These Spicy Cajun Boiled Peanuts are salty, spicy, nutty and oh so addictive. These peanuts will have you speaking with a southern drawl in no time. And you’ll be begging for more!
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How To Boil Peanuts
If you have never visited the Southern United States, right about now you are probably thinking “Boiled Peanuts . . . What Is Wrong With This Lady!?!” Trust me, they are a southern delicacy!
I have lived in Georgia and I still visit my family there. Besides the beautiful beaches {Jekyll Island & St Simons Island are my old stomping grounds}, historic landmarks, friendly people and eerie swampland. I LOVE the food!
The barbeque joints are legit! The comfort food is well, comforting. And you can get amazing Boiled Peanuts at truck stops, gas stations or road side stands!
Every time I make a batch of these Spicy Cajun Boiled Peanuts I am transported back to my Aunt Deb’s porch in Griffin, Ga.
Down the street at the local gas station there is an old man outside tending a giant boiling pot of peanuts. For a couple bucks he will fill an extra large styrofoam cup full of freshly boiled peanuts.
I would get my overfilled cup of peanuts, a frosty 40 ounce beer and head to my Aunt Deb’s house. {yeah, I’m classy like that}
There is nothing better than sitting on the porch swing, sweating in the humidity, cracking boiled peanuts, drinking a frosty beer and listening to the frogs croak at dusk.
Heaven.
So let’s talk peanuts. While it is easy to find raw {green} peanuts in Georgia. They aren’t as easy to track down everywhere else.
First, they are labeled Raw or Green {but they are not actually the color green}. You do not want to buy roasted peanuts!
I found my raw peanuts at Walmart. Before my local Walmart started carrying them, I used to buy raw peanuts online from Whitley’s Peanut Factory. You could also try your local natural/health food grocer. Or I’m sure there are lots of other websites that sell raw peanuts.
For the flavor I used a Salt-Free Spicy Cajun Blend by Two Snooty Chefs. I found this spice blend at TJ Maxx and have been really impressed with it! It is difficult to find salt-free spice blends.
Not that it matters much in this recipe because the peanuts are boiled in a heavily salted water. Don’t use table salt. Use sea salt or kosher salt.
I also used an entire bottle of Tabasco. You can omit the hot sauce all together or use your favorite variety.
Once the peanuts have been simmering for 1½ hours I start to check to see if they are done. I have never had them cook that quickly. I check every hour after that. When they are done the peanuts will be soft and slightly chewy. You still want a bit of texture. Not cooked so long that they turn to mush.
I cooked this batch for 4 hours. I have had batches that took as long as 6 hours. I’m not positive what causes the inconsistency. My guess is that it has to do with how fresh the peanuts are.
Spicy Cajun Boiled Peanuts
These Spicy Cajun Boiled Peanuts are salty, spicy, nutty and oh so addictive. These peanuts will have you speaking with a southern drawl in no time.  And you'll be begging for more!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Raw Peanuts, rinsed
- 10 Cups Water
- 1/4 Cup Sea Salt
- 2 Tb Salt Free Cajun Spice Blend
- 1 Bottle of Tabasco Sauce, 2oz
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring ingredients to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to medium/low. Cover partially with a lid and simmer for 1½ hours.
- Check the consistency of one peanut. It probably will not be soft yet.
- Cover and continue simmering and stirring every so often. Check every hour to see if the peanuts are soft and chewy. Add additional water if needed. (I added and additional 3 cups towards the end)
- Once the peanuts are done cooking, remove from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. (I cooked my peanuts for 4 hours, cooking times vary)
- Serve hot or cold. Refrigerate peanuts in an airtight container with some of the cooking liquid.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 432Total Fat 37gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 30gCholesterol 0mgSodium 7654mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 7gSugar 4gProtein 20g
Nutritional information on WonkyWonderful is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Lets Get To Snackin’
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My true southern husband (I’m a phony because I’m from Florida) would die and go to heaven if I made these!
I love visiting my In-Laws in Georgia because I get to eat my weight in these amazing peanuts they sell at the gas station by their house. I never thought of making them at home!
Thanks for the post,
Michele @ babyfoode.com
It took me a while before it dawned on me to just make my own boiled peanuts. I don’t get to travel to Georgia too often anymore … but I can at least have one of my favorite southern snacks!
I’ve never had boiled peanuts but have definitely heard of them. They sound super intriguing and something I’m really interested in trying!
It is definitely something that you need to try at least once. Most people here on the west coast think it is super weird!
OMG I love boiled peanuts! And I’m a californian, too! Truth is, my mom is Vietnamese and in Asia boiled peanuts are a common snack, so it’s not THAT uncommon here in the bay area.
Good to know, Gina! I’ll have to track down some boiled peanuts next time I’m in the Bay Area 😀
Boiled peanuts are one of my favorite things in the whole world. Though I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Massachusetts Yankee, my grandmother was from Georgia and we used to go down south to visit family all the time. And I lived in North Carolina for 13 years so this was a regular treat for me.
Since moving back to Massachusetts, I’ve boiled up a couple of batches to show a few skeptics how good they can be but you’re right, it’s hard to find raw peanuts here. Last time I had to go just over the line to a farmer’s market in Connecticut.
May I ask a question please? While I realize the peanuts must be raw, do they also have to be green, or can they be dried raw p’nuts?
Either one works. I use the dried raw peanuts because the green peanuts aren’t available in my area. Enjoy!
Delicious!
We discovered spicy boiled peanuts at a soul food restaurant in San Francisco while on vacation last month. We fell in love with them, so I went to Pinterest and found your recipe so we could try them at home. We did them for the first time yesterday – success! I used a 24 oz bag of peanuts, ended up using an entire 5 oz bottle of tobacco, and probably 3 TBSP of creole seasoning. Also added another 5-6 cups of water during the 4-5 hour cooking time. Our 16 guests for Thanksgiving, most of them from the Caribbean, loved them! Thank you for posting as I wouldn’t have known where to start on making these.
I’m so happy to hear it, Alison! I love boiled peanuts too. And now I’m craving them!
My ex was born and raised in Newnan GA and having spent a lot of time around Tallapoosa, Douglasville and Savannah. I miss those awesome boiled peanuts. I am a native of N California and now live on the south Oregon coast. But it is really hard finding raw peanuts.
Pinned this recipe, it’s a keeper. Will go to that website you mentioned too thanks!!
Oh, I miss Georgia and those boiled peanuts! Hope you enjoy 😀
Hi! Can you used shelled raw peanuts? This looks really good!
Hi Nancy! I have never seen or heard of using shelled peanuts for boiling. I think they may turn to mush very quickly. Let me know if you try it 🙂
Hi Nicole! I did use the shelled peanuts and they came out amazing!! Everyone loved them. They were not mushy at all. I boiled them for about 3 hours. Thanks for the idea! I had never even heard of boiled peanuts 🙂
Awesome! Thanks for coming back and giving an update. Good to know that the shelled peanuts work!
Born and raised in Georgia. Grew up eating boiled peanuts. Was easy to get the “green” peanuts
in GA, but now I live in VA and have to work with dried raw nuts. What I have come up with is to soak the peanuts in the heavily salted water over night. I weight them down to keep the nuts submerged.
Then after the soaking period I cook them in a pressure cooker for about an hour and a halt to two hours.
Season however you like. Sometimes I spice them, but I like them just salted’
Awesome tips! Thanks for sharing your method. I sure do miss being able to get green peanuts!
Easiest way to cook the peanuts to SC perfection is pot them in a slow-cooker on high for an hour, and then turn to low and cook over night!!
I am going to try that next time. Thanks for the tip!
Can I use dry roasted peanuts? I can’t find any raw peanuts!!!!!
Unfortunately, raw peanuts are a must. I have found them at Walmart. Or, you can order them online >> https://nuts.com/nuts/peanuts/jumbo-raw-intheshell.html