Cajun Garlic Beer-Boiled Peanuts

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Cajun boiled peanuts are a Southern snack that was just made for watching football games. Our version has loads of garlic, and is boiled in your favorite beer overnight in the slow cooker. Beer-boiled peanuts? You read that right.

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 made these Cajun garlic beer-boiled peanuts for a Falcons vs Saints tailgate last weekend and, though the Falcons didn’t fare so well, the boiled peanuts earned themselves plenty of fans!

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 on the side on the road with a stack of styrofoam cups, 2 big 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!

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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! Also beer… football… tailgating… it just goes together. Roll with it.

The first thing you need is some raw peanuts. Not roasted, raw. If you can find them, go for green peanuts. I got mine from my local farmers market. Now, to be honest, this was my first time buying green peanuts and I did not do right by them. I kept them wrapped up in a grocery bag on the kitchen counter for a couple days til I was ready to use them, and…. let’s just say I had to go back to the store for more peanuts. But lucky for you, you get to learn from my mistakes! The second round of peanuts I got, I emptied into a colander and put them in the fridge til I was ready to use. It was definitely the better storage method.

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The amount of beer you need for this recipe is going to depend on the size of your slow cooker (and the size of your beer), but I will tell you that 3 pounds of peanuts does not fit in a 6-quart slow cooker, so go for a bigger one (or half a pound less peanuts if you don’t have anything else).

If you need a new slow cooker this link takes you to a whole page of choices.

While this recipe is not hard, it does take some time to boil peanuts in a slow cooker. If you’re taking them tailgating like I did and the game is at noon, put them on at dinner time the night before. That way you can test them in the morning, give them a couple more hours if they need it, and they’ll still be ready in time for kick off.

Let us know what you think about our beer-boiled peanuts and be sure to tag us on Instagram if you make them!

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Cajun Garlic Beer-Boiled Peanuts

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Boiled peanuts are a Southern snack that was just made for watching football games. Our version has a Cajun spice, loads of garlic, and is boiled in your favorite beer overnight in the slow cooker.

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 35 mins

Cook Time 12 hrs

Total Time 12 hrs 35 mins

Course Snack

Cuisine American, Cajun, Southern

Ingredients

  

• 3 pounds raw or green peanuts
• 3 whole heads garlic
• 4 12-ounce beers
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 5 tablespoons red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoon sea salt

Instructions

 

• Rinse the peanuts and remove any grit or dirt.
• In an 8-quart  or larger slow cooker, add peanuts, whole garlic heads (don't peel!), and beer. Add water if needed to cover the peanuts. Add the onion powder, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir to combine.
• Turn slow cooker to high for 30 minutes, and then down to low. Let simmer on low overnight for 10-14 hours. Check for doneness every hour after 10 hours. Add more water to the cooker if needed. 

Notes

Cooking time in a slow cooker varies so if you notice that they're taking longer than you'd like, feel free to crank the heat up for the last hour or so. After they get to desired doneness, turn the heat down to warm and let them soak in the liquid until you're ready to serve... they'll only get better the longer they stay in the liquid. If you have any leftovers (you won't) they will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days and are delicious cold, too!

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