Boiled Peanuts – are salty, spicy, nutty, and oh so addictingly delicious. A classic Southern delicacy made even tastier with the addition of Creole Seasoning. A simple, easy, and super affordable healthy treat perfect for late afternoon snacks, movie marathons, and entertaining. Yum!
Boiled peanuts have a rich history that started during the Civil War. Southerners started boiling peanuts on their march through Georgia because food and supplies became hard to come by after the Confederate troops split up. So they found a way to combat hunger by roasting peanuts over campfires or boiling them.
Later on, they started adding salt to the peanuts to prolong their shelf life; hence, hot salted boiled peanuts were born in the U.S. The boiled peanut fever then spread in the Southern part of America in the 18th century. And the rest is history!
Boiled Peanuts Fun Facts
Did you know that in 2006, the state legislature declared peanuts as South Carolina’s Official Snack Food with a unanimous vote? That’s how beloved this snack is in the south.
Now let’s switch to the other side of the globe, shall we? Groundnuts have long been eaten for centuries in most West and East African countries. Yes, it’s known as groundnuts in Africa, and to my surprise, they didn’t originate in Africa.
Historians say the peanut plant originated from South America, and the Portuguese took it to Africa sometime in 1500 after they had it in Brazil. The love of peanuts quickly spread across Africa and became a popular staple in dishes like African Peanut Stew, aka Groundnut Soup.
Recipe Ingredients
You are probably saying, “Uhm, Imma, boiled peanuts are a no-brainer recipe!” Yes, it is! But this recipe is more than just boiled peanuts because these peanuts are tastier and more flavorful. And they are the best-est peanuts you’ll ever taste! 😉
- Raw Peanuts – Not only are peanuts tasty, but they are also packed with protein, fiber, and healthy fats. It is also believed that eating peanuts aids in memory retention, strengthen cognition, and lowers the chance of getting cognitive diseases. No wonder they are called “food for the brain.”
- Seasonings – Aside from salt, I also added Creole seasoning (Old Bay seasoning works, too.), red pepper flakes, garlic, and onion powder to spice up our peanuts and instantly transform them into spicy Cajun boiled peanuts. Oh yes!
How to Make Boiled Peanuts
Season and Boil the Peanuts
- Add Seasonings – Wash the peanuts, then place them in a large pot. Add water, salt, onion and garlic powder, Creole seasoning, and pepper flakes. (Photos 1-5)
- Cover and Cook for about two hours or more depending on the peanuts – more if you like them really soft. (Photo 6)
- Adjust Seasonings – Do a taste test towards the end of cooking – adjust salt with more or less water to suit your tastebuds. If cooking them African-style, cook for about 3 minutes more – with boil water and salt.
Alternative Cooking Methods
- Instant Pot – If you want quickly boiled peanuts, a pressure cooker is the way to go. Green peanuts will take about 60-65 minutes to cook on the high setting and 90-95 minutes for dried peanuts.
- Crock-Pot – This method may be the slowest but more effortless than the instant pot and stovetop method. You can leave the peanuts to cook while doing errands without worrying about the time. Green peanuts will take about 20-22 hours and 34-36 hours for raw peanuts to cook on low. Add water as needed.
Tips and Tricks
- Ready-made canned boiled peanuts are also available at many Southern grocery markets. But I prefer to buy those hot boiled peanuts at the roadside stands, gas stations, or significant outdoor events because I feel like I’m helping them out by purchasing from them instead of commercialized food companies.
- In boiling older raw peanuts, you’ll definitely need to use a lot of salt as you will need to refill the boiling water continuously to achieve your desired softness. To check if you’ve reached the desired softness, take a sample out of the pot to taste them.
- You may adjust the seasonings to your preference, especially if you want it less spicy and salty.
- When serving up, extract those peanuts into a bowl with its liquid. Leave them soaked in their liquid to retain the salty, spicy flavor and heat level while snacking on it. Make sure to have napkins on hand while munching on them, as it often drips spicy juice when you split open the shells.
- There should be enough liquid to cover the peanuts to prevent them from being too salty.
Make-Ahead Instructions
These guys take a loooong time to cook, so it’s best to make them ahead, especially if serving a crowd. So I highly suggest cooking a big batch to save you time and have them handy anytime you want a snack. Just reheat them when the craving hits. They get even better.
Serving and Storage Instructions
These peanuts are perfect as gameday snacks and other pica foods, like seasoned fries and chicken croquettes while drinking ice-cold beer. Or something to endlessly munch on while watching a movie or having a long chit-chat with family and friends. Aah! Talk about enjoying tasty snacks while reaping their health benefits, too. Yay!
Storing
You don’t have to worry about the leftovers (especially if you’re making a big batch) because they keep well in the fridge. Once cooled, you can transfer the peanuts into a sealed container or freezer-safe resealable bag and store them in the fridge for up to 7 days. Or opt to freeze them to prolong their shelf life for six months.
Tip: Despite the large amount of salt, boiled peanuts are highly perishable because of their high moisture content. So, don’t let them sit at room temperature for longer than 8 hours to avoid spoilage.
Reheating
- Stovetop – You can reboil these peanuts to enjoy them warm again.
- Steamer – Alternatively, steaming will warm your peanuts, too, without the need to drain them after.
- Microwave – This may be the quickest way to reheat peanuts; however, it doesn’t yield the best results. Because the shells make it hard to reheat the peanuts evenly; you can reheat the peanuts in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
Tip: I highly suggest reheating only the amount of peanuts you can consume to prevent bacterial growth from thawing and reheating.
FAQs
Once they are done cooking, you can place the peanuts in a big strainer to drain them before serving.
Absolutely! Peanuts are an excellent source of healthy fats, protein, and fiber, making them highly nutritious. Despite being a legume and not a real nut, peanuts are as healthy and nutritionally valuable as the expensive tree nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, and cashews.
Boiling peanuts reduces the fat by 50%, therefore reducing calories. But that means they’re not as filling as roasted peanuts. And boiled peanuts are definitely Southern comfort food. Some people prefer boiled, but some prefer roasted, so it depends on personal preference which one is better.
There are two types of in-the-shell peanuts, but they’re both good. Raw Peanuts are raw peanuts that have been dried to prolong their shelf life. But since they are dried, they need to be boiled for a longer time. Green Peanuts, on the other hand, are fresh from the farm. And they’re best for boiling because they cook quickly. However, they are more perishable because of their high water content.
What to Serve with Boiled Peanuts
For a more satisfying experience, I suggest you pair up your boiled peanuts with boiled corn on the cob. Yum! Nothing can beat a good old healthy boiled peanuts and corn. And, of course, you’ll need some refreshing beverages to go with that.
More Drool-Worthy Peanut Recipes to Try
- African Peanut Stew
- Groundnut/Peanut Soup
- Maafe (West African Peanut Soup)
- Suya Recipe
- Groundnut Sweet (Sugar Peanuts aka Candied Nuts)
Conclusion
Aside from being healthy, these boiled peanuts are also incredibly delicious, filling, and economical. They make the best snacks fit for all ages. Although it takes time to cook them, know that it’ll be worth all the wait once you taste them. Have you ever tried them before? I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”1Qbom9td” upload-date=”2019-10-17T12:43:57.000Z” name=”Boiled Peanuts” description=”Spicy Cajun Boiled Peanuts — are salty, spicy, nutty and oh so addictive. Perfect for summer snack time, late night movie marathon and for entertaining. A classic Southern delicacy!”]
This blog post was originally published in August 2017 and has been updated with additional tips and information.
Spicy Cajun Boiled Peanuts
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw peanuts, in the shell
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- ⅓ cup salt
- 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
- 1-2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
- 9 cups water (add as you go)
Instructions
- Wash the peanuts, then place them in a large pot. Add water, salt, onion and garlic powder, Creole seasoning, and pepper flakes.
- Cover and cook for about two hours or more depending on the peanuts – more if you like them really soft.
- Do a taste test towards the end of cooking – adjust salt with more or less water to suit your tastebuds. If cooking them African-style, cook for about 3 minutes or more – with boil water and salt.
- If cooking African-style cook, for about 3 minutes more – with boil water and salt.
Tips & Notes:
- Fresh green peanuts in shells, not the roasted or cooked ones, are the best type to boil.
- Ready-made canned boiled peanuts are also available at many Southern grocery markets. But I prefer to buy those hot boiled peanuts at the roadside stands, gas stations, or significant outdoor events because I feel like I’m helping them out by purchasing from them instead of commercialized food companies.
- In boiling older raw peanuts, you’ll definitely need to use a lot of salt as you will need to refill the boiling water continuously to achieve your desired softness. To check if you’ve reached the desired softness, take a sample out of the pot to taste them.
- You may adjust the seasonings to your preference, especially if you want it less spicy and salty.
- When serving up, extract those peanuts into a bowl with its liquid. Leave them soaked in their liquid to retain the salty, spicy flavor and heat level while snacking on it. Make sure to have napkins on hand while munching on them, as it often drips spicy juice when you split open the shells.
- There should be enough liquid to cover the peanuts to prevent them from being too salty.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Malefu says
I eat this type of nuts always from people who are selling on the streets, some roast and some boil with or without the hard skin and add salt. they are famous in South Africa some people have them in their garden . easy to cook and delicious with Creole seasoning.
Thank you Imma , You are very special !!!!!
Amina says
Aww thank you so much, You are also very important to me, I am doing all this effort for my audience to enjoy healthy and lovely recipes at home. Stay tuned to have more restaurant-style recipes at home. Cheers!!!
Cynthia hendrickson says
I had no idea that I could use regular grocery store peanuts for this! I thought they had to be green. Gotta try this recipe ASAP! BTW, I love your chicken curry and rice and peas recipes! Thanks Imma!
Amina says
Thank you for your feedback, love, and support. Once you try don’t forget to share your experience. Much Love!
Stephanie says
Hello! I haven’t made them yet but im excited to because ive been looking for this Exact recipe with only the exact ingredients. However, what about a crock pot? Do you have instructions for doing this in a crock pot?
imma africanbites says
Hi, Stephanie. I haven’t tried this using a crockpot though, but some of our readers have tried using a pressure cooker for 60 minutes or more, depending on how you like your peanuts.
Casey clark says
Need to know what other kinds of spices to use besides the creaole seasoning and red pepper flakes.. thank u
Russell S Tupac says
I dont know about who wrote the blog. But I spent years working in Nawleans and I have had many ways. My favorite is not only the spices mentioned but I use a little liquid crab boil in most supermarkets and I put in fresh heads of garlic, onion and your favorite fresh pepper. Jalapeno, serrano, or habanero. Peel garlic but leave whole cloves. Onion into thick slices, and peppers I halve. Take seeds or leave. Depends how much heat you like. The garlic is then like an extra treat to munch.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Russell,
Thanks for taking time out to share this tip with us. Greatly appreciated.
Kevin Deshler says
As a southern boy my grandfather instilled in me one thing. When you go fishing you bring poles ,bait ,beer ,and boiled peanuts. that’s the key to a good day.
imma africanbites says
I hear ya! Peanuts is one one of the best snacks for me. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Kevin!
Neville says
Would be grateful if you coujd if the peanuts could be pressure cooked, Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, they sure can. Cook for about 60 minutes or more depending on how you like your peanuts .
Selena Scott says
I put my huge can of peanuts in the pressure cooker for 2 hours
Norma Schneider says
Hey Neville..quick ? ..nothing to do with peanuts..but have U ever lived in WI and..and worked for a program called the YCC
Neville says
Emma dear, I rate your website a 10+. Every recipe I have tried is a winner. Your recipes are so lucid and easy to follow and one can sense the passionate zeal you have. Can the peanuts be cooked in a pressure cooker to save on time?
Thanks again for making cooking such a pleasure.
Dunori says
I think I first had them in North Carolina from a roadside market and addictive is right! Never thought of having them with maize but I think you’re also right that it would be an excellent compliment to them. Can’t wait to try it; thanks! Oh and thanks for the history lesson about them too!
ImmaculateBites says
Hey Dunori! Glad you enjoy the history Lesson! Do let me know it works out for you . Thanks !
Cire says
My mind is blown by this recipe. Can’t wait to try it.