Green peanuts boiled in salty brine, sometimes with Cajun spice or garlic. Sold by the bag at roadside stands all summer; an official state snack of South Carolina since 2006.

Boiled peanuts have been a Southern snack since the late 1800s, when farmers boiled green peanuts to use up excess crop on the farm. South Carolina formally adopted them as the official state snack in 2006. The Gaffney-to-Greenville drive in summer is dotted with roadside peanut shacks selling fresh bags hot from the boiler all day.

Where to eat Boiled peanuts in Greenville

3 editor picks for Boiled peanuts in Greenville, ranked by editorial score. All Greenville signature dishes · Boiled peanuts across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves 38 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs raw green peanuts in the shell
  • 1 gallon water
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning (optional)
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder (optional)

Method

  1. Rinse the peanuts in a colander. Pick out any broken shells or debris.
  2. Combine water and salt in a large pot. Stir to dissolve. Add peanuts. They should be submerged; weight them down with a plate if needed.
  3. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook 4 to 8 hours, depending on freshness, until the peanuts are soft enough to pop open and eat.
  4. Add Cajun seasoning or garlic powder in the last hour if you want flavoured peanuts.
  5. Let peanuts soak in the brine another hour off the heat for the brine to penetrate.
  6. Drain. Serve warm or cold from the fridge. Crack the shell, eat the peanut, suck the brine off the shell.

Editor tip. Use only fresh green peanuts. Dried roasting peanuts will not work; the peanuts must be raw and have moisture in them.

Common allergens: Peanuts.