Boiled Peanuts

Content… Fun Facts Recipe Ingredients How to Make Them Alternative Cooking Methods Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Serve More Drool-Worthy Peanut Recipes to Try Conclusion

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! 😉

1. 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.”
2. 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

1. 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)
2. Cover and Cook for about two hours or more depending on the peanuts – more if you like them really soft. (Photo 6)
3. 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

1. 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.
2. 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. You may adjust the seasonings to your preference, especially if you want it less spicy and salty.
4. 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.
5. 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

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.

• Jamaican Carrot Juice
• Southern Sweet Tea
• Jungle Juice
• Passion Fruit Juice
• Mango Lemonade

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.