Cajun boiled peanuts Recipe are as delicious as they are simple to make. These Cajun boiled peanuts recipes are an easy side dish or appetizer with a southern twist. All you need to do is gather your ingredients, boil and you’re done. You can have something ready in 5 minutes and then just let them sit for hours. Peanuts are rich in protein and very good for you.
Cajun Boiled Peanuts
Boiled peanuts are a classic Southern snack. These spicy peanuts get their kick from Cajun seasoning and Cajun liquid crab boil.
Recipe Summary
Yield:
Makes 14 cups
Ingredients
Ingredient Checklist
- ½ cup Cajun seasoning
- 2 pounds dried raw peanuts
- ½ cup salt
- 5 to 7 Tbsp. liquid Cajun crab boil
Directions
Instructions Checklist
- Step 1Place Cajun seasoning in a large stock pot; add peanuts and water to cover. Soak peanuts at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. (You may need to weigh down peanuts with a large plate or lid to ensure that they are fully submerged.) Drain and rinse.
- Step 2Place peanuts, salt, and crab boil in stock pot with 4 1/2 qt. water; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 6 hours or until peanuts are tender, adding water as needed to keep peanuts covered; stir occasionally.
- Step 3Remove from heat; let stand 1 hour.
Chef’s Notes
Prep: 10 min.; Soak: 8 hr.; Cook: 6 hr., 15 min.; Stand: 1 hr. You can find dried peanuts in the produce section of your local supermarket or at a farmers market. Store cooked peanuts in the refrigerator up to three days. If you prefer your peanuts warm, heat them in the microwave, covered, at 80% power for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once.
Boiled Peanuts Vs. Roasted Peanuts
The thing I never realized is that peanuts grow under the ground. The peanut pods form below ground, with the plant and leaves above.
You pull them from the dirt, and they are raw. And green. You need to clean them and cook them before eating.
Roasted peanuts are crunchy and hard after roasting. Boiled peanuts, on the other hand, are soft and rather squishy in texture. Much like a bean. You peel them and pluck them from their shells.
And enjoy them! If you’re used to roasted peanuts, you might be surprised by the difference in texture. The flavor, though, is outstanding. Boiled peanuts absorb so much more flavor than roasted.
Let’s talk about how we make them, shall we?
Ingredients Needed
- 2 pounds green raw peanuts (in the shell)
- 4 ounces concentrated shrimp and crab boi
- ½ cup Cajun or Creole Seasoning Blend
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 4 habanero peppers, sliced in half (optional – use can omit or use other peppers to your own heat level preference)
- Hot sauce of choice (a few tablespoons will do, but add as much as you’d like! – Tabasco or Crystal are PERFECT for this recipe
- Water to cover the peanuts
How To Make Cajun Boiled Peanuts
First, add the peanuts to a large pot. Pour in enough water to cover the peanuts. It’s usually a couple gallons of water, depending on the size of your pot.
Stir in the shrimp and crab boil and Cajun seasonings (or Creole seasonings) with salt. You can also add in garlic powder if you love garlic.
Add the habanero peppers, if using them. They add a very good level of heat to the whole batch.
Dash in your hot sauce and give it a good stir.
Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat. Partially cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 5 hours. Check it periodically to push the peanuts under the seasoned water.
Cool. You can eat the peanuts now if you’d like, but to develop more flavor, cover and set the pot into the refrigerator.
Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors develop. The peanuts will become much more infused with the seasonings as they steep in the liquid.
When you’re ready to eat them, just reheat them on the stove top and enjoy.
Can You Eat Raw Green Peanuts? Do They Have To Be Cooked?
You should not eat raw green peanuts. Most raw nuts are safe to eat, but raw peanuts can be contaminated by a mold called Apergillus flavus. This can be potentially dangerous to people and even animals.
There is no guarantee raw green peanuts will be contaminated, but cooking them is the safest measure.
Here is what they look like raw, still in the shell.
Can I Make Them In A Crock Pot Or Slow Cooker?
Yes, you can also make boiled peanuts in a slow cooker or crock pot. Basically, follow the main recipe, but add everything to your slow cooker. Cover the ingredients with enough water to cover.
Set your crock pot to low and cook them low and slow. Your cooking time is 24 hours.
Then, enjoy! I’ll have to make some in my pressure cooker, too. See how they turn out!
How To Eat Boiled Peanuts
Eat boiled peanuts by peeling open the shells, then plucking the nuts out. This is slightly harder than peeling roasted peanuts, as roasted peanuts are more solid. The peanuts just pop right out.
Boiled peanuts are softer. The shells pull apart easily, but the softer nuts do not always fall out. You need to pull them out sometimes.
Also, I like to heat my boiled peanuts before eating them. You can eat them cold, though.
Storing Boiled Peanuts
Store boiled peanuts in airtight containers with a bit of the steeping liquid in the refrigerator. They will keep for a week or longer.
They will keep 6 months if frozen.
That’s it, my friends! I hope you enjoy my Cajun boiled peanuts recipe! They’re AWESOME.
Go get snacking!
SPICY BOILED PEANUTS
A popular southern tradition, these simple and easy spicy boiled peanuts are a salty and flavorful snack with a delicate crunch and a zing of creole spices.
ABOUT SPICY BOILED PEANUTS
Great for snacking, gifting, or serving at parties, these spicy boiled peanuts have become a southern staple for good reason: they’re salty and flavorful with a delicate crunch, making boiled peanuts a near-perfect finger food for all your cravings.
WHAT ARE BOILED PEANUTS?
A traditional southern snack (that also comes in many varieties around the world) boiled peanuts are in-shell peanuts that have been slowly boiled in water with a mix of flavors and spices. Typically served as a salty snack, it’s common to find them being sold at road-side stalls, carnivals and fairs, or served at BBQ’s. Depending on how long they’re cooked, the texture of boiled peanuts can range from still slightly crunchy to almost soft.
WHAT TYPE OF PEANUTS SHOULD YOU USE?
When making this recipe, there are two types of peanuts that you can use:
- In-Shell Raw Peanuts – These are the most commonly found and what most people are familiar with. These peanuts are dried, making them safe to sit at room temperature for one or two weeks. The peanuts themselves have a rich, brown color. This recipe is written for raw peanuts and take about six to eight hours to boil.
- In-Shell Green Peanuts – These peanuts have not been dried, so they’re fresh and much more perishable; unlike raw peanuts, green peanuts need to be refrigerated until ready to eat. And as the name suggests, these peanuts also have a green tone to them. The good news is that because green peanuts have not been dried, they boil much faster. If you use green peanuts for this recipe, you can reduce the total boiling time to two to three hours.
CAN YOU USE SHELLED PEANUTS?
For the best presentation and to keep with southern tradition, I highly recommend using in-shell peanuts. I would even argue that the shells assist in their own special way in boiling the peanuts, but I have nothing to back up that claim other than knowing boiled peanuts are absolutely delicious when eaten from their shells.
BUT, all that being said, yes, you can boil shelled peanuts. I personally have not done this, but I know that shelled peanuts have a shorter boiling time, typically between one and four hours. If you use shelled peanuts, be sure to keep a close eye on them while boiling to ensure the peanuts reach you’re preferred texture.
CAN YOU USE DIFFERENT SPICES?
This recipe calls for creole seasoning, but feel free to try other types, such as:
- Cajun seasoning
- Blackened seasoning
- Old bay seasoning
- Lemon pepper seasoning
- More salt or seasoned salt
Feel free to experiment with your favorite seasonings and flavors! The only consideration is whether or not your chosen seasoning includes salt, as this recipe is balanced to assume the main flavor seasoning already has some in it. So if you’re chosen seasoning doesn’t have salt, add an additional two tablespoons of kosher salt to the recipe.
HOW LONG ARE BOILED PEANUTS GOOD FOR?
Once prepared and cooled, boiled peanuts should be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to seven days. The boiled peanuts can either be kept in the cooking liquid or drained dry.
CAN YOU FREEZE BOILED PEANUTS?
Yes, you totally can!
Once prepared and cooled, spread peanuts out on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze. Once solid, transfer the peanuts to a sealed container or freezer bag. Boiled peanuts can be frozen indefinitely.
NOTES & TIPS FOR BOILED PEANUTS
- For a more spicy kick, add a pinch of crushed pepper flakes, chipotle powder, or cayenne. You can even add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce right into the pot!
HOW TO MAKE BOILED PEANUTS
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – In a large stockpot, add the following ingredients: in-shell raw peanuts, kosher salt, creole seasoning, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and onion powder.
Step 2 – Pour in water until peanuts are completely covered.
Step 3 – Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Step 4 – Cook for six to eight hours.
Step 5 – Serve and enjoy!