avoid the nuts becoming stale.
If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan. You could follow me and my recipes on Facebook |Instagram | Pinterest | twitter
More air fryer recipes
Recipe card
Recipe
Crispy Masala Peanuts (Air fryer)
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 2 bowls
- 1 Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup Raw peanuts with skin
- ¼ cup Besan / kadalai maavu / chick pea flour
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Rice flour
- 2 Tablespoon Oil might need less than this
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- ½ teaspoon Chat masala
- ½ teaspoon Amchur powder / Dry mango powder Can be substituted with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon Asafetida Skip if making it gluten free
- to taste Salt
Instructions
- Measure the peanut and place it in a bowl. Wash the peanuts and drain them.Tip - Washing the peanuts is optional but I find that this yields the most crunchy and evenly roasted masala peanuts. This moisture also helps in not drying out the masala peanuts and the spices and flour seem to stick better when done this way.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of oil to the wet peanuts and mix.
- In another bowl, measure and add both the flours. Add all the spice powders to the flour. I have used 1 teaspoon of chili powder, ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon of garam masala, ½ teaspoon of amchur powder (dry mango powder) and ½ teaspoon of chat masala. Also add salt needed. Chat masala has salt in it, so be careful when adding more salt.
- Mix the flours and spices well. I find that using my fingers worked better in getting all the spices incorporated well.
- Add the drained peanut to the flour mixture and mix to coat. Take time and mix before adding more liquid. We want the peanuts well coated and at the same time not clumpy.
- If the peanuts are too dry, add water little by little. I use a spoon and add water and then mix. Also add a teaspoon or so of oil to help coat (if needed).
- Preheat the air fryer at 330 F for couple of minutes.
- Add the peanuts in the air fryer basket and spread it in a single row. To get the perfect crispy masala peanuts, it is very important that the peanuts are in single row and not overcrowded.
- Air fry them for about 8 to 10 minutes. Depending on the individual air fryer cooking time will vary. So keep checking them peanuts every 2 minutes or so and shake them up to evenly roast.
- If you feel that the peanuts are browning too quickly, reduce the air fryer temperature a little and continue.
- The peanuts will still be soft when hot. Once the masala peanuts are evenly brown, turn off the air fryer and let them sit for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Serve the peanuts after they cool down or store for later.
Video
Notes
- Use raw peanuts with skin to make the masala peanuts. Since we are going to be frying (air frying) the peanuts, roasted peanuts will burn.
- Washing the peanuts have given me the best result in achieving crispy peanuts without making them overly dry.
- Use spices as per your like. I made them medium spicy but make them spicy or milder.
- Let the peanuts cool down completely before storing. Otherwise, they will lose their crispness.
- If for some reasons, the peanuts become soft after a couple of days, air fry them for couple more minutes before serving.
Juyali says
I made this for a road trip to have a healthy snack option. They were gone quickly. 🙂 So tasty!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thank you! Oh yes, I love these for munching on road trips!
Amy Liu Dong says
This makes to be a great snack whether you are watching movies or just a hunger satisfactory. It is full of flavors!
Anna says
The combination of spices is so perfectly balanced, and the peanuts did come out wonderfully crunchy! So much better than shop-bought snacks!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thank you! Love making homemade snacks.
Laura says
That was the perfect snack for the whole family, everyone loved them! Thanks, will make for xmas again!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thank you! These are great for gifts.
Moop Brown says
Peanuts are one of my favorite snacks and this recipe for them seems super flavorful and tasty and like a nice way to spice things up
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Peanuts are my favorite too and this is a great way to keep them in hand for snacking!
Kari Heron | Chef and Steward says
Oh my, what have I discovered here! This is definitely a recipe I’m printing out to make over the holidays!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thank you!
Katie Crenshaw says
Loved how these peanuts turned out! They were so easy to make in the Air Fryer! i can't wait to make again.
Natalia says
So glad I've found your recipe. I recently bought an air fryer and was looking for snack recipes to try and this sounds perfect. My son loves peanuts! Thanks for sharing!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I love my air fryer and they are great for making quick homemade snacks.
Journa Liz Ramirez says
This snack is so good! It's easy to make and my family loves it. Highly recommended!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thank you!
May says
These were a GREAT snack for me and my partner! We made it on a movie night at home and devoured all 10 mins into a movie lol Definitely making them again!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
These are perfect for movie nights! Thanks for reminding me to make it during the holiday breaks.
Amanda Mason says
I'm definitely making these his weekend! I love all those spices and but they taste amazing on peanuts in the air fryer! Can't wait to try this!
Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli says
These masala peanuts in the air fryer are such a great idea for a snack for the upcoming holidays! Healthy, and so tasty!
Veronika says
Made these on Sunday for snacking throughout the week and it's only Tuesday and they're already gone! These peanuts are crunchy and so flavorful! Should've made a bigger batch!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
These masala peanuts are addictive. Thanks you!
Julie says
How amazing are these? I made them for my twins and they loved the. So much more flavorful than standard peanuts.
Gloria says
Homemade snacks are the best. These peanuts sound delicious. Love the spice combination.