This article was updated on 02/07/2023 for clarity and to incorporate the air fryer method.
Just remembered the cup of leftover edamame from last night’s sushi dinner and wondering how to revive it?
You’re in luck. I’ve personally experimented with six different reheating methods to find out the best way to bring edamame back to life.
In a rush?
The easiest way to heat edamame is in the microwave. Place the edamame in a bowl along with one tablespoon of water. Cover the edamame with a damp paper towel and microwave it on full power for 30-60 seconds, or 1-2 minutes for frozen beans. You can also boil the edamame for 1 minute.
How I tested reheating edamame
I tested seven different ways to reheat edamame. These were:
- Boiling: Good for a big batches but seasoning will wash off.
- Steaming: Very similar to boiling.
- Microwaving: My favorite way, super quick and convenient.
- Stir-frying: Gives the edamame a delicious charred flavor.
- Roasting: Underrated, try it.
- Air fryer: Great if you want crunchy edamame.
- Deep frying: A fun and adventurous bonus method.
Boiling, steaming, and microwaving are all very traditional and result in perfectly fresh-tasting edamame. Frying, roasting, and air frying are less traditional, but allow you to explore new textures and flavors.
All the reheating methods work for all types of edamame
It doesn’t matter if your beans are shelled, unshelled, fresh, frozen, seasoned, or unseasoned, you can use all of the reheating methods mentioned here. But some work better with certain preparations. For example, roasting is best with unshelled beans.
How to reheat edamame by boiling
Best for: shelled or unshelled, unseasoned, fresh or frozen edamame.
- Bring a pan of salty water to a boil. The salt is optional but will flavor the edamame, to make a difference you need to add enough salt to make the water taste like seawater.
- Boil the edamame (shelled or unshelled) for 30-60 seconds, or 2-3 minutes for frozen edamame.
- Drain, add any seasoning you want, and serve.
Don’t leave the beans in the hot water for too long or you risk them overcooking and becoming mushy.
I always go for less time because I don’t mind the beans being a little al dente.
Results: This was perfect method for my plain edamame, it was quick, easy, and the edamame was delicious. But if you have seasoned edamame, all the flavoring will wash off. Slightly annoying, but it does mean you can switch up the flavors if you want.
How to reheat edamame by steaming
Best for: shelled or unshelled, unseasoned, fresh or frozen
- Set up your steamer and add water or stock, then bring the liquid to a boil.
- Place the edamame (shelled or unshelled) in the steamer and cover them with a lid.
- Steam the edamame for 1-2 minutes, or 3-4 minutes for frozen edamame.
- Season and serve.
If you don’t have a steamer, don’t worry. It’s super easy to make one, all you need is a pan, a lid, and a colander or sieve.
Put the water in the pan and then rest your colander or sieve on top of the pan. See, I told you it was easy!
Instead of just water I like to use chicken stock with a squeeze of lemon juice when I’m steaming things. I find it adds a subtle but tasty flavor to whatever I’m steaming.
Results: This method was better (but still not perfect) than boiling for already seasoned edamame because we didn’t completely submerge the beans, but it was a tiny bit more effort setting up the steamer. That said, if you’ve already got a pot of water boiling to cook another vegetable, steaming the edamame becomes super convenient.
How to reheat edamame in the microwave
Best for: all types
- Put the edamame (shelled or unshelled) in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Add one tablespoon of water for a full bowl of edamame and cover with a wet paper towel (or pierced plastic wrap).
- Microwave the edamame for 30-60 seconds, or 1-2 minutes from frozen.
- Let the edamame rest for 30 seconds.
- Season and enjoy.
The microwave sometimes gets a bad rep when it comes to reheating food, but it works really well for edamame.
The water creates steam which heats up the edamame and you can microwave the edamame in the bowl that you’re planning to serve them in, so you save on washing up!
Results: The microwave was the quickest and easiest method I tried and the results were perfect. You don’t have to worry about the seasoning washing off, the only thing you need to be careful of is biting into a pod right away because there could be very hot steam trapped inside.
How to reheat edamame by frying
Best for: all types
- Dry your edamame bean thoroughly. Wet beans don’t fry as well.
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan.
- Wait until the oil is nearly smoking before adding the edamame.
- Stir fry the beans or pods for around 2-3 minutes until they just start to char, frozen beans will need 3-4 minutes.
Note: If you’re going to use the edamame in a stir fry dish, simply add shelled beans straight into the dish 2-3 minutes before the end. This will be enough to warm them through.
The best thing about frying your edamame is the ability to get creative with the seasonings. I like to use a strongly flavored oil like sesame oil to give the edamame some Asian flair. And you can also add a sauce to the pan.
Soy sauce on its own works great, but feel free to add anything you like. Common ingredients include:
- Honey
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame seeds
- Chili oil
- Fresh garlic or ginger
- Butter and lemon
You can fry frozen edamame, but for best results thaw them first. The extra water from frozen edamame can prevent them from crisping up fully.
Results: If you want a delicious and moreish snack, you’ve found your method. Frying gave my edamame a nice crunch and a different charred flavor profile. It’s great for plain edamame you want to jazz up, or for edamame that already has some flavor you want to preserve.
Quick tip
I like stir-frying edamame in the pods because the texture makes it easier for the sauce to stick. If you’re using shelled edamame, coat them in potato starch before throwing them in the pan. This will provide a coating so the sauce won’t just slide off.
How to reheat edamame by roasting
Best for: shelled, seasoned or unseasoned, fresh or frozen
- Thaw your edamame if frozen, or cook them (via steaming or boiling) if not already pre-cooked.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Dry the edamame using paper towels to get them as dry as possible. Wet edamame beans won’t crisp up in the oven.
- Toss the edamame in olive oil, salt, and pepper, or any other spices that you fancy.
- Spread the edamame out in a single layer on a baking tray and roast for 20-30 minutes (more if you want them extra crunchy).
- Shake the baking tray every 10 minutes to flip the edamame over.
Typically you want to use shelled edamame for this, because that way you get to ingest all the flavor. But it can work with unshelled edamame too.
It’s also best to thaw any frozen edamame before you roast them because it reduces cooking time and results in a better texture (roasting the beans straight from frozen will results in a soggy texture).
The edamame are done when they start puffing and turning a golden brown color. The exterior will be dry, and if you listen closely, you’ll be able to hear the steam escaping.
Salt and pepper work well as a flavor combination, but to make the edamame extra special I like to sprinkle over some parmesan cheese and roast some garlic cloves in the same tray.
Results: This is a spin off from roasted chickpeas and it didn’t disappoint. The edamame become crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside and totally addictive. And massive bonus, my veggie hating kids loved them too!
How to reheat edamame in an air fryer
Best for: shelled, seasoned or unseasoned, fresh or frozen
- If using frozen edamame, thaw for a few minutes in a bowl of water.
- Make sure your edamame are as dry as possible. If it’s wet, dry it with a paper towel.
- Set the air fryer to 390⁰F (200⁰C)
- Coat your edamame with a light coating of oil and whatever seasonings you want.
- Spread the edamame out in the air fryer basket and heat for 5-7 minutes.
- Give the basket a shake half way through the cooking time if preferred.
- Check if the edamame are cirspy enough for your liking, if not heat for a further 2-3 minutes.
If you want to keep the edamame oil free, a small amount of lemon juice can help any seasonings you use stick.
I went with a simple shake of garlic powder for my seasoning here, but again you can be creative.
Try curry power, chili flakes, or harissa for some spice. Or go with nutritional yeast for a cheesy vibe.
Results: The results from this method were ver similar to the oven roasting method, but quicker. The edamame had crunch and loads of flavor. But if you don’t have an air fryer, all this information is useless!
Bonus method: deep fried edamame
Coat the edamame beans with potato or corn starch and heat a generous amount of oil in a frying pan over high heat. Once the oil is hot (the oil bubbles when you drop something in), add the edamame. Fry until the coating turns white and crispy. Then coat the edamame beans in a sauce of your choice (here’s a great recipe).
How to store edamame
Store fresh (uncooked) edamame in the fridge in a perforated plastic or paper bag for 3-4 days. If you want to freeze fresh edamame, you’ll need to blanch or cook the beans first.
Store cooked edamame in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days, or freeze them for up to a year. You can store edamame in the shell or shelled, it’s up to you.
Always check your edamame for signs of decay before eating them.
Fresh edamame are bright green, as they age they will start to turn yellow and get dark patches. This indicates the onset of decay. Any visible mold, a bad smell, or a slimy texture indicates that your edamame are unsafe to eat.
How to freeze edamame
Freezing fresh edamame is a great way to extend its shelf life. You will need to blanch fresh edamame before you freeze it, but you can freeze cooked edamame straight away.
- Blanch raw edamame beans
- Dry your cooked or blanched beans as much as possible with a paper towel.
- Ensure the beans are at least room temperature (or colder).
- Spread the beans out on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and freeze for 30 minutes. This will ensure they don’t all stick together in the freezer.
- Place semi-frozen edamame into freezer bags, squeeze as much air out as possible, label, and freeze for up to a year.
You need to blanch fresh edamame before freezing them to halt enzymatic action that would lead to loss of flavor, texture and color over time. Never just put fresh beans into the freezer.
The drying step is necessary to prevent ice crystals from forming on the edamame and affecting the texture.
You can cook/reheat the edamame beans straight from frozen. There’s no need to thaw them. If you want to thaw the edamame, leave them in the refrigerator overnight or run them under cold water for roughly five minutes.
How to blanch raw edamame beans
Bring a deep pot of water to a rapid boil and submerge the edamame beans in the water for 3 minutes. Remove the beans from the water and immediately submerge them in a bowl of ice cold water for 1-2 minutes.
The BEST Way To Reheat Edamame [Tested Methods]
Equipment
- Microwave
Ingredients
- 1 portion edamame shelled or unshelled
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Put the edamame (shelled or unshelled) in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Add one tablespoon of water for a full bowl of edamame and cover with a wet paper towel (or pierced plastic wrap).
- Microwave the edamame for 30-60 seconds (or 2-3 minutes from frozen).
- Season and enjoy.
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