Hot Boiled Peanuts are a traditional Southern snack perfect for football games and fall drives! This easy version lets the slow cooker do all the hard work!
Growing up, as soon as the weather started turning a little bit colder, my Daddy was ready to drive up into the North Georgia mountains for the weekend. Sometimes, my Grandparents would come along with us because he knew that they loved the mountains as much as he did.
Grandmother would make a breakfast for us to take along with us on the trip. Big, delicious biscuits filled with either sausage or bacon or sometimes tenderloin. The idea of stopping by a drive through restaurant never occurred to us. There simply wasn’t one in our small town back then.
She would also bring along a small cooler packed with Coca-Colas in the bottle, some Ginger Ale, grapes and apples, and zip top bags filled with wet washcloths in case anyone got queasy on the curvy roads during our trip. Next came the pillows and quilts and the notebooks she always brought along to record tidbits about the trip or things that she saw along the way. An extra notebook and pencils were included to play games with me and my sister during our trip as well.
Daddy would always be ready to go early in the morning so we could reach the mountains before too late in the day.
I remember rounding one winding road on trip after trip and seeing the roadside stand set up with large, wooden handpainted signs that read, “Boiled Peanuts.” Now, any kind of peanut has always been a favorite of my Mama’s, but boiled peanuts were my Daddy’s all time favorite. I would think we were about to pull in to buy a few styrofoam cups filled with these warm delicious little nibbles when Daddy would say, “No, this isn’t the good boiled peanut spot. Our spot is on a little farther.”
I started thinking about what made Daddy say that the other day and figured out that you can have good boiled peanuts and then you can have GOOD boiled peanuts. There is a difference. This recipe is for the GOOD kind with the perfect balance of salty brininess and well-cooked peanuts, but you don’t have to drive to the North Georgia mountains to get them.
My family’s love for boiled peanuts has now passed along to Little Buddy. When we made these, I taught him how to make them, too.
Here’s how we make them.
Start with about 3 pounds of green peanuts and put them in your slow cooker.
Pour in salt. Just regular salt is fine.
Then pour water over them until they are covered. This took about 6 cups of water for me.
Now, set your slow cooker for 12 hours and just let them go. You may want to check them about halfway during their cooking to make sure you don’t need to add more water.
After the 12 hours of cooking, leave them in the slow cooker in the brine water for another 9-12 hours or so. This makes them the GOOD kind in my family’s book.
To serve your peanuts, dip out a serving and strain away the brine. Place them into a cup or bowl and serve with plenty of napkins.
Boiled peanuts are great for tailgating, game day festivities, or Fall camping trips! Start your peanuts well in advance to make sure they are done in time for the big game. Then, just serve them straight from your slow cooker to keep them warm!
Boiled Peanuts Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds green peanuts
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 6 cups water
Instructions
- Rinse peanuts until the water runs clear.
- Place into slow cooker. Add in salt and pour in water.
- Cook for 12 hours on high setting, checking occasionally to add more water if needed.
- Turn slow cooker to warm setting and allow to sit in slow cooker for another 9-12 hours.
- Serve straight from the slow cooker to keep warm, straining off brine and pouring into cups or bowls.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Originally published September 2011.
I’m making boiled peanuts tonight I do them a little different I cooked them with smoked ham hocks they are so good.
I have a bag of shelled raw peanuts and wondered if I could do the same thing with them without the shells.
I love boiled peanuts – what can I say – I am from the South. My husband won’t touch them. He is from Iowa.
Have you tried cooking them with jalapeno peppers. They are very good and spicy!
From,
The Other Robin
I’m going to have to try your way with the jalapeno! Sounds delicious! xo
Thank you so much for this boiled peanut recipe. I fell in love with them visiting family in Tampa. I was unable to purchase green peanuts up here in the Pacific Northwest anywhere until now.
You can get them on Amazon.com for a good price and quality. We have no Publix up here so now we boiled peanut lovers have an answer to our seemingly hopeless search. I enjoy your writing so much. Keep up your excellent work Robin! You are appreciated.
Hugs,
Alice
I wish I had found this idea a long time ago. my husband loved them and I added liquid crab boil because he liked them spicy. I hardly ever had time to make them because i worked all my life. This would have been the perfect solution. Too bad he is gone now.
Boiled some yesterday Try it outside with a bag of spicy crab boil
How much salt for the 6 cups water. I can’t determine what size measure of salt you are using by the picture and I’d hate to go to all that trouble only to have them too salty. . I love boiled peanuts and can’t wait to make them. I am a transplanted , born and bred Northern woman and when we moved to Florida many years ago we tried boiled peanuts. Initially I didn’t like them, however, over the years we have come to really enjoy them.We discovered a roadside stand that makes cajun flavored ..,,,, REALLY, REALLY good.
Recipe states 1/4 cup of salt. I think I use more – but I’ve never left them to sit an additional 12 hours after they’re done cooking – so maybe that’s why I had to add more salt.
So delicious! Nothing says FALL and football quite like boiled peanuts! Thanks for this recipe!
I tried boiled peanuts once…in Georgia. I was driving through on my way home from VA. At the time I didn’t love them but I have a friend from Florida who told me I just didn’t try the right ones…I’m going to give it another shot…but im itching to do Cajun…is this boiled peanut blasphemy? Any tips?
I just came across this recipe and I can’t wait to try it. What touched me more, though, is the story of traveling with your grandmother. She sounds identical to mine, right down to the washcloths in the baggies! <3 Road trips with my grandparents were such a wonderful memory for me. My grandfather passed away this January and my grandmother's health is declining. Thank you for sharing your story and bring a sweet flood of memories back to me tonight! 🙂