Making roasted seaweed snacks at home is a breeze. This recipe takes just 25 minutes to roast 30 sheets, resulting in crispy, nutty, and delicious snacks that are perfect for munching. For best results, it’s important to use the proper ingredients, including raw dried seaweed sheets (parae gim).

Homemade roasted seaweed snacks made in bulk in no time.

My kids munch on these homemade roasted seaweed (gim-gui, 김구이) like they’re chips. They’re slightly salty, crisp, and delicious—quite addictive!

Korean roasted seaweed has become a trendy snack in the U.S. and worldwide. You can easily buy them in bulk at stores like Costco or even local grocery stores. People are increasingly aware of the high nutritional value of seaweed.

Roasted seaweed snack is great to serve with rice

I urge you to try making homemade dried seaweed snacks. They taste ten times better and are healthier than store-bought because you can control the amount of salt and oil. Plus, making them at home is easier than you think.

Here’s a simple homemade seaweed snack recipe that’s perfect for beginners. You can make as much as you want and store the extras in the freezer.

If you love seaweed, challenge yourself with popular recipes like kimbap or the Korean snack gimmari for delicious seaweed finger food. Or, try a healthy seaweed egg drop soup recipe for a quick and easy breakfast idea.

Plain raw dried seaweed sheets for making seaweed snacks have very rough texture.

Best Seaweed Choice for Roasting

If you want a thin and crisp seaweed snack, look for Korean raw dried seaweed sheets called Parae-gim (파래김) or Dol-gim (돌김). They are different types of seaweed than the sushi nori seaweed.

Although you can also use the raw unseasoned sushi nori for this, but the texture of sushi nori is much heavier.

  • Dol-gim (돌김) is a dried red algae laver and it is a good candidate for making roasted seaweed snack. It has very rough and coarse texture.
  • Parae-gim (파래김) uses mix of both red and green algae, and most commonly used for making roasted seaweed snack. Both the seaweeds are original to Korea and far different than the Japanese dried seaweed.

Check out my Korean pantry page to learn more about types of seaweed. You can find both of these seaweed sheets at Korean markets or specialty online stores.

Tips on picking good seaweeds

When you purchase parae-gim, dol-gim, or any type of seaweed, make sure to check the following:

  • Expiration date: You don’t want old, expired, rancid seaweed.
  • Smell the seaweed if you can. If it smells slightly moldy and unpleasant, avoid it.
  • If the package is sealed and won’t let you smell, then check the color of the seaweed. Fresh, dried seaweed should be almost black with a hint of very subtle brownness.
  • Avoid the seaweed showing a purple tint throughout. It is old and rancid.

How to make roasted seaweed snack

You will need:

  • 30 sheets of plain raw dried seaweed (parae-gim) or dol-gim
  • 1 tablespoon of sesame oil + 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil (or use 2 tbsp of olive oil)
  • Fine sea salt or kosher salt
  • A disposable plastic glove

Since sesame oil has low smoking point, it is a good idea to mix with other non-fragrant oil to increase heat resistance. You can use perilla oil (deul-girum, 들기름) instead of sesame oil.

If you are not fond of fragrance of sesame oil, use olive oil to replace both oils.

Combine two oils

A hand with a disposable plastic glove is rubbing the oil mix.

Mix oils with 1:1 ratio.

The easiest and fastest way to grease the entire seaweed sheets is using a disposable food prep glove. (Of course you can use your bare hand if you don’t mind it becoming very greasy).

  • I roasted 30 sheets of seaweed and used about 1 tablespoon of each sesame oil and grape seed oil.

Wear disposable plastic glove on one hand. Dab a little bit of oil with one finger (with glove on) and rub it with other fingers to spread all over on your hand.

Rub oil onto dried seaweeds

A hand with plastic glove is rubbing the oil to the seaweed sheets

Rub seaweed sheet with your oiled hand gently to spread a very thin coat of oil. You don’t want too much oil on the seaweed. (Apply the oil to only one side of the seaweed, not to both sides)

Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the oiled seaweed. The amount of salt is up to you. Repeat the layers and continue on the seaweed as you stack them until all of the seaweed sheets are oiled and sprinkled with salt.

Pan-roast the seaweeds

Oiled and seasoned seaweed sheet is roasting in a hot griddle.

Heat the skillet over medium heat until hot. I used a pancake griddle

Using kitchen tongs, pick up 2 sheets of seaweed at a time and lay them on the hot skillet. Within a second, it will shrink and toast the surface. The color of the seaweed will turn slightly green.

Flip to the other side and continue to toast. It should only take between 3- 5 seconds on each side. Adjust the heat level accordingly if the seaweed toasts too fast or too slow.

Stacks of homemade roasted seaweed sheets are showing their sheen.

Here is the homemade roasted seaweed – perfectly roasted and seasoned! The sesame oil adds just right amount of fragrance that I like and adds a nice sheen to the seaweed.

How to eat roasted seaweeds

A hand is holding a thin piece of roasted seaweed snack.

Thin, crisp, and a hint of saltiness, they are good to munch as is for a snack or makes a good accompaniment to beer (anju) – the Korean way!

A hand is holding rice wrapped in a piece of roasted seaweed snack.

Try wrapping rice with the seaweed snacks or crumbling them and mixing with rice to make mini jumeukbap, as seen in my tuna kimchi rice ball recipe.

As a child, I always grabbed my rice with a piece of roasted seaweed. I refused to eat rice without them. Often, rice wrapped in the roasted seaweed and kimchi is all you need for a quick bite.

So how do you think? Do you want to try roast your own seaweed snack? I finished 30 sheets of seaweed in less than 20 minutes, I think.

Storage tips

Most packages of roasting seaweed contain 100 sheets. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Avoid the fridge, as seaweed will get soggy. Freezing keeps seaweed fresh and prevents it from going rancid.

Are Seaweed Snacks Healthy?

Absolutely, seaweed is healthy! Roasted seaweed snacks offer the same great nutritional value, providing vitamins, minerals, iodine, iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and fiber.

However, store-bought dried seaweed snacks are often covered with oil and salt, which can increase sodium and fat content. The oil can go rancid over time, so it’s best to consume them in moderation and check the nutrition labels for sodium and fat levels.


Homemade roasted seaweed snacks made in bulk in no time.

Homemade Roasted Seaweed Snacks

Making roasted seaweed snacks is a breeze. This recipe takes just 25 minutes to roast 30 sheets, resulting in crispy, nutty, and delicious snacks that are perfect for munching.
5 from 4 ratings

Ingredients

  • 30 unseasoned raw dried seaweed sheets , (parae gim)
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil, see note below
  • 1 tbsp non-fragrant cooking oil, see note below
  • kosher salt or fine sea salt

Instructions 

  • Mix sesame oil and cooking oil in a small bowl.
  • Put on a disposable plastic glove on one hand. Dab a little oil on one finger, then rub it with your other fingers to spread it evenly over your hand.
  • Gently rub the seaweed sheet with your oiled hand to apply a very thin coat of oil. Avoid using too much oil. Apply the oil to only one side of the seaweed, not both sides.
  • Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the oiled seaweed. Adjust the amount of salt to your taste. Continue this process, layering the seaweed sheets until all of them are oiled and salted.
  • Heat the skillet over medium heat until hot. Using kitchen tongs, pick up 2 sheets of seaweed at a time and lay them on the hot skillet. They will shrink and toast the surface within a second, turning slightly green. Flip them to the other side and continue to toast. It should only take 3-5 seconds per side. Adjust the heat as needed if the seaweed toasts too quickly or slowly.
  • To store, place the seaweed in an airtight container or zip-top bags. They will stay fresh at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. Ensure they are completely sealed. Avoid storing them in the fridge, as they will become soggy.

Notes

You can use olive oil instead of the combination of sesame oil and cooking oil.
Calories: 18kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 2mg, Potassium: 18mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 260IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 1mg
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