My goodness, me, there went my self-control again. Good thing I made two big batches of these smoked pecans because a lot of them were sacrificed in the name of ‘quality control’. The nuts are smoked just enough. There is a such thing as too much smoke on nuts. You don’t want it to be overwhelming, but you do want to still taste smoke. Otherwise, you can’t call them smoked pecans!
Change Them Up
I used two different spice mixtures for the smoked pecans. The first batch I made a somewhat sweet, southwestern-inspired mix. It was a great balance of flavors, and one enjoyed by everyone. The second version I went a bit spicier (but not too spicy) route. It’s the same as the first mix, but with cayenne instead of cinnamon. People often shy away when they see ‘spicy’, but I found them to have just a hint of a kick and a little sweetness.
A grill basket makes getting these little yummys on and off my grill easy.
If you just finished smoking ribs, pork, whatever, on your smoker and still have some fire, smoked pecans are a great way to use up the rest of that smoke time. Never waste it, I say!
Also try my smoked pistachios.
Smoked Pecans
Ingredients
- 2 cups shelled raw pecans
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
Spice mixture
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Fire up your smoke for 250 F. Use a fruit wood, such as apple, or pecan. Since the smoking time is short compared to say, smoking ribs, I recommend using extra wood to generate more smoke than you might usually.
- Place the nuts in a disposable aluminum pan. Drizzle with the melted butter and stir to coat.
- Combine the spice mixture ingredients and sprinkle over the nuts. Stir to coat.
- Place the pan onto the smoker and smoke 60 minutes. Stir the nuts every 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the smoker and let the nuts cool completely before serving. On the off chance you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.