Spicy Garlic Edamame (Soybean Pods)

Spicy Garlic Edamame is full of bold garlic and ginger flavors, with a spice that will make your lips tingle. It will remind you of your favorite Japanese restaurant without the price tag. Find out how easy it is to make this beloved appetizer at home.

Thank you to Best Food Facts and United Soybean Board for sponsoring this post. 

What is Edamame?

Edamame is immature, green soybeans, which are often eaten steamed or stir-fried. In the U.S., edamame is often sold frozen in bags. Edamame is an excellent source of folate, and contains 12 and 18% per servings per container magnesium, and protein, respectively, which means it’s a great snack or appetizer for those looking to increase these minerals in their diets. 

I have a new appreciation for soy after my recent trip to Iowa. Even though I eat and use soy products regularly, I was unaware of how soy is grown and the sustainability efforts that go into growing it. After my trip to the Struthers Farm, I learned that many farmers plant soybeans in rotation with other crops to prevent infestation of pests in the soil and to prevent crop diseases. Many of the farmers we spoke to during the trip also educated us on their role in conservation. Among them, no-till farming and cover crops are standard practices for conserving water for our future and theirs.

Immature soybeans, or edamame, have bright green, fibrous skin that looks fuzzy. That fuzzy skin makes sense once you see the fuzzy leaves of the soybean plants. The immature soybeans are vegetable-type soybeans, which means they’re not harvested for animal feed or for use in industrial products. 

What Do I Need to Make This Spicy Garlic Edamame?

For this recipe, you need frozen edamame, fresh garlic and ginger, soy sauce, mirin (or sweet rice wine), crushed red pepper flakes, and kosher salt. 

Can I Use Fresh Edamame for this Recipe?

Fresh edamame is difficult to find in my area. If I’m lucky, I can find it at my local Asian market, but I have to buy it frozen more often than not. Feel free to use fresh if you’re among the lucky ones who can find it. You’ll just decrease the boiling time to three minutes instead of five.

Do I Need a Wok for This Recipe?

I like using a wok to make this spicy garlic edamame. It gives the soybeans a charred, almost smoky flavor which is divine. But, I recognize that not everyone has a wok, so I’m showing you how to make this recipe in a standard anodized frying pan or skillet. 

Add six cups of water to a twelve-inch skillet, cover the pan, and bring the water to a bowl over medium-high heat. Salt the water with the kosher salt once it comes to a boil, then add the frozen edamame to the pan. Cover the pan and boil the edamame for 5-6 minutes.

Drain the soybeans in a colander and run cold water over them to stop the cooking process. Allow them to drain in the colander while you build up the sauce.  

Turn the stove to medium heat and add the vegetable oil to the pan. Side note: did you know that most vegetable oil is soybean oil? That’s another little tidbit I picked up on my trip to Iowa!

Once the oil in the pan begins to shimmer, stir in the minced garlic and ginger. Gently sauté these for two minutes, frequently stirring them in the pan to avoid browning them too much. 

Can I Make This Recipe Less or More Spicy?

This is when you want to turn on the exhaust fan because the pepper will take your sinuses for a ride. 

Add the crushed red pepper to the pan with the minced garlic and ginger. Quickly toast the pepper, constantly stirring, for thirty seconds. 

To change the spiciness of the edamame, decrease the amount of red pepper flakes to one teaspoon. If you, like us, really like heat, you can increase the amount of red pepper flakes to one tablespoon. 

How Can I Make this Spicy Garlic Edamame Gluten-Free?

Next, add the drained edamame to the pan with the aromatics. Toss them with your spoon for 1 minute to evenly coat them in the mixture.

Finally, add the soy sauce and mirin to the pan. Bring the liquids to a gentle simmer and allow the soybeans to warm up in the pan for two to three minutes.

You can make this spicy garlic edamame gluten-free by replacing the soy sauce with tamari, which is brewed without wheat. 

How Do I Serve Spicy Garlic Edamame?

Serve spicy garlic edamame as an appetizer or enjoy them as a snack. They are the only appetizers I have to have when I go out for sushi. But, now that I make them at home, I no longer need to wait for a sushi date to enjoy them.

You can also pair it with steamed white rice for a more substantial yet light meal. 

How Do I Eat Spicy Garlic Edamame?

One of the things I love to do when introducing my friends to this spicy garlic edamame is to show them how to eat it. 

Again, the edamame pod is so fibrous and tough that it’s practically inedible. Because of that, you need to use your teeth to extract the beans from the pod.

1. Grab the stem end of the soybean with your fingers and hold it while you put the whole pod in your mouth.
2. Suck off the flavorings from the shell and clamp your teeth down (gently) right near your fingers.
3. Slide the pod out from between your teeth, extracting the beans into your mouth. 
4. Chew, enjoy, and repeat!

How Do I Store Leftovers?

You can store spicy garlic edamame in a covered container in the fridge for up to two days. To reheat edamame, pop it into the microwave on high for one to two minutes, or until warm. You can also reheat edamame in a skillet over medium heat or in a 350°F (180°C) air fryer. Just reheat them until they start steaming. 

Can I Freeze Leftovers?

I don’t like to refreeze any veggies that were previously frozen. I find the second freeze turns them to mush after reheating. Don’t freeze spicy garlic edamame after cooking, or you’ll find the texture less desirable. This recipe is so easy to whip up that I think you won’t find a need to store some for later, anyway.

Let me know what you think of this Spicy Garlic Edamame recipe in the comments below. Don’t forget to pin and share it with your friends and family! And be sure to check out this post’s sponsors on their respective sites at Best Food Facts and United Soybean Board.

Spicy Garlic Edamame

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 32 votes

Spicy Garlic Edamame is full of bold garlic and ginger flavors, with a spice that will make your lips tingle. It's an easy appetizer to make at home.

Servings: 4 appetizer servings

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 14 ounce (400 grams) bag frozen edamame
• 1 teaspoon (6 grams) kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) vegetable oil
• 3 large cloves garlic peeled and minced (1 1/2 tablespoons or 16 grams)
• 2 inch piece ginger peeled and minced (2 teaspoons or 6 grams)
• 1/2 tablespoon (3 grams) crushed red pepper flakes or gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
• 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) mirin

Instructions 

Boil the Edamame

• Add six cups of water to a 12-inch skillet that's at least 4-inches deep and cover the pan.

  Bring the water to a bowl over medium-high heat.
• Salt the water with the kosher salt once it comes to a boil, then add the frozen edamame to the pan.

  Cover the pan and boil the edamame for 5-6 minutes.
• Drain the soybeans in a colander and run cold water over them to stop the cooking process.

  Allow the edamame to drain in the colander while you build up the sauce.  

Make the Spicy Garlic Sauce

• Turn the stove to medium heat and add the vegetable oil to the pan.

  Once the oil in the pan begins to shimmer, stir in the minced garlic and ginger. Gently sauté these for 2 minutes, frequently stirring them in the pan to avoid browning them too much. 
• Turn the exhaust fan to high, then add the crushed red pepper to the pan with the minced garlic and ginger.

  Quickly toast the pepper, constantly stirring, for 30 seconds. 
• Next, add the drained edamame to the pan with the aromatics. Toss them with your spoon for 1 minute to evenly coat them in the mixture.

  Finally, add the soy sauce and mirin to the pan. Bring the liquids to a gentle simmer, cover the pan, and allow the soybeans to warm up in the pan for 2-3 minutes.

Serve the Spicy Garlic Edamame

• To eat: grab the stem end of the soybean with your fingers and hold it while you put the whole pod in your mouth.

  Suck off the flavorings from the shell and clamp your teeth down (gently) right near your fingers.

  Slide the pod out from between your teeth, extracting the beans into your mouth. 

  Chew, enjoy, and repeat!

Notes

Swaps and Substitutes:

• You can replace the frozen edamame with fresh, just decrease the boiling time to three minutes instead of five.
• To change the spiciness of the edamame, decrease the amount of red pepper flakes to one teaspoon, or increase the amount of red pepper flakes to one tablespoon. 
• For gluten-free Spicy Garlic Edamame, replace the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari, found in the soy sauce aisle. 

Tips and Techniques:

• For a more substantial meal, pair the soybeans with steamed white rice. 

Storage Instructions:

• Store spicy garlic edamame in a covered container in the fridge for up to two days.
• To reheat edamame, pop it into the microwave on high for one to two minutes, or until warm.
• You can also reheat edamame in a skillet over medium heat or in a 350°F (180°C) air fryer. Just reheat them until they start steaming. 
• I don't recommend freezing prepared Spicy Garlic Edamame.

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 13gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 1350mgPotassium: 514mgFiber: 6gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 548IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 3mg

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Asian, Japanese

Keyword edamame, garlic, soybean, spicy

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