Example methods and computer systems for encapsulated encrypted packet handling for receive-side scaling (RSS). One example may comprise a first computer system performing encryption and encapsulation on a first inner packet to generate a first encapsulated encrypted packet that includes (a) a first security protocol header and (b) a first outer header configured based on a first security association (SA). The first encapsulated encrypted packet may be forwarded to cause receive-side processing using a first core of a second computer system based on the first outer header. The first computer system may further perform encryption and encapsulation on a second inner packet to generate a second encapsulated encrypted packet that includes (a) a second security protocol header (b) a second outer header configured based on a second SA. The second encapsulated encrypted packet may be forwarded to cause receive-side processing using a second core based on the second outer header.