Mexican Spicy Peanuts (Cacahuates Enchilados)

Do you love hot peanuts? If so, then here's a recipe for homemade spicy peanuts that'll have your mouth on fire! This is one of my son's favorite Mexican snack recipes, and it only takes about 15 minutes to make. The recipe is pretty simple and only uses 5 ingredients. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do in our Mexican kitchen!

One of the things we love to do as a family is going to the movies, which of course, leads to us having a lot of movies at home. This summer, our favorite movie was Guardians of the Galaxy. We loved it so much, we bought our own copy to watch at home!

For our family movie nights, we like to make a bunch of our favorite snacks. My husband likes to eat these fried corn empanadas with cheese while I prefer to make some of my homemade chipotle dip to eat with raw chopped veggies and tortilla chips.

My son on the other hand is all about spicy food. Actually, this hot peanuts recipe is his! It’s a snack loved by many in my country and is usually sold in small packages, but it's also really quick and easy to make at home! I used to buy them for him all the time when he is younger, but now he makes his own.

These peanuts are not only easy to make but they are delicious and addictive. Once you take your first bite of these spicy peanuts, they will be hard to put down! Lucky for us, he is going to show us how he makes Mexican spicy peanuts at home!

Frequently Asked Questions About Mexican Peanuts

Before I share his recipe, here are a few questions I've been asked and wanted to answer.

How can I make these spicy peanuts even spicier?

If you want to make the peanuts even spicier, grind some of the roasted Arbol peppers and mix it in again. The peppers will be very crispy and easy to crumble over the peanuts.

What if I can't find the Arbol peppers?

If you can't find Arbol peppers, you can substitute them with Piquin peppers or any other dried pepper available in your area.

Take a look at this guide of Mexican dried peppers I put together to help you find the one you want!

Can I swap out the peanuts for another kind of nut?

Yes! We have tried swapping out the peanuts for some almonds and walnuts and it was just as good.

You could also use:

• Cashews
• Brazil nuts
• Pecans
• Pistachios

Mexican Spicy Peanuts

Making hot peanuts at home has never been easier! All you need are these 5 ingredients:

• Vegetable Oil
• Peanuts (skin on)
• Whole Dried Arbol Peppers
• Garlic Cloves
• Salt

Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS 

How To Make Hot Peanuts: Step By Step Tutorial

This recipe is super simple and very delicious. All you need to do is:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the peppers and garlic. Sauté peppers and garlic for about 2 minutes to release their aroma.

• Add the peanuts, lower the heat, and stir frequently to avoid burning them. Keep roasting for about 7 minutes. By this time, the combination of garlic, pepper, and peanuts will be very fragrant.

• Season with salt and remove from heat.
• Place in a serving container to cool and enjoy!

What To Serve Hot Spicy Peanuts

These peanuts work great as a quick snack or appetizer with a nice, cold Michelada cocktail. If you are wanting more of a meal to serve alongside the spicy peanuts for movie night, I recommend something easy you can eat with your hands.

Some of my go-to's are:

• Grilled Steak Quesadillas
• Torta De Milanesa or Jamon
• Tacos Al Pastor

They are all delicious and work great for movie night. Don't forget dessert! We usually serve bionico fruit cocktail or fresas con crema (strawberries and fresh whipped cream).

More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy

If you enjoyed this recipe for spicy peanuts, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:

• Seasoned Pork Cracklings
• Mexican Nacho Recipe
• Crispy Tortilla Chips
• Tuna Empanadas
• Ceviche Verde

I hope you make these Mexican hot peanuts! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment done below and tell us all about it!

¡Buen provecho!

Mely,

📖 Recipe

Spicy Peanuts Snack

Mely Martínez

Do you love hot peanuts? If so, then here's a recipe for homemade spicy peanuts that'll have your mouth on fire in under 15 minutes!

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizers

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 16 servings (1 oz size)

Calories 177 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 lb of peanuts the ones with the skins still on
• ▢ 6 whole dried Arbol peppers
• ▢ 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves optional
• ▢ ½ teaspoon of salt

Instructions

 

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the peppers and garlic. Sauté peppers and garlic for about 2 minutes to release their aroma.
• Add the peanuts, lower the heat, and stir frequently to avoid burning them. Keep roasting for about 7 minutes. By this time, the combination of the garlic, pepper, and peanuts will be very fragrant. Season with the salt and remove from heat. Place in a serving container to cool and enjoy!
• If you want to make the peanuts even spicier, grind some of the roasted arbol peppers and mix again. The peppers will be very crispy and easy to crumble over the peanuts.

Notes

If you don’t find Arbol peppers you can substitute them with piquin or any other dried pepper available in your area.

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Nutrition

Calories: 177kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 7gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 79mgPotassium: 211mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!