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Boiled Peanuts are the ultimate Southern snack, raw peanuts in the shell simmered low and slow in salty, spicy Cajun seasoned water until they turn soft, briny, and impossible to stop eating. I keep a pot going on game day right next to a batch of our chicken and sausage gumbo, and the bowl always empties first.
Raw peanuts simmered low and slow in salty, Cajun spiced water until soft and briny, these boiled peanuts are the ultimate Southern snack.
Boiled Peanuts Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 8 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 450kcal
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Salty, briny, and spicy with Cajun and Creole seasoning
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, mostly hands off simmering like our Cajun sausage dirty rice
Quick Answer
Rinse raw peanuts in the shell and add them to a large stockpot. Cover with water and stir in salt, Creole seasoning, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and onion powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 6 to 8 hours, stirring every 30 minutes and adding water as needed to keep the peanuts submerged. They are done when the shells are soft and the peanuts inside are tender. Serve hot, warm, or chilled.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Raw peanuts are essential. Boiled peanuts must start with raw or green peanuts in the shell, roasted peanuts will never soften the same way.
- The long simmer is the secret. Hours of gentle simmering let the salty, spiced water fully penetrate the shells so every peanut soaks up flavor.
- Salt drives the flavor in. A generous amount of salt in the cooking water seasons the peanuts from the outside in, which is why they taste briny all the way through.
- Cajun seasoning adds the kick. Creole seasoning, garlic, paprika, and onion powder build that signature spicy, savory Southern flavor.
- Keeping them submerged is key. Topping off the water as it cooks down ensures every peanut cooks evenly and stays seasoned.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The ultimate Southern snack. Salty, spicy, and briny, boiled peanuts are a roadside stand and tailgate classic you can make at home.
- Almost completely hands off. Five minutes of prep and the pot does the rest, just stir now and then.
- Naturally vegan and gluten free. Just peanuts, water, and seasonings, perfect for snacking any time.
Key Ingredients
- Raw peanuts in the shell: The only kind that works, raw or green peanuts soften as they simmer. Roasted peanuts will not.
- Kosher salt: A generous amount seasons the peanuts from the outside in for that signature briny bite.
- Creole seasoning: The backbone of the Cajun flavor, bringing salt, spice, and herbs all at once.
- Garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder: Layered in for deep, smoky, savory flavor in every shell.
- Water: Enough to keep the peanuts fully submerged through the long simmer, topped off as needed.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Make them in a slow cooker. Add everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 18 to 24 hours, topping off the water as needed.
- Use an Instant Pot. Pressure cook to cut the time way down, about 1 to 1.5 hours for raw peanuts.
- Turn up the heat. Add cayenne, crab boil seasoning, or sliced jalapenos for extra spicy peanuts.
- Keep it classic. For plain salted boiled peanuts, skip the Cajun spices and use just salt and water.
- Use green peanuts. If you can find fresh green peanuts, they cook faster, in about 3 to 4 hours.
How to Make Boiled Peanuts
- Place the raw peanuts in a large stockpot and cover them with water. Mix them around with your hands to rinse off any dirt.
- Drain off the rinse water, then return the peanuts to the pot so they are clean and ready to season.
- Add the salt, Creole seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, and enough water to cover the peanuts.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 6 to 8 hours.
- Stir every 30 minutes, adding more water as the level drops, until the shells are soft and the peanuts inside are tender.
- Drain and serve. Boiled peanuts are fantastic hot, warm, room temperature, or chilled.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Only use raw peanuts. Raw or green peanuts in the shell are the only kind that will soften, roasted peanuts stay hard.
- Do not skimp on salt. The salt seasons the peanuts through the shell, so the water should taste quite salty.
- Keep them submerged. Check the pot every 30 minutes and add water so the peanuts stay covered the whole time.
- Taste as you go. Crack one open after a few hours to check the texture and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Let them soak. Turning off the heat and letting the peanuts sit in the brine for an hour deepens the flavor even more.
- Low and slow wins. A gentle simmer gives the most even, tender results, do not rush it at a hard boil.
- Make a big batch. They keep well and reheat easily, so cook extra for snacking all week.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Boiled peanuts are made for snacking, so pile them in a big bowl with an empty bowl alongside for the shells. They are the perfect tailgate or game day snack right next to our chili cheese fries and a cooler of cold drinks.
For a full Southern and Cajun spread, serve them before a bowl of our chicken and sausage gumbo or alongside sausage dirty rice for a true Louisiana feel.
They are also a fun snack to set out at a backyard cookout or fish fry. Keep them warm in a slow cooker on the buffet so guests can scoop their own all afternoon long.
Boiled Peanuts FAQs
Boiled peanuts are raw or green peanuts in the shell that are simmered in salty, seasoned water until the shells and peanuts inside turn soft. They are a beloved Southern snack with a briny, savory flavor and a texture more like a cooked bean than a crunchy peanut.
You must use raw or green peanuts in the shell. Roasted peanuts will never soften no matter how long you boil them. Look for raw peanuts at the grocery store, farmers markets, or online, especially in late summer and fall.
Yes, you can make boiled peanuts in a slow cooker or Instant Pot. In a slow cooker, cook on low for 18 to 24 hours. In an Instant Pot, pressure cook raw peanuts for about 1 to 1.5 hours, both with the same salt and seasonings.
Store boiled peanuts in their brine in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. They also freeze well for up to 3 months. Reheat them in their liquid on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through.
If your boiled peanuts are still firm, they simply need more time. Older, drier raw peanuts can take 8 hours or longer to soften. Keep simmering and adding water until the shells are soft and the peanuts inside are tender like a cooked bean.
Yes, boiled peanuts are naturally vegan and gluten free, made from just peanuts, water, and seasonings. They are also a good source of plant based protein and fiber, which makes them a satisfying snack.
Other Recommended Southern Recipes
If these boiled peanuts took you straight to a Southern roadside stand, leave a star rating and let us know how they turned out. Photos of your big pot of Cajun peanuts on Pinterest always make our day.
Keep the Cajun feast going with our chicken and sausage gumbo, rich, smoky, and packed with Louisiana flavor.
Serve a scoop of our sausage dirty rice on the side for a hearty, spiced Southern plate.
And do not forget a pot of classic Southern collard greens to round out the spread.
Keep the southern snacking going with our bacon black eyed peas recipe at supper time.
Cajun Boiled Peanuts
Ingredients
- 2 pounds raw peanuts in shell
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup creole seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 4 quarts water
Instructions
- Place the peanuts in a large stockpot. Add water to cover the peanuts, mix the peanuts up with your hands and then drain off the water. Do this one more time, for this step we are just washing the peanuts in case there is any dirt on them.
- Add the salt, creole seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, and water. You may not need all the water, we are just looking to cover the peanuts with water when you press them down into the pot. At first, the peanuts will float. Mix everything up to combine.
- Place over high heat and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Simmer for 6-8 hours until tender or your desired texture. I like to start checking them at the 5-hour mark.
- Keep an eye on them and stir them up about every 30 minutes. If the water level goes down, add some more warm water.
- After a few hours, the peanuts will be saturated in the liquid and will settle onto the bottom of the pot.
- Serve immediately. These are fantastic served hot, warm, room temperature, or cold!
Notes
- These can be enjoyed warm or cold.
- They can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- Make sure that you are using a large enough pot to fit 2 pounds of peanuts.
- If you do not like creole seasoning others can be substituted, see above on ideas.
- Raw green peanuts can also be used.
Nutrition
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I like to keep my peanuts soaking overnight in the liquid. This way the flavor really soaks in. Mahalo
I make these but use a crockpot.