Cajun boiled peanuts are a Southern snack just made for watching football games. This version has loads of garlic, and is cooked in your favorite beer overnight in the slow cooker.
Fall might mean pumpkin spice where you’re from but here in the South it means football season! Along with the games come the tailgate parties, and we do take our tailgating seriously… You can’t just throw a couple brats on the grill and call it a tailgate.
I first made these Cajun beer boiled peanuts for a Falcons vs Saints tailgate and, though the Falcons didn’t fare so well, the boiled peanuts earned themselves plenty of fans!

Boiled Peanuts are a southern tradition
One thing you will see this time of the year when driving through small towns in the South are boiled peanut stands. It’s nothing official… Just a couple good ole boys at a roadside stand with a stack of styrofoam cups, two large pots, and two signs that read “regular” and “Cajun.”
If you’re smart you go for the Cajun boiled peanuts every time… If you ask me, they just need a kick to be right, but someone must buy the regular ones. To each his own!
Peanuts cooked in beer?
With that being said, these are not your standard Cajun boiled peanuts. These are not even Cajun garlic boiled peanuts… No siree, these are Cajun garlic beer-boiled peanuts. Why did we boil them in beer? Because we like beer of course.
We don’t need an excuse to booze up our snacks so don’t you judge us! (Heck, we even put bourbon in our Banana Buttermilk Pancakes).
Also beer… football… tailgating… they just goes together. Roll with it.

Of course, you don’t have to cook them in beer. They’re plenty delicious cooked in water with the salt, garlic and cajun spice. And if you’ve got just a couple of beers on hand just use a combination of beer and water.
What you need for making Cajun Boiled Peanuts
The first thing you need is some raw peanuts and preferably green. I get mine from my local farmers market.
My grandma always insisted that good boiled peanuts could only be made with green peanuts so that’s what we do. Plain raw peanuts that have been air dried can be used though. They just need to be cooked longer to get them tender, or given an overnight soak in water to rehydrate them.
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Click here for our full privacy and disclosure policy.
If you need a new slow cooker this link takes you to a whole page of choices.
Beyond that just some beer, salt, garlic and spices.
Allow plenty of time to get the best Cajun Boiled Peanuts
While this recipe is not hard, it does take some time to cook peanuts in a crock pot. If you’re taking them tailgating like I do and the game is at noon, put them on the morning before.
If you don’t have a full 22-24 hours to cook on low heat you can crank up the heat and cook them for 6-8 hours on high. The key here is to check the peanuts for tenderness about ¾ of the way through the cooking time.
People have different preferences on the tenderness or firmness of the peanuts and this method of cooking is very forgiving.
Our best recommendation though, is low and slow for 22-24 hours. That gives the most opportunity for the flavors to soak through the shell into the peanuts themselves.

Storing Boiled Peanuts
After they’re cooked it’s perfectly fine to let them sit in the liquid for a couple of hours. That just gives even more time to soak up that salty goodness.
Once the beer and water is drained off you can serve them right away and eat piping hot. But, truthfully ice cold is delicious too!
Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for several days. And here’s a real bonus y’all – boiled peanuts freeze beautifully! Just seal them up tightly and keep them frozen for up to 6 months.
If you make this or any of our recipes we’d love for you to leave us a comment and star rating. If you’re into sharing your creations, snap a photo and tag us when you post it to Facebook or Instagram.
More traditional tailgate recipes
- Grilled Cajun Chicken Wings
- Pimento Cheese Stuffed Burger Sliders
- Charleston Pecan Chewies
- Spiced Pear Bourbon Iced Tea
- Fried Pickles

Cajun Beer Boiled Peanuts (Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds raw green peanuts
- 5 cloves garlic
- 4 12-ounce beers or beer and water combination to cover peanuts
- 5 tablespoons Cajun or Creole Seasoning
- ¼ cup Kosher salt
Instructions
- Rinse peanuts thoroughly.
- In an 8-quart or larger slow cooker, add peanuts, beer (and water if needed to cover peanuts), garlic, seasoning and salt. Stir well.
- Turn slow cooker to high for 30 minutes, and then down to low. Let simmer on low for 22-24 hours. Check for doneness every hour after 15 hours. Add more water to the cooker if needed.
- Drain and serve hot or cold.
Notes
Please note: This recipe was originally published in 2018, and has been updated August 30, 2021.

Jessica Formicola says
I could snack on these all day long! Such awesome flavor!
Pam says
Agreed! We could too. Thanks, Jessica!
beth says
Oh, these are a perfect Southern treat! I’m so jealous! We don’t see many green peanuts at my farmer’s markets in NY, sadly! Love the beer!
Pam says
I’m so sorry they’re not available to you, Beth. You really are missing out on something special.
Haley D Williams says
These are just what I need to snack on! I love the flavors you have going on!
Pam says
Thanks, Haley. They are pretty yummy!
traci says
You had me at Cajun! Love this great idea…it’s not something I ever run across when looking for party recipes. Just pinned and can’t wait to try! Thanks 🙂
Pam says
Hope you enjoy, Traci. We do love our Cajun flavors around here.
Rae says
These peanuts sound fantastic! I’d totally make these but have a feeling half the shells wouldn’t make it into the trash. Will save the recipe for a girls’ night!
Pam says
Hahaha!!! They’re definitely a good treat to have at a tailgate party or a picnic where you’ll be outside.
Anjali says
This snack was so easy to make and was the perfect addition to our family picnic this past weekend!
Pam says
Yay! Happy to hear that.
Keri Bevan says
What a tasty Southern snack. Love these Cajun peanuts!
Pam says
Thanks so much, Keri!
Seema Sriram says
I have never done any cooking with beer so far. Looks like i should!! the boiled peanuts sound fun with it.
Cate says
These peanuts sound delicious! I’ve never tried something like this but it sounds so good.
Angela says
The perfect snack! Love these peanuts and I’m so happy I now can make them at home. Game day just got better!