Oven roasted pecans are always nice to have on hand, because there are many dishes that can be taken up a notch with just a few toasted pecans thrown in. I add them to salads, slaws, oatmeal, yogurt and fruit, in and on top of pancakes and waffles, green beans and asparagus, and even pasta and rice dishes (just to name a few). They also make a healthy snack.
For years, I toasted pecans in a skillet on an as needed basis. But several years ago, a friend inspired me to give oven roasting a try and I did. After roasting my first batch I wanted to kick myself for not having used the oven method sooner. Live and learn.
The process for oven roasted pecans is so easy and the resulting pecans are much better than those I toast in a skillet.
As mentioned in my Red Chile Pecan post, we go through a lot of pecans; therefore, I purchase in bulk, 5 – 10 pounds/order. Most of the time I order bags of “pieces” rather than the halves. They are cheaper, and since I end up chopping the pecans anyway, why pay more. Once received, I oven roast most of the pecans, but I do I save some for cookies and quick breads. Oven roasting is a process that goes very quickly and the results are hard to beat. Below is my process for oven roasted pecans. At the end of the post you’ll find links to several recipes that call for roasted pecans.
Oven Roasted Pecans
Roasting a batch of pecans in the oven is a quick & easy process that actually saves you a lot of time when you want to add them to a dish. Just pull a few from the freezer and toss them in the dish.
*See Kitchen Notes for more information.
- 1 pound pecan pieces or halves*
Preheat the oven to 325F.
Spread 1 pound of pecans into one layer on a sheet pan.
When the oven is up to temperature, place the sheet pan in the oven and set the timer for 7 minutes.
Remove the pecans from the oven and stir, flipping them over as much as possible. Return the pan to the oven.
After 5 minutes, you should be smelling roasted pecans. Remove and taste. If you want them to have a little more roasted flavor, return for another 5 minutes and taste again. Just be careful not to burn them.
Pour roasted pecans into a large bowl to cool and start another batch if you have more then 1 pound. While the pecans are cooling, stir frequently until all pecans have cooled.
One the pecans have cooled, pour into airtight bags. For immediate use, transfer a few into an airtight jar to have accessible. Mark and freeze the bags of roasted pecans.
When ready to use, remove the amount of pecans needed from the freezer bag about 15 minutes before needing them and return the rest to the freezer. Be sure to remove as much air as possible before sealing and returning to the freezer.
Use the frozen pecans within 6 months to prevent freezer burn.
Amount to roast – I usually roast 5 – 10 pounds on pecans, 2 pounds at a time – 1 pound per sheet pan, using 2 oven racks. I’ll switch racks after the initial 7 minutes of roasting.
Amount of time to roast – Pecans can be roasted at oven temperatures from 275F to 350F. The higher the temperature, the shorter the roasting time. I personally prefer 325F because it allows better control of the time (i.e. without burning), and doesn’t take as long as 275F.
Also, the time depends on how roasted you want the pecans to be – light, medium or dark. The timing in this process yields a medium to dark roast which is my preference.
Storing pecans – Always store pecans in an airtight container – a glass jar or heavy plastic bag. If you are not going to use them within a couple of weeks, then freeze them in an airtight freezer bag. Pecans have a high oil content; therefore, they can become rancid when improperly stored.
My primary supplier for pecans is the New Mexico Pecan Company, Salopek Orchards. Not only are they an excellent quality pecan, they come in these heavy resealable, reusable bags. One year I received these red and green bags which were fun, but most of the time, the bags are a clear heavy duty plastic which are perfect for the freezer and easy to reseal and reuse. I also get my favorite pistachios from this company as well – lightly salted and fresh.
Using your oven roasted pecans:
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I always love to read about pecans on your blog. They still seem slightly exotic (even though I buy them here from time to time, they’re very expensive and not available everywhere) and so… New Mexico! If one day I get hold of a big amount of pecans I’ll certainly roast them because they sound fabulous prepared this way.
Thanks so much Sweetie! It’s funny to me to think of pecans as being exotic. Growing up in Louisiana, everyone had a pecan tree (at least one) in their yard. We had one and my grandmother had 5, so pecans were just a every day ingredient. 🙂 Here in NM most pecans are grown in large commercial orchards, but they are plentiful, so they aren’t that expensive.
BTW – this method of oven roasting can be used for any nut. I also roasted walnuts and almonds using this method.
I love nuts of any kind and roasted ones even more. Love the idea of having a huge batch at hands.
Thanks Taruna! This is one of those ingredients that I feel like I have spoiled myself with – always having roasted nuts. 🙂
MJ, such a good idea to roast a big batch at once. I hate turning on the oven just for a handful. I’m having a “why didn’t I think of that” moment. 🙂
Thanks so much Kelly! I have that same moment several years ago. 🙂
I don’t eat many pecans – we do have a couple of brazil nuts each day for the selenium. Cheers
All nuts are good for us in moderation. Unfortunately, sometimes I have a hard time staying within moderation. 🙂
Roasting pecans is so important. I once purchased raw pecans at a wine store to make candied pecans and didn’t use all of them. I left the raw ones in the cabinet and opened them a couple weeks later only to see maggots all over my cabinet. I wrote a post about it because I’d never heard of such a thing.
It’s always best to roast when you get them or if raw immediately place in the freezer. Because of where they are stored in the factories they harbor bugs which if left raw the eggs that the bugs lay will hatch, hence the maggots~UGH!!!
Thanks Vicki! Good to know! I’ve never had the bug problem with pecans. I’ve always been more concerned with them going rancid because of the high amount of natural oil. So when I purchase, it’s roast and freeze within a few days.
Fabulous idea. We usually toast on the stovetop and when you are doing 5 million other things, you can get distracted and as you know anything can happen. Love this idea just set a timer and you are good to go. We love chopped pecans in oatmeal and salads too.
Oh, how I know how distractions affect toasting pecans on the stovetop. Have taken a few batches past their limits before. The timer thing is a really nice feature of oven roasting. It’s hard to burn them. 🙂 Thanks Bobbi!
Pinning and sharing, MJ! I love the idea of roasting pecans in the oven, and especially that you can freeze them afterwards. What a great make ahead tip! Thank you so much for bringing this post to the Hearth and Soul Link Party. I hope your week is going well.
Thanks so much April! It’s a nice habit to have because you always have roasted pecans on demand. 🙂
Roasting bring out so much flavor! A fabulous way to enjoy all that vegan protein and flavor.
Thanks Deb! Yes, roasting does bring out a lot of flavor!
Appreciate this one since I keep pecans in the fridge and have never though of roasting them this way or the other, as you say, we keep on learning 🙂 Thank you !
Thanks so much Davorka!
Such a great idea. I usually toast nuts in a skillet but coconut in my toaster oven. Nuts going in toaster oven next time. I do such small occasional quantities I don’t have the heart to turn on the entire oven.
Thanks Evelyne! Totally understand not wanting to turn on the oven. That’s why I try to get a summer’s worth of pecans roasted during cooler temperatures. 🙂 The only problem I run into sometimes is having enough room in the freezer for all the pecan I roast.
If I’m using pecans in a recipe, I usually just use a skillet. If I’m making gifts of large jars of nuts then I use the oven method.
I used to always use the skillet method, but not anymore. Being retired, I have the time to just take a morning and do it all at once. It’s a perfect thing to do on a cold day. 🙂 Thanks Karen!
Growing up in the pecan growing part of Texas, we always had a basket of un-shucked pecans in a basket on the table along with a nutcracker. But, I didn’t taste roasted till years later but fell in love with them. Especially when prepared like your Sweet and Spicy Red Chile Pecans, except we used butter instead of oil. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ron! Oh ya…Texas is a huge pecan processing state. It and Georgia are NM’s competition. Like you, growing up in north Louisiana, we had a pecan tree in the back yard. I remember the days of sitting in the backyard swing or at the kitchen table shelling pecans with a nutcracker. Glad you like the red chile pecans! I’m going to have to try the butter instead of oil. I make a Sweet and salty buttered pecan, so I love the idea of using butter instead of oil on the chile pecans. Thanks for that idea!
I love roasted nuts! I make them in the skillet most of the times and I usually go for the sorts that are more common around here, pecans are so expensive, I only buy them when I purposely need them in a recipe. Most of the times I just replace them with walnuts… But yours look wonderful, I can just imagine their flavor. A great method for using with other sorts of nuts as well, I will try it next time I need a batch of roasted nuts.
Thanks Adina! You can use this process for any type of nuts. Sometimes I have a process going with pecans, almonds and walnuts. 🙂
This is such a good tip to pass on. There is nothing better than toasted pecans in a bowl of hot buttered popcorn! These also make a wonderful gift for the foodies in your life.
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
Thanks Linda! You know, I’ve never added them to popcorn. Shame on me! Will do so in the next batch. Thanks for the suggestion!
thank you about how to roast perfect peacan.
have a great day
Thank you Tanza! I hope you give this method a try. Wishing you a great day as well.
You are a wealth of information my friend! Good to know where to find good pecans and an easy way to roast them. I add pecans to so many dishes. I’m also glad you added a link to your spicy red chile pecans, I could get hooked on those!
Thanks Jan!!! Be careful because those chile pecans are VERY addicting. We go through a pound in no time at all. I know keep out about 1 cup and freeze the rest to so they last. 🙂 Check out NM Pecan Company. It’s such a nice company to work with and they have great pecans and great sales as well.
So true, roasted nuts really do give a flavor boost to dishes and some beautiful fats to plant recipes. I tend to use a skillet but now you’ve got me thinking about doing the oven roasting experiment… you’re right, it’s not difficult, why not try and taste the difference. I remember your red chile pecans!
Thanks Kelly! You’ll be surprised how easy it is to roast than to toast in the skillet. And the major advantage is that they are more accessible because you always have them available. Want to throw some in a salad? Just pull a bag from the freezer, throw a few on the cutting and by the time the salad is made the pecans are thawed. It’s great! And they do taste a little different – even better IMO.
I need to get some pecans to make this too. They are so good as a snack or as the salad topping or any time when you need some energy!
Thanks Angie! Actually, because I do roast so many of them at one time, they have become a major snack in this house. 🙂
This is such a great idea! I always use the skillet method — I need to do a bunch in the oven and freeze them. Thanks!
Thanks John! I know, I used the skillet method for years, but doing in a batch like makes life so much easier. 🙂