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There are tons of delicious ways to eat groundnuts, another name for peanuts. Fried groundnuts are an especially good snack by themselves or a topping for other dishes. Even better, they’re super easy to make! All you need to do is fry them in oil for a few minutes to get a tasty, crunchy exterior. When you’re done, you can add all kinds of seasoning choices to give them some extra flavor.
Ingredients
- Cooking oil
- 1 cup (150 g) of raw shelled groundnuts (peanuts)
- Optional flavorings: salt, brown sugar, chili powder, cayenne, lime juice
Steps
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:
Basic Process
-
Pour 1.5 in (3.8 cm) of cooking oil into a small pot or pan. You can use a pot or frying pan to fry the nuts, as long as it’s deep enough for the oil to completely submerge the nuts. Also make sure there's about 1 in (2.5 cm) of headspace so the oil doesn't splash out. Fill the pan or pot with cooking oil until the bottom is covered with about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) of oil.[1]
- Any oil will work. Peanut oil will give you more of a pure peanut taste, so use that if that’s what you’re going for. Otherwise, vegetable or canola oil work fine.[2]
- This should be enough to fry 1 cup (150 g) of shelled nuts at a time.
- You could also use a deep fryer instead of a pan. In this case, just fill it up with the oil.
-
Heat the oil to 350 °F (177 °C). Put the pot or pan onto your stovetop and turn on a medium-high heat.[3] Put a cooking, deep-frying, or candy thermometer into the oil and heat it until it reaches 350 °F (177 °C).[4]
- If you're using a deep fryer, turn the fryer on and set it to 350 °F (177 °C). Preheat the fryer until the thermometer reads 350 °F (177 °C).
- The heat doesn’t have to be exact, and some recipes recommend 325 °F (163 °C) instead.
-
Add 1 cup (150 g) of raw shelled groundnuts to the hot oil. This should be a small enough batch for the oil to cover entirely. Scoop the nuts in with a spoon carefully so the hot oil doesn’t splash up.[5]- The oil will bubble up a lot more once the nuts are in. This is normal, so don’t worry.
- If your pot or pan is too small for this many nuts, then break up the serving and fry a few at a time.
- You could also use more nuts if you want to, just break them up into batches. Make sure the oil submerges all the nuts entirely.
- Groundnut shells are actually edible, so you could leave the shells on if you want. This gives you an extra crunch. If you leave the shells on, fry them for 5 minutes instead of 3.[6]
-
Stir the nuts occasionally for 3 minutes. Let the nuts fry in the oil. Give them a light stir every 30-60 seconds with a spoon so they cook evenly. Leave them in for 3 minutes to get a nice, golden brown exterior.[7]
- Stir gently so you don't spill any of the hot oil.
- Don’t put your hands close to the oil while you’re stirring or you could get a nasty burn.
-
Transfer the nuts onto a plate lined with paper towels. After 3 minutes, scoop the nuts out with a slotted spoon. Let them drip over the pot for a few seconds. Then transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil.[8]
- The nuts will be very hot, so don’t touch or eat them yet.
-
Let the nuts cool for 10 minutes. Leave the nuts on the plate and give them about 10 minutes to finish cooking and cool off. When they’re done, pop one in your mouth to give it a try.[9]
- If you have other nuts to fry, scoop them into the oil while the previous batch cools.
- Fried nuts don't last quite as long as other types. In a refrigerated container, they should stay fresh for about 3-4 months.[10]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:
Flavor Variations
-
Sprinkle salt on the peanuts when they’re done. This is the simplest flavoring for fried groundnuts. After you take the nuts out of the oil, sprinkle some salt onto them. This way, the nuts will absorb the salt as they cool.[11]
- You can also wet the nuts and rub them with salt before frying them.
-
Toss the nuts in brown sugar for a sweet coating. First boil the nuts in water for 30-45 seconds, strain them out, then let them cool for 2 minutes. Toss the nuts in 2 tbsp (25 g) of brown sugar and fry them normally. You’ll get a nice, sweet shell around the groundnuts for extra flavor.[12]
- You can also add 1 tsp (2.3 g) each of cayenne pepper and chili powder to the mixture if you want some extra spice.
-
Coat the nuts with lime juice before frying them for an Asian flavor. This is a popular flavoring in Asian dishes. Pour 1/2 cup (118 ml) of fresh lime juice into a bowl. Then toss the nuts in the juice and let them soak for an hour. Fry the nuts normally afterward.[13]
- You can also top the nuts with lime zest and cilantro when they’re done.
-
Fry the nuts in bacon fat instead of oil for a saltier, creamier taste. Try swapping out the oil with grease instead for a salty, creamy taste. Then fry the nuts normally in a pan or pot.[14]
- To collect bacon fat, cook bacon normally in a cast iron skillet over a medium heat. Remove the bacon when it's ready, then carefully pour the grease into a glass jar. Store it in the refrigerator for 1-2 months.[15]
- Remember that this will add fat and calories, so don’t eat nuts fried in bacon grease too often.
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Things You’ll Need
- Pot or pan
- Slotted spoon
- Paper towels
- Plate
- Cooking thermometer
- Airtight container for storage
Tips
-
Fried groundnuts are a great snack with a cold beer during a football game!Thanks
-
Fried groundnuts are also a common item in Asian dishes.Thanks
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Warnings
- Always be careful around hot oil. Stir carefully so you don't splash any oil out, and wear oven mitts if you're handling any hot utensils.Thanks
- Fried groundnuts can be high in calories and fat, so only snack on them occasionally.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/hot-sweet-fried-peanuts-recipe
- ↑ https://youtu.be/HsyO4aDLX0Y?t=31
- ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/hot-sweet-fried-peanuts-recipe
- ↑ https://youtu.be/HsyO4aDLX0Y?t=38
- ↑ https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/239295/deep-fried-peanuts/
- ↑ https://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/566576215/deep-fried-peanuts/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/HsyO4aDLX0Y?t=59
- ↑ https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/239295/deep-fried-peanuts/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/HsyO4aDLX0Y?t=104
- ↑ https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=330876
- ↑ https://youtu.be/HsyO4aDLX0Y?t=97
- ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/hot-sweet-fried-peanuts-recipe
- ↑ https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/fried-peanuts-asian-flavors
- ↑ https://northernwoodlands.org/outside_story/article/groundnuts
- ↑ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/rendering_bacon_fat/
About this article
wikiHow Staff
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 2,141 times.
Co-authors: 3
Updated: July 27, 2022
Views: 2,141
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,141 times.
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