Alabama Boiled Peanuts

Name: Alabama Boiled Peanuts
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 2 lb raw peanuts; 1.5 cup Salt; Water; 1 tbsp Cayenne pepper

Raw green peanuts simmered for hours in heavily salted water until soft, a roadside snack sold from stands along Alabama highways.

🇺🇸United States· Alabama

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 240 min
Total: 250 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 150 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 4 gathered

Servings

2 lb raw peanuts
1½ cup Salt
Water
1 tbsp Cayenne pepper

Equipment

•Large stockpot

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 150 kcal
fat: 9
carbs: 12
protein: 7
calories: 150

Instructions

1
Rinse the raw peanuts well with cold water.
2
Put the peanuts into a large stockpot. Pour in plenty of water to cover them completely.
3
Stir in the salt and cayenne if you are using it.
4
Bring the water to a boil on your stovetop. Lower the heat to keep it at a steady simmer.
5
Simmer for 4–6 hours until the shells and peanuts are tender. Add water as needed so they stay covered.
6
Taste a peanut to check the texture and salt. Stir in more salt if you want more flavor.
7
Drain a little water off. Serve the peanuts warm in some of their cooking brine.

Chef's tips

Use raw green (freshly harvested) peanuts instead of dried ones for the best soft texture. Taste the brine as it simmers and add more salt if needed, since cooking takes several hours.

Storage

Refrigerate in their brine up to 5 days.

Reheating

Reheat gently in their brine on the stovetop.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Not adding enough salt to the cooking water, which makes the peanuts taste bland
•Stopping the cooking too early, leaving the peanuts firm instead of soft