Air Fried Edamame Bites

The other day, I wanted to surprise my wife and kid with a little snack when they got home from work and school…so I looked to the fridge for inspiration. In my purposeful gazing, the tub of Edamame stood out to me as the thing to use. Then, I thought, “Well, why not go with a bite sized treat?”…and that’s when the idea for breaded edamame balls hit. From there, I grabbed some garlic and fresh ginger root (peeled) that we always keep in the freezer so we have it when we need it, and then, we had all of our flavours.

For our sauce, we made a Garlic Sriracha Aioli…but any of your favourite thicker Asian dipping sauces would be good too.

Time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients:

• For the Bites:
  • Shelled Edamame
  • Fresh Ginger
  • Fresh Garlic
  • An Egg
  • Bread Crumbs
• For the Dipping Sauce:
  • Mayonnaise
  • Sriracha
  • Garlic Powder

Method:

• Put your edamame in a food processor, and pulse until it’s a chunky paste (I really use unappetizing words more frequently than I should). Then, transfer to a bowl.
• Use a microplane grater to grate some fresh ginger and garlic into your paste, and stir/mash by hand to fully mix in.
• Form your edamame bites into balls.
• Beat an egg into a bowl, and pour some bread crumbs into a different bowl.
• Work in batches to coat your edamame bites in egg, bread them, and put on the frying rack of your air fryer (or back onto a plate if you’re going to deep fry).
• When all of your bites are coated, heat your air fryer to 400 degrees F, and give the edamame balls a quick oil spray on top.
• Place in the air fryer, and cook for 15-20 minutes until the breading turns a deep golden brown and forms a crispy layer (or fry in oil until the same result occurs).
• As your bites cook, mix your dipping sauce ingredients, and portion into small cups.
• Plate, devour, and enjoy!