Boiled Peanuts Recipe [Seasoned With Salt]


Many Vietnamese people fled their home country after the Vietnam War and ended up in Louisiana. The Vietnamese were exposed to new, local foods resulting in some current mainstays of Vietnamese cuisine, such as Cajun crawfish boil, chicory in Vietnamese coffee and of course, boiled peanuts.

vietnamese boiled peanuts

These are popularly boiled with just salt, or with Cajun spices, but in this recipe we’re going to keep it simple and only use salt.

Speaking of peanuts, check out the cutest peanut / my nephew here on our walk:

cute little nephew

This was yet another hot summer day in Los Angeles. We took our time walking through the neighborhood and some restaurants, leaving footprints on the mattress store’s window (sorry!) and ended up in a bird store.

There were some beautiful birds there that the little dude just stared at the entire time in silence. The shopkeeper warned us to be careful to not get too close to avoid getting bitten. “You’d get in big trouble with the wife if that happened!” I laughed it off, “Yeah, if only I had a wife.” She scrambled for a reply, “Oh, or your husband.” o_O

Anyways let’s boil some peanuts!

Start with raw peanuts that are not dehydrated. Rinse these fellas well since they have lots of dirt on ’em. There’s nothing worse than feeling dirt or sand between your teeth!

Then all you have to do is boil the peanuts in salted water until it reaches a consistency you like. I like it to be soft, but not mushy–it should have some bite. Young peanuts taste better and cook faster, so I would just boil it for an hour, then check doneness by eating a peanut every 20-30 minutes until done.

animation of washing peanuts

There are other Asian and African variations on boiled peanuts that use spices, but I am completely happy with these. Maybe some other day! As if taste wasn’t enough for you, you can happily snack knowing boiled peanuts have 2-4 times more antioxidants than raw or roasted versions.

If you want to feel really Vietnamese, kick this up a notch by pairing these with some Heineken on ice.

Much like watermelon seeds, sunflower seeds, Pirate’s Booty or Cheetos (mmm, Cheetos)… this is a snack I could just eat nonstop. What kinda snacks are you addicted to?

vietnamese boiled peanuts, yum!
vietnamese boiled peanuts, yum!

Boiled Peanuts

5 from 5 votes
An easy yet delicious snack of boiled peanuts! Something commonly found at Vietnamese supermarkets.
BY: Huy Vu
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
SERVINGS: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds raw peanuts not the dehydrated type
  • 2 ounces of salt
  • 2 gallons of water

Instructions 

  • Soak peanuts in water for 15 minutes to loosen dirt, rinse and drain
  • Add peanuts and salt to boiling water
  • Keep a low-medium boil for 1 hour, checking for doneness every 20-30 minutes. It should have some bite and be soft, but not mushy. It can take 1-4 hours depending on age of the peanuts.
Nutrition Facts
Boiled Peanuts
Serving Size
 
0 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
1293
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
112
g
172
%
Saturated Fat
 
17
g
106
%
Sodium
 
5638
mg
245
%
Potassium
 
1687
mg
48
%
Carbohydrates
 
36
g
12
%
Fiber
 
22
g
92
%
Protein
 
59
g
118
%
Calcium
 
301
mg
30
%
Iron
 
9
mg
50
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American, Vietnamese
Keyword: boiled cabbage, peanuts
Did you cook this recipe?Tag @HungryHuy or #hungryhuy–I’d love to see it!

Like this recipe? Subscribe to my newsletter!

12 comments on “Boiled Peanuts Recipe [Seasoned With Salt]

  1. Gina says:

    Yess I love boiled peanuts! When they hit that perfect texture… mmm addicting. My mom is Vietnamese, but she had no idea that boiled peanuts were a thing in the South too! If only they were more popular 🙂

    1. Huy says:

      Yep they’re a great snack! Isn’t it fun to find out origins of food? I had no idea either, but knew there had to be some ties with the rise of crawfish hehe. Thanks for stopping by!

  2. Thalia @ butter and brioche says:

    i’ve always seen boiled peanuts but never tried them! definitely on my to eat list right now.. they look delicious!

    1. Huy says:

      They’re nothing to be afraid of, definitely try em next time! haha

  3. Apoena says:

    Hi Huy,

    Congrats for the blog, I already did your recipe of Bún Thịt Nướng and was a great success.

    Here in Brazil, the boiled peanuts are traditional in some areas.

    There`s a lot in common between Brazilian and Vietnamese culinary, since the tropical ingredients to the french influence. Your blog are helping in discovery this new flavors. Thanks!

    1. Huy says:

      Hey Apoena, good to hear the recipe turned out well for you! I had no idea theres similarities between Brazilian and Vietnamese cuisine but will definitely have a look into that. Thanks again for commenting & sharing 🙂

  4. Tracy says:

    I’m glad you’re back to the food blogging world. I love your recipes and photography.

    1. Huy says:

      Thank you Tracy, that is very kind of you and much appreciated 🙂

  5. Quoc says:

    5 stars
    Hi Huy,
    Can I use the images and provide the credit backlink to your site?
    Thanks,

  6. mar says:

    5 stars
    congrats for all the recipes!!! they look amazing 🙂
    How long would the peanuts last once they are boiled and what’s the best way to keep them?

  7. Lindy says:

    5 stars
    I grew up in Louisiana eating boiled peanuts and love them. I now live in Seattle and can buy them at a local Japanese grocery chain. These are spiced with Asian spices, but I like them in any form or fashion. I was buying them 1 day, and the check out person was of European descent. She looked at my packages like I had snake or perhaps live crawling Klingon food. She asked what you do with them. I pointed out that this was a grocery store, so you might assume that they are food to be eaten and that they are delicious. The Asian woman behind me cracked up and agreed. Thanks for your blog Huy. We really love your food having learned Vietnamese food in Houston in the 80s.

    1. Hungry Huy says:

      Burn LOL: “pointed out this was a grocery store.” Thanks for sharing this story Lindy! Yeah I often question ‘what is this’ in other types of grocery stores and I actually love the feeling of knowing there are whole other worlds of food out there to explore. 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating