Cooking from the Bar Cart: A Super Bowl of Tequila-Spiked Nuts

Nuts and booze go hand in hand when snacking and sipping, and they play well mixed together, too. Think salted peanuts floating in a rum and coke, or candied bourbon pecans. But as an agave spirits fan who prefers salty to sweet snacks any day, I went right to tequila for these Super Bowl–ready spiked nuts. I chose blanco tequila (aged tequila also works) and cashews and tossed them with the savory-tart Tajín seasoning commonly used to rim a margarita or Michelada. The result is a mouthwatering snack that’s hard to stop eating. Soak the nuts for as little as thirty minutes, or overnight for a more pronounced boozy bite. Starting with roasted and lightly salted cashews provides a savory jumpstart on the flavor. Then all it takes is a toss in melted butter, a quick stop in the oven, and a generous sprinkling of the seasoning for a tasty touchdown.

See other recipes in our Cooking from the Bar Cart series.

Ingredients

Tequila-Tajín Nuts (Yield: Makes 3 cups)

3 cups roasted and lightly salted cashews
3 tbsp. tequila
1 ½ tbsp. butter, melted
1 ½ tbsp. Tajín seasoning, or more to taste, divided

Preparation

Place cashews and tequila in a gallon-size zip-top bag and seal. Give the bag a shake to coat the nuts. Let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes or overnight. Transfer the nuts to a layer of paper towels and blot any excess liquid.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss the nuts with the melted butter in a bowl and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 8 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and toss the nuts with a spatula for even toasting. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the Tajín seasoning, tossing again to coat. Return to the oven and roast 2 to 3 minutes more.

Remove from the oven and toss with the remaining ½ tablespoon seasoning or more to taste. Let the nuts cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week or in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Katherine Cobbs is a cookbook author and editor. Her most recent books are Pantry Cocktails (2021) and Tequila & Tacos (2020) published by Simon & Schuster. She also developed recipes for Garden & Gun’s The Southerner’s Cookbook – Recipes, Wisdom, and Stories.

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