Old Bay Boiled Peanuts (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)
Making boiled peanuts with Old Bay seasoning is an easy way to add lots of flavor to this southern classic.
Old Bay boiled peanuts are easy to make in the Instant Pot or slow cooker, creating a flavorful snack that’s hard to resist!
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I’ve loved boiled peanuts ever since I first tasted them as a child.
Spending many of my growing up years in South Carolina and Florida meant this southern delicacy was a big part of our local cuisine, and for good reason—they’re just so delicious!
We often bought them from “The Peanut Man” who set up a roadside stand by the railroad tracks, or from vendors at the local flea market.
Now that I live in Tennessee, it’s harder to find them for sale, so I started making my own several years ago!
I’ve made a handful of different boiled peanut varieties over the years, but recently decided to make some with Old Bay seafood seasoning, to get a little taste of Maryland.
They are so flavorful and delicious—definitely one of my new favorites. If you’re looking for a new flavor combo to try, give these Old Bay boiled peanuts a try!
More Boiled Peanut Recipes:
- Classic Southern Boiled Peanuts
- Cajun Boiled Peanuts
- Nashville Hot Boiled Peanuts
- Hawaiian Boiled Peanuts
Homemade Boiled Peanuts with Old Bay Seasoning
My preferred method of cooking boiled peanuts is to use the Instant Pot, because it’s the fastest method and is largely hands-off.
But if you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can also use a slow cooker, or even make stove top boiled peanuts, though both of those methods do take longer.
I use raw peanuts, which are peanuts that have been dried but not roasted. They’re readily available in my local grocery stores—typically in the produce section.
If you live in an area where you have access to green boiled peanuts (peanuts that haven’t been dried), you can use those as well.
You just don’t want to use roasted boiled peanuts, as they don’t have any moisture in them.
Then of course, you’ll need some Old Bay seasoning, which is also easy to find in the spice section of the grocery store. It’s a versatile seasoning mix you can use for seafood, poultry, and more, so it’s worth having on hand!
One thing to keep in mind is that the Old Bay seasoning doesn’t have salt in it, so you’ll want to add some sea salt as well.
If you love Old Bay seasoning, be sure to try my recipe for Old Bay seasoned pumpkin seeds in the fall!
How to Make Old Bay Boiled Peanuts
It’s really easy to make this flavorful snack.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Raw Peanuts
- Coarse Sea Salt
- Old Bay Seasoning
How to Make It:
Find the full printable recipe available below
Prep the peanuts. First, you’ll rinse and sort through the peanuts, discarding any debris, broken peanut shells, etc.
Next you’ll combine the ingredients in your Instant Pot or Crockpot, then cover with plenty of water (about 6-8 cups), then stir to combine.
Cook. If using an Instant Pot, set the trivet on top of the peanuts, then weigh it down with a heatproof dish to help it keep the peanuts submerged.
For pressure cooking, you’ll want to cook at high pressure for 80-90 minutes, followed by a natural release of pressure. For slow cooking, you’ll cook the peanuts for 5-7 hours on the high setting.
Serve and enjoy. Once the peanuts are cooked to your desired tenderness, you can enjoy them hot, or let them cool first.
Notes and Adaptations:
- You can eat boiled peanuts hot or cold—it’s up to you!
- I’ve found that using 1/2 cup of Old Bay seasoning gives a nice, pronounced flavor. If you want a more subtle flavor, you could decrease to 1/4 cup. I prefer these with 1/4 cup of salt, but you can increase to 1/3 cup for saltier peanuts.
- There are different preferences for how soft or salty boiled peanuts should be. You can adjust to your liking—if the peanuts aren’t as soft as you’d prefer, you can add some more cooking time.
- Store peanuts in their brine in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Recommended Equipment:
- Instant Pot (I have the DUO60 model, which I love) or another electric pressure cooker
- Trivet
- Pyrex dish or other heatproof dish to weigh down the trivet in the Instant Pot
- Slow cooker
- Slow cooker liners for easy cleanup (then you don’t have to scrub off salt residue!)
Old Bay Boiled Peanuts
Ingredients
- 1 lb raw peanuts (not roasted)
- 1/4 cup coarse sea salt
- 1/2 cup Old Bay seasoning
Instructions
- Rinse and sort through the peanuts, discarding any broken pieces or debris.
- Add peanuts, salt, and Old Bay seasoning to the insert pot of an Instant Pot or slow cooker. Cover with water (usually about 6-8 cups).
- If using an Instant Pot, place the trivet on top of the peanuts and add a heatproof bowl to the trivet to help weigh it down. This will help to keep the peanuts submerged (I don't find this step necessary with the Crock Pot, but you certainly can do it if you'd like).
- For Instant Pot cooking, cook on high pressure for 85 minutes, followed by a natural release of pressure.
- For Crock Pot cooking, cook on the high setting for 5-7 hours, or until the peanuts are tender. Stir occasionally during cooking, adding more water as needed to keep the peanuts covered.
- Remove the peanuts to an airtight container and add some brine to cover them. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve (they become softer and more flavorful as they sit in the brine, preferably overnight).
Notes
- It’s important to use raw peanuts, not roasted. You can typically find raw peanuts in grocery stores in the produce section.
- If you have access to green peanuts (fresh raw peanuts that haven’t been dried), you can use those as well
- You can eat boiled peanuts hot or cold—it’s up to you!
- I’ve found that using 1/2 cup of Old Bay seasoning gives a nice, pronounced flavor. If you want a more subtle flavor, you could decrease to 1/4 cup. I prefer these with 1/4 cup of salt, but you can increase to 1/3 cup for saltier peanuts.
- There are different preferences for how soft or salty boiled peanuts should be. You can adjust to your liking—if the peanuts aren’t as soft as you’d prefer, you can add some more cooking time
- Store peanuts in their brine, in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Equipment
Nutrition
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