Boiled peanuts are a popular southern snack for a reason. When peanuts are boiled, they take on a texture comparable to cooked beans. Their usual crunchiness and nutty flavor become soft and subtle, with a satisfying saltiness from the salted boiling water. If you’ve never indulged in or made them yourself, it’s about time you learned how long to boil peanuts.
How Long to Boil Peanuts with Shells?
Unshelled peanuts take about 2 hours to boil. The process of boiling them is simple. Green peanuts are recommended, but since availability is limited, raw peanuts are a suitable substitute if they are soaked for 8 hours. To boil peanuts with shells, gather the following:
- 1 pound green peanuts
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 4 cups water
- Large pot
- Fine mesh strainer
Once you have everything:
- Thoroughly rinse the peanuts under cool running water and drain.
- Transfer the peanuts to a large pot with the salt and measured water. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook the peanuts for 2-2 ½ hours or until they reach the desired level of softness.
- Drain and eat. To eat boiled peanuts, pinch at the seam, slurp out the salty brine, crack the shell, remove the legumes and eat.
What Makes Green Peanuts “Green”?
Green peanuts are newly harvested peanuts straight from the soil. No moisture is removed from the peanuts, so they have a higher moisture content, making them highly perishable. The challenge with green peanuts is that they’re only available during harvest season.
How Long Does It Take to Boil Peanuts Without Shells
Using a pressure cooker to boil peanuts without the shells is best. Otherwise, boiling them becomes an involved process requiring close watching and water replenishment. To boil peanuts without shells:
- Add 1 cup of raw, shelled peanuts to a pressure cooker with 2 cups water and ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt.
- Stir, secure the lid and pressure cook on high for 12 minutes.
- Release the pressure (naturally release the pressure if using an instant pot).
- Enjoy!
How Long to Boil Green Peanuts vs. Raw Peanuts
The boiling time for green peanuts vs. raw peanuts doesn’t differ, but the preparation time does. Green peanuts are always cooked without prior soaking, since they have a high moisture content and are highly perishable. Therefore, it’s not a question of how long to boil peanuts on the stove but how long to soak them before. Raw peanuts must soak for 8 hours before boiling, because soaking increases their water content. As a result, they cook at the same rate as green peanuts; therefore, 2-2 ½ hours is how long to boil raw peanuts.
We’ve covered a lot of information on boiling peanuts. Consequently, we’ve compressed and added that information to a table you can reference. Consider this a helpful resource when you’re ready to boil some peanuts.
| Type of Peanut | Green + unshelled | Green + shelled | Raw + unshelled | Raw + shelled |
| Soaking Required | No | No (shelling is not recommended) | No | Yes |
| Best Method | Boiling/stovetop | Pressure cooking | Boiling/stovetop | Pressure cooking |
| Cook Time | 2- 2 ½ hours | 12 minutes | 2-2 ½ hours | 12 minutes |
Overall, boiling peanuts is easy – no matter what type you’re using. Green peanuts and raw peanuts are both great options. It really comes down to what you have access to. As for unshelled or shelled, that’s entirely up to you. Now you know how long to boil peanuts, it’s time to apply what you’ve learned. Just proceed with caution. Boiled peanuts are addictive!
