Cajun smoked pumpkin seeds are the most addicting snack to enjoy out on the deck, while hiking, or giving out as Halloween treats. You can’t eat just a couple, they are that good!
Taking an old classic recipe and putting a spin on it is always something we love to do. We typically roast our pumpkin seeds in the oven with just salt and garlic powder.
This year we took the seeds outside to smoke them on the grill, which led to a deeper and slightly smoky flavor that might just be our new favorite way to prepare them.
🎃 Ingredients
Pumpkin Seeds – Use the pumpkin seeds from the one that your family carved for Halloween. You can also just go buy one, just to get the seeds out. You are looking for the raw seeds from a pumpkin, not the pumpkin seeds you see at the store to add to salads.
Note: If you do go out to buy one, try to get a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin or a small Baking Pumpkin. You don’t want to throw away the flesh. You can smoke it, freeze and keep it year round for pies or other meals. Here’s how to smoke a pumpkin!
Cajun Seasoning – We chose cajun this time, but you can go old school with the garlic powder or any other seasoning you want to play with. This is a great time to look in the spice cabinet and pull out something you purchased but just haven’t used yet.
🔥 Instructions
Step One: Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and wash them off under cold water. Remove any excess pumpkin pulp and dry off. Keep washing until you have removed all of the orange pulp. Be patient. You’ll love the end result if you take your time here. We like to allow them to dry overnight but you don’t have to.
Step Two: Set the grill to smoke at 325 degrees. This is a hot-smoking recipe. We used a piece of Peach wood as it is mild and leaves a phenomenal flavor.
Step Three: Place the seeds in a bowl and toss with melted butter butter and Cajun seasoning. Make sure they are well coated.
Step Four: Place the coated seeds in a disposable pan and smoke them for 45-60 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes to avoid burning. Remove them from the smoker and allow them to cool. Store in an airtight container. In a pinch, use a Ziploc bag.
‼️ Expert Tips
Keep your eye on the seeds as they are smoking as you don’t want them to burn. This is a hot smoke recipe and the seeds will definitely burn if you aren’t careful.
Stirring them every 10-15 minutes helps a lot! Stay closer to them the last 15 minutes or so as they can go from “almost done” to “burnt” in a skinny minute.
If you don’t dry the seeds out overnight (which you don’t have to), you may have to smoke them a little longer, as you are starting with them still wet.
Recipe FAQs
I prefer simple garlic salt and butter, but this Cajun flavoring has a fun spicy kick to it. Be creative!
I prefer a baking pumpkin or a Long Island Cheese pumpkin. The seeds taste the same, but I can smoke the flesh of those two varieties and use it year round!
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Cajun Smoked Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- Pumpkin Seeds from one large pumpkin
- 2 tbsp Butter melted
- 1 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
Instructions
- Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and wash them off under cold water. Remove any excess pumpkin pulp and dry them. We allow them to dry overnight but you don't have to.
- Set the grill to smoke at 325 degrees. We used a piece of Peach wood to create the smoke.
- Add the seeds to a large bowl and toss them with butter and Cajun seasoning. Spend the time to make sure you have a coated them all thoroughly.
- Place them in a disposable pan and smoke for 45-60 minutes. Stir them every 15 minutes.
- Remove them from smoker and allow them to cool. Store in airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Jason’s been firing up the grill for over 30 years after graduating from the US Coast Guard Academy. His love of finely-grilled steak and chicken led him to buy his first Weber grill to put on his apartment patio in 1992. Each military move led to a new grill (a mixture of gas and charcoal) until he fell in love with the Big Green Egg in 2008. Since then, he has added another 4 grills to the collection. Yes, he has a problem. Jason loves smoking in the ceramic BGE with exotic woods including olive wood from Egypt and hard to find varieties such as sassafras and orange wood. Jason takes the term “foodie” to a whole new level, jumping at the chance to take food tours and cooking classes during foreign travels. These have provided inspiration to incorporate new ideas into recipes when he gets back home. He has been featured in Fox News, Parade, Yahoo News, Kansas City Living and more. After retiring from the military and moving to southwest Florida, he has focused grilling and smoking locally sourced meats and fish (read: he likes to catch his own fish!)
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