Boiled Peanuts
All you need is shelled peanuts and salt to make this traditional Southern boiled peanuts recipe. The peanuts are boiled to the texture of your choice and are the perfect homemade salty snack to enjoy with an ice-cold glass of beer or soda.
Boiled peanuts have been popular in the South since at least the Civil War when our troops used to carry them as a large part of their rations. With salt being a natural preservative, the boiled peanuts could be carried and eaten for up to a week, providing a quick nutritional source on the go and helping to make up for the piteous lack of meat in the Southern soldier’s diet.
The first time I ever had traditional boiled peanuts was when I was a girl, not more than seven or eight. My family and I took the first of many trips to the Smokey Mountains. We were driving up these winding roads and stopped at a roadside vendor. I was curious about the cup of wet peanuts that had steam coming from them and the most delicious smell that set my stomach to grumbling. I definitely had more than one that day!
Nowadays, as soon as the slightest chill hits the air in Georgia, little tents, trucks, and roadside stands start setting up on street corners for one purpose: to sell boiled peanuts to fortunate passersby. With over 45% of the country’s peanut crop grown there, it’s no wonder boiled peanuts are in such abundance.
Now, if you can’t make a mad dash to Georgia right now, rest assured it’s super easy to make boiled peanuts from the comfort of your home. All you need for my Southern boiled peanuts recipe is raw peanuts and salt. Are you ready for the instructions? Place them in a pot with water, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 3 hours. Yep, that’s it. The easiest boiled peanut recipe you ever did see. Keep scrolling to learn exactly how to eat boiled peanuts because yes, it’s EVERYTHING.
Recipe Ingredients
- Raw or fresh green peanuts
- Salt
How to Make My Boiled Peanuts Recipe
Place dried peanuts in a large pot and add enough water to cover the peanuts.
However, don’t stress too much as they’ll float to the top for now anyway.
Add the salt to the pot.
Give that a good stir.
Now cover the pot with a lid, cook on medium heat until it comes to a good boil, then simmer.
These are going to need to cook for about three hours but can cook longer if you like.
I cook mine most of the day. The texture you are going for is just slightly firmer than a cooked bean.
Remove from heat, drain, and eat!
How to eat boiled peanuts
Let me just say, the way you eat a boiled peanut is EVERYTHING!
Place the entire, uncracked peanut shell in your mouth. Yes, I am serious. Don’t get all fretful about germs and such, my goodness you just boiled them for several hours. Now do like I said and pop that entire peanut in your mouth.
With your mouth closed (unless you want to squirt your neighbor in the face with salty peanut juice), crack the shell open and drink the juice out of it. Then open it the rest of the way and take the shell out of your mouth, while eating the soft peanuts inside.
After a few of these, you’ll understand why the roadside vendors always give you a plastic bag or cup to hold your shells. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Enjoy your traditional boiled peanuts!
Storage
When stored in their shells in an airtight container in the fridge, boiled peanuts will last up to 10 days. You can store them in the cooking liquid or drain them dry. You can also store them in the freezer for several months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
- You can easily double, triple, or quadruple the recipe ingredients.
- For the salt, you can use plain old table salt or , whatever you have on hand. Southerners don’t get fancy with this stuff. It’s part of our charm!
- If you use fresh green peanuts, the cooking time can be shorter. Check-in after an hour.
Recipe FAQs
How do I make my boiled peanuts more or less salty?
Once they’re cooked, if they are too salty for you (personally, I don’t believe in such a thing as “too salty” when it comes to these), simply add a few more cups of water to dilute the cooking water and cook for half an hour more or so.
If they are not salty enough (you go, you), add a bit more salt and give it 30 minutes as well to get good and incorporated. The amount of salt I am listing here is what I have found perfect to replicate the roadside peanuts I love so much.
But if this is your first time making boiled peanuts, it’s all about trial and error to work out the best salty balance and your . As a general rule of thumb, the longer they simmer, the softer and saltier the peanuts become. I recommend starting with a cup of salt and then tasting it after a few hours, adding a few more tablespoons if you want a saltier peanut.
Can I use roasted peanuts in this boiled peanuts recipe?
No, you can’t make boiled peanuts with roasted peanuts, they have to be raw (or green as they’re sometimes called).
Do you have to soak raw peanuts before boiling?
No, you don’t have to soak the peanuts before boiling them. Some recipes do this to reduce the simmer time and it helps them settle in the pot before boiling them, but I don’t think it’s necessary. If you want to though, add the shelled peanuts to the pot, cover them with water, and place a dinner plate on top to keep them submerged. Soak for 8 hours or overnight before continuing with this recipe from the top in the morning.
Can I make boiled peanuts in the slow cooker?
Absolutely! Follow the directions but place the ingredients in the instead. However, take a lot longer to cook (like at least 22 hours if not longer).
Why do boiled peanuts get slimy?
Boiled peanuts can get slimy if they’re overcooked or sit in the brine for too long. Ensure you cook the peanuts just until tender and then drain them shortly after cooling to avoid them getting soggy.
What seasonings can I add to my boiled peanuts recipe?
Many boiled peanut recipes include seasonings using dried herbs and spices. We’re keeping things simple today, but here are some suggestions. Just add about 2 tablespoons of any of these options when you add the salt:
- Old Bay seasoning
- Cajun seasoning ( are very popular).
- Creole seasoning
- Lemon pepper seasoning
- 2 cups of apple cider vinegar for salt and vinegar peanuts.
Check out these other snack-sized treats:
Candied Peanuts (2 Ingredients Only)
Potato Candy Recipe Made The Ole Fashioned Way
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls (No Baking Necessary)
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw or green peanuts
- 1 cup salt
Instructions
- In a saucepot, cover dried peanuts with water and add salt.1 pound raw or green peanuts, 1 cup salt
- Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for at least 3 hours or more if you like.
- Place the entire peanut in your mouth to eat. Crack it open with your teeth, drink the juice, and eat the peanut while discarding the peanut shell.
I know you put a lot of work into this and I am trying to cretae lists too. Thanks so much! If you ever want to work on a soy-free list (lecithin and oil is ok), then feel free to let me know. My guy is allergic to peanut, egg, and soy. Boo!
I love boiled peanuts. But can’t find any up here in Northern Indiana. Is there any place that
you can order raw peanuts online and have them shipped?
I too have looked for raw peanuts… none to be found in Colorado. I tried with roasted… yuck – not right. (from Georgia)
I did find a can of boiled peanuts at Walmart, was not the same, but better than none.
I was raised by my grandparents in north central Oklahoma (Blackwell/Braman area). And some of my fondest memories come from helping my grandparents in the kitchen. One of the first things I was allowed to cook on my own were boiled peanuts. Waiting for them to cook and also watching so they didn’t boil dry taught me patience. I was also taught how to share . . . I did the cooking why do I have to share with my cousins? Still not certain if I ever completely learned that lesson. Boiled peanuts are just too good to share. Now my grandparents are gone and I have moved to the really deep south . . . New Zealand. And being on the bottom of the planet can’t be much more south. But I still boil peanuts, and even on certain occasions share with my kiwi friends who have never heard of such a delicacy. But, like others before me have said, there is nothing better than a dish (make that large dish) of boiled peanuts and a cold coke. My true taste of home.
WoW, New Zealand! That is about as south as it gets. And what wonderful memories you have there Ben. I am so glad to hear that you are still making boiled peanuts today and introducing them to the rest of the world for us!!
I had boiled Peanuts on my way home from Panama City on Saturday. LOVE the way you described to eat them as that is exactly how I taught my daughter to eat them. I live in AL but am on the border of GA and my grandparent actually lease out all their farm land to a peanut farm in south GA. Boiled peanuts are a part of who I am. Thanks for the recipe!
Angela,
I read with interest that you are from Alabama, but on the border of GA. I now live in WA State, but I’m originally from Columbia, AL so you have to be from somewhere near my hometown. I love boiled peanuts…just plain boiled peanuts like they had at all the peewee, jr high and high school football games. I can’t think of football season (or the National Peanut Festival/Fall) without thinking of boiled peanuts. I hope I can convince my relatives to ship me some green peanuts so I can make them myself. Last time I came home and was on my way to Panama City, FL with my sister Mari-Ane, I had to stop at a roadside stand on Hwy 231 and get me some of those boiled peanuts. The guy had such a thick country Southern accent that even I couldn’t understand him. My husband being from here in WA State doesn’t really care for boiled peanuts. That’s alright…more for me! I’ll gladly eat mine and his share 😛 BTW, when I was growing up there was no suck thing as Cajun boiled peanuts…it’s was just the plain salty boiled peanuts.
Where are you in WA state? I’m going back for a visit to the Tacoma Seattle area where I lived for 37 years.
I was raised on boiled peanuts and just love them!! I’ve been wanting a simple recipe on how to make them for a while now. While there are lots of recipes out there, they weren’t for a basic boiled peanut which I adore! So thank you for this recipe!!!
I hope you enjoy Brenda!!!
Christy, my hubs is an Iowa guy, but it didn’t take him long to develop a love affair with boiled peanuts! However, we’ve found that boiking them on the stove just is counter productive for us because we both start and continue testing the peanuts till we don’t really have that many left when we get done! So, we decided to go a different direction and put them in the crock pot the night before! They come out great the next morning!
After visiting a little roadside stand in Townsend TN, it didn’t take us long to realize that the peanuts were just a little different cause they sorta had a bite to them. We asked the guy that cooked them in a black kettle what he had done different. He proudly told us he added Zatarfain’s Crab Boil to his water. Now he wouldn’t give us the proportions or anything, tho! WARNING!! Be very careful with this because the oils will dispel in the air and you may have to boil the peanuts outside! We obviously used too much and the oils in the air sure cleaned out our sinuses!! But oh ny gracious……are they ever good! Worth every minute!
LOL, that is so funny Carolyn!!! But yes, they are super easy to make in the crockpot, and I have heard some folks use cajun or creole seasoning too.
I went to college at Auburn University, and we could get boiled peanuts at the football stadium! Made this Georgia girl feel right at home. Nothing like boiled peanuts and a Coca-Cola!