How to Make Boiled Peanuts

Learn how to make boiled peanuts 3 ways: on the stovetop, in a pressure cooker, and in a slow cooker! Just remember: no southern party is complete without the beloved boiled peanut!

Behold, the boiled peanut.

Sweet and salty morsels of heaven, mushy nutty goodness, and a Southerner's standby summertime snack.

There is nothing in this world quite like sucking on the briney deliciousness of a freshly boiled peanut when your hair is dripping wet from the ocean or while your slugging back a cold draft beer cheering on your local minor league baseball team.

How to Make Boiled Peanuts

I've always wanted to write a post on how to make boiled peanuts, and the day has finally arrived.

No secret exists on how to make boiled peanuts...you just need to choose the correct kind of peanuts, prepare them via your favorite cooking method, store them correctly, and make sure you add enough salt.

It is absolutely imperative that you have freshly picked green, or raw, peanuts. The term "green" basically refers to the fact that they are green from the vine rather than green in color.

Green peanuts can be found at farmer's markets, roadside stands or, if you live in the South, you may actually be able to find them at your regular grocery store between May & November. Some readers have even commented that they have made boiled peanuts from roasted peanuts, but I've never tried is so I can't vouch for how those would turn out.

How to Salt Boiled Peanuts

Boiling peanuts is an easy fete, and the hardest part about the whole process is making sure the salt measurements are correct.

Boiled peanuts are bland and tasteless without salt so adding enough is imperative. Starting off with 2 lbs of peanuts, add a ½ cup of standard grain sea salt and, once they've cooked for a couple of hours, taste test them and add more salt in ¼ cup increments, if needed.

Allowing the boiled peanuts to soak in the salty brine after cooking will also allow the salt to penetrate deep inside the peanuts. Just make sure not to soak them for too long which can cause them to become slimy and soggy.

How to Freeze Boiled Peanuts

We southerners like to make giant batches of boiled peanuts and freeze them so we can serve them to family and friends year-round!

How to Freeze Boiled Peanuts:

1. Cook the peanuts as desired then cool completely. Once cooled, add to a colander and shake off as much excess water as possible.
2. Pack the peanuts into sealed, airtight, freezer-safe containers and freeze indefinitely or until ready to eat. When ready to eat, just take them out of the freezer to thaw!

I prefer to cook my peanuts al dente, meaning they are just firm enough to maintain a bit of texture, but they are still soft and creamy. So, if you never acquired the taste of boiled peanuts because you couldn't handle the texture, please make a batch my way before completely writing them off.

I promise you won't be disappointed.

If you are, oh well, whip up a batch of some boiled peanut hummus and serve it at your 4th of July bash!

Boiled Peanuts on the Stovetop

Cooking boiled peanuts on the stovetop is super simple:

1. Boil water, add salt and green peanuts to a large pot, lower heat to simmer, cover, and boil for 2 hours. Check for saltiness and softness, add more salt, if needed, in ¼ cup increments, and continue to cook for another 2-3 hours or until desired tenderness is reached.

2. Once done, turn off the heat and allow to soak for 30 minutes to an hour in the cooking liquid.

3. When cooled, drain the liquid and serve!

Boiled Peanuts in the Instant Pot

Boiling peanuts on the stovetop used to be my preferred method of cooking, but cooking them in the pressure cooker absolutely changed my life!

1. Add 2lbs of green peanuts to the pressure cooker, cover with water, stir in salt, place trivet on top of the peanuts to weigh them down, and cook on high pressure for 75 minutes.

2. Allow to naturally release and depressurize for 15 minutes, then manually release, drain, and serve!

Boiled Peanuts in the Slow Cooker

There is no downside to cooking boiled peanuts in a slow cooker! Just throw everything in the pot and set it and forget it for 5-7 hours while you do other things around the house!

1. Add green peanuts to the slow cooker, cover with water, stir in salt, cover, and cook on high for 5-7 hours.

2. Once cooked, allow the peanuts to soak for another 30 minutes before draining and serving!