Crockpot Boiled Peanuts

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Crockpot Boiled Peanuts, the official state snack of South Carolina. This is the perfect recipe for cajun boiled peanuts in a slow cooker. If you're from the south you know every gas station in South Carolina has boiled peanuts. They evoke nostalgic feelings of road trips and summer time.

Boiled peanuts are delicious and healthy with many nutrition benefits like vitamin content and essential amino acids. In some cultures a diet including peanuts plays a critical role in preventing disease and promoting good health. Learn more about peanut nutrition here...

What peanuts are best for boiling?

The best peanuts for boiled peanuts are in-shell raw peanuts or green peanuts. Some use the terms interchangeably but green specifically refers to fresh peanuts harvested from the ground that have not been dried yet.

Green peanuts can be difficult to find and are only available during the growing season from July-September. They are highly perishable and need to be refrigerated. Purists are adamant about only using green peanuts but it's perfectly acceptable to use dried peanuts. That's what I use.

Raw peanuts are generally just dried after harvest to reduce their moisture content and extend shelf life.

Where to buy raw peanuts in the shell

You can generally find them online via amazon. Many times they are available in Asian markets or International grocery stores. You may be able to find them at the farmers market as well, especially if you're in the south.

I buy Valencia raw in shell peanuts in a 2lb bag at my Asian market for about $4 in North Carolina.

How to make boiled peanuts cajun

I make these cajun style. You can use any cajun spice like, Oldbay or Zatarans. I actually use brand called Spiceology a chef owned and operated spice company.

My secret ingredient in this dish actually chipotle in adobo. They are jalapeños that have been smoked and dried and then stewed in an adobo sauce. They bring a deep smoky and spicy flavor to a dish. It's a technique I learned from my buddy Nick Marchesano, an Italian chef who uses it in his ciopinno and tomato based broths.

Use one or two in a dish or a small can in a large restaurant batch. It makes a great base note for flavor.

At home I open a can and use one at a time. I keep the rest in a zip loc bag in the freezer and just break off one when I need it.

How to make Crockpot Boiled Peanuts

Add chipotle, cajun spice, salt and peanuts to the slow cooker.

Cover the peanuts with water. They may float to the top but try to submerge them the best you can by using the lid.

Cook for 24 hours on the low setting. For Instant Pot users cook for 1 hour with a 30 minute natural pressure release.

Your crock pot might not be big enough to accept all of the peanuts or the water. If thats the case, fill with as many peanuts as you can and add water to cover.

Over the course of 24 hours the water will evaporate slightly. Keep topping it off with more water throughout the day as the dry peanuts absorb the water. The broth should taste extremely salty. The peanuts will not absorb all of the salt and it will taste just right when you crush a finished peanut and slurp the tiny amount of broth left in the shell.

Enjoy! Save or pin this recipe for your next trip. For other southern dishes check out my Seriously Easy Overnight Pulled Pork Recipe or Chicken Nuggets.