This post is sponsored by Virginia Carolinas Peanut Promotions. I received compensation, but all opinions and content are my own.

Who’s ready for the easiest three ingredient Southern Boiled Peanuts recipe ever? The result is a tasty tailgate snack with a briny flavored nut in a soft shell peanut pod.

If you’re looking for an authentic Southern Boiled Peanuts recipe you’ve found it! I live in South Carolina, am married to a man born and raised here and I use peanuts grown locally in the South. This was my first time making boiled peanuts and it will not be my last.

To make Southern Boiled Peanuts I literally needed just three ingredients, raw in shell peanuts, water, and salt. And in shell peanuts are so easy to find! You can find them in the produce section at your local grocery store or when you visit your local farmers market

“Peanuts are the most water-use efficient nut in the world. Legumes create their own nitrogen, which means less fertilizer is needed to grow peanuts”.

I am literally surrounded by farm land here in South Carolina, but never realized peanut crops were all around me. Now that I know, I understand why my husband ate boiled peanuts as a kid and why my in-laws love them so much.

“Eighty percent of Virginia-type peanuts, one of the four main types of peanuts, grown the U.S. come from Virginia and the Carolinas meaning if you see in-shell peanuts in the grocery store or at a sporting event, they most likely were produced in the Virginia-Carolinas area”.

To pull this recipe together in the most authentic way, I wanted to make Southern Boiled Peanuts just like someone born and raised in the South would. Before making the recipe for the first time I was able to get some fresh from the farm peanuts. A Carolina native, who grew up eating boiled peanuts, gifted me a bag and gave me some tips on how to make authentic boiled peanuts.

I didn’t know why boiled peanuts were such an adored snack until I made this recipe and tasted the first one. If I had to describe boiled peanuts I’d say they are like a meal and a snack rolled into one. Peanuts are legumes, similar to peas and beans, so boiled peanuts mimic that same thick texture in the mouth. The salty brine they are cooked in remind me of eating sunflower seeds as a kid, but the boiled peanuts are much more substantial.

I can see why my father in law would sit in his chair eating them while the game played on television. They are a tasty game day snack, perfect to tied you over until the main meal is ready. They can be boiled in advance and stored in the refrigerator or made the day of the game. Either way they taste delicious!

Craving more peanut tips? Visit the VCPP website for peanut recipes, fun facts and more!