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Tangy Pecans

Roasted pecans tossed in butter, sugar, cumin, chili powder, red pepper, and salt.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 7 ingredients
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Why it works: Cumin and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,382 recipes. Both carry methyl cinnamate, which smells strawberry. The science ↓

Tangy Pecans

Oven325°F
Time15 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Coat the pecans

  1. Toss pecans in butter.

  2. Combine sugar and remaining ingredients, then sprinkle over pecans, tossing to coat.

Bake and cool

  1. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 325°F for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, then cool.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

187Calories
1 gProtein
14 gFat
15 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Pecan1 half (4g)20
Cumin1 tsp ground (2.1g)8
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cumin + peppertop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together4,382 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).

  2. Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together98,233 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

  3. Butter + peppertop 21% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together85,593 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

  4. Sugar + cumintop 32% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together1,140 recipes

    Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).

  5. Sugar + peppertop 32% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together19,401 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

Sugar and pepper barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 19,401 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Pecans
Form the crunchy, fatty base that carries the seasoning.
Butter
Adds fat that helps the seasoning cling and encourages gentle browning.
Sugar
Adds sweetness and helps the coating brown and crisp in the oven.
Ground cumin
Adds warm, earthy aroma to the coating.
Chili powder
Adds mild heat, earthy depth and color to the coating.

The step that matters

Stirring during baking. Nuts near the edges of the sheet brown faster than those in the middle, and sugar can scorch quickly. Stirring occasionally spreads the heat evenly so the coating toasts without burning.

Swap the cumin

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, sugar, pepper):

  1. Cinnamonfits better
  2. Nutmegfits better
  3. Parsleyfits better
  4. Cuminthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, sugar, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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