Make-ahead tailgating fun with this Slow Cooker Cajun Boiled Peanuts recipe

Lindsay Howerton Hastings, mytherapistcooks.com
·2 min read

Deciding what to take to a tailgating event can be a task all on its own: Does it need to stay hot? Cold? Cooked at the last minute? Dietary restrictions? Transportable without an entire bean dip dumping out in the backseat of the car? (I have no clue where that very specific question came from)

Boiled peanuts are such a fun Southern tradition, only made daunting by the amount of time they take to cook. This version is simplified with the slow cooker, just start them a day or two before you’d like to eat them. Boiled peanuts store well in the fridge for several days, and are a perfect, well-loved tailgating treat!

Boiled peanuts
Boiled peanuts

Slow Cooker Cajun Boiled Peanuts

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 24 hours (yep)

Yield: Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS

  • 1½-2 pounds (raw or dried) peanuts in their shells

  • 8 cups water

  • 4 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt (decrease to 2 tea-spoons if using table salt)

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Making boiled peanuts in a slow cooker.
Making boiled peanuts in a slow cooker.

DIRECTIONS

Add all ingredients to a slow cooker (at least 5-quart capacity). Stir gently to combine.

Cook the peanuts on LOW for 24 hours (preferred) or HIGH for 12 hours, stirring every 6 hours or so, or whenever you think of it.

During the cooking process, if the liquid drops beneath the top of the peanuts, add a cup or so more water to keep the peanuts mostly submerged in liquid.

After 24 hours, the peanut shells should be deeply soft and the peanuts soft and very flavorful. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Boiled peanuts
Boiled peanuts

Tips and Tricks:

These peanuts can be cooked on the stovetop at medium low for about 6 hours – you’ll need to add water every hour or so to keep the level up as the peanuts simmer.

Sometimes peanuts in their shells are labeled as “raw” (more fresh) or “dried” (less fresh). In this particular recipe the difference isn’t huge, just don’t buy anything labeled “roasted.”

I find peanuts in their shells fairly reliably at the state farmer’s market on Rutherford Road and Sprouts on Woodruff Road.

Salt is such a personal preference, and some Cajun spice blends are more salty than others. After about 12 hours in the slow cooker, taste some of the broth – it should be very salty, and a peanut – it should still be crunchy but fairly salty. If anything tastes bland, add more salt or Cajun seasoning to your preference.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Make-ahead tailgating fun with this Cajun Boiled Peanuts recipe