This recipe is quick, adaptable, and great as a party snack or an easy weeknight recipe! Plus if you’re looking for something to mindlessly snack on, nori crusted beans will always hit the spot.
Table of contents
First, what is nori?
Even if the word is new to you, there’s a good chance you’ve seen — and possibly even eaten — nori before. These thin, papery sheets of dried seaweed common in Japanese cuisine are perhaps best known for their role in sushi, but nori is also frequently used to flavor and garnish things like soups, noodles, and other dishes.
Nori is made by shredding several different types of edible seaweed and then forming it into sheets, which are pressed and dried. If you’ve ever made paper, the process is actually quite similar.
You can find nori in several different formats, including small, individual-serving snack packs and larger sheets intended for making sushi and onigiri at home. Although it was a specialty item not too long ago, today you can find nori in most supermarkets.
The ingredients you will need for nori crusted beans
- 2 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans
- 6 sheets nori
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp sambal oelek
- 2 tbsp kecap manis
- Ton cilantro and sliced scallions optional, for garnish
How to prepare the crisp bean mixture
These irresistible, surprisingly healthy nori crusted beans are a cinch to make. Here’s a play-by-play of the whole process:
- Drain and rinse the beans, then pat them dry with paper towels. You want them pretty dry, but not bone dry, or else the nori will have nothing to adhere to!
- Put the nori, sesame seeds, fennel seeds, and aleppo pepper into a food processor. Pulse to get it as fine as you can, but know there will still be some small nori pieces in there, that’s totally fine.
- In a large bowl, toss the nori mixture with the whole wheat flour and kosher salt. Mix with your hands to combine, and then pour in the beans.
- Drizzle the beans with sesame oil and olive oil, then toss multiple times in the nori mixture to get them as coated as possible.
- Scatter the beans in an even layer on a baking sheet, making sure not to crowd the pan. Sprinkle with one more pinch of salt and roast at 400°F for 20-22 minutes, or until the beans are golden and crisp.
The best way to roast beans
A key component of what makes these beans so delightful and satisfying to snack on is their crispness. In order to achieve that texture, there are a few things you want to make sure you do when roasting your beans.
First is making sure your beans are not too wet. While you want to leave a bit of moisture to ensure the other ingredients adhere to the beans, removing the excess moisture will allow them to really crisp up while they’re in the oven.
The second component is the combination of ingredients we’re tossing the beans in. While most of them are intended to impart flavor and complexity to our lovely (if not somewhat flavorless) beans, the inclusion of whole wheat flour here helps to create a crispier coating than we’d get with the other ingredients alone. Pair that with oil and some time in a hot oven, and you’re in for a treat. The proof is in the crunch.
How do you make the dipping sauce for these nori crusted beans?
The final piece of this recipe is a creamy, sweet, and somewhat spicy dip made with some classic Indonesian flavors. While this is a completely optional addition to some already exceptional beans, it’s easy to make and comes highly recommended. To make it, just whisk together yogurt, sambal oelek and kecap manis. The finished product may be thinner than you think it should be, but trust me — it’s very good.
FAQ
The best way to store crispy beans is in an airtight container in the fridge. They should last 5-6 days like this.
While these crispy beans are best eaten right away, you can recreate the same warm, crunchy experience by reheating them in an air fryer or oven. 5-6 minutes at 400°F should bring back most, if not all, of their original appeal.
Absolutely—the flavors and principles of this recipe would translate well to most other minimally flavored ingredients you may be inclined to roast, like potatoes or tofu. Let your imagination run wild.
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Nori Crusted Beans
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 large baking sheet
- 1 sheet of parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans
- 6 sheets nori
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp aleppo pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp sambal oelek
- 2 tbsp kecap manis
- torn cilantro and sliced scallions optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Drain and rinse the beans, then pat them dry with paper towels. You want them pretty dry, but not bone dry, or else the nori will have nothing to adhere to!
- Put the nori, sesame seeds, fennel seeds, and aleppo pepper into a food processor. Pulse to get it as fine as you can, but know there will still be some small nori pieces in there, that's totally fine.
- In a large bowl, toss the nori mixture with the whole wheat flour and kosher salt. Mix with your hands to combine, and then pour in the beans.
- Drizzle the beans with sesame oil and olive oil, then toss multiple times in the nori mixture to get them as coated as possible.
- Scatter the beans in an even layer on a baking sheet, making sure not to crowd the pan. Sprinkle with one more pinch of salt and roast at 400°F for 20-22 minutes, or until the beans are golden and crisp.
- While the beans are roasting, make the sauce by whisking together the yogurt, sambal oelek and kecap manis. This will be thin, but it's very good.
- When the beans are out of the oven, serve them alongside the sauce and scatter some cilantro and scallions on top. Eat warm!
