Southern Black Eyed Peas Recipe
Southern Black-Eyed Peas, or Hoppin’ John, is a hearty, soul-warming delicacy. This black-eyed peas recipe is smokey, spicy, and pure satisfaction with a deep yet not overwhelming bacon flavor. And it’s a traditional Southern dish served on New Year’s Day to bring good luck!
I love anything with beans! Perhaps it started back in grade school when my Auntie cooked beans for dinner in its modest rusticity – onions, salt, and oil, nothing fancy. That simple recipe made all my troubles go away like magic.
And now, this Southern black-eyed peas recipe is the perfect comfort food with soul-satisfying goodness any time of year. It warms us up even in the coldest weather and graces the best cookouts in the heat of summer. This dish will remind you of home and nostalgic, happy memories. ❤️
Black-Eyed Peas for More Than New Year’s Good Luck
Black-eyed peas are from my native Africa, and they’re so delicious they became popular worldwide. After arriving in the southern U.S. in the 17th century, they became a symbol of prosperity because they resemble pennies and coins. They grow exceptionally well in the heat and so gave birth to a delicious Southern tradition.
People believe eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day brings good luck and a slew of other beautiful things. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this heartwarming dish all year round.
Recipe Ingredients
- Black-Eyed Peas offer a slightly smoky flavor and high protein and fiber content, making them nutritious and delicious.
- Meat – Bacon and smoked sausage add flavor and more meaty goodness. Ham hock or leftover smoked turkey are also excellent additions.
- Seasonings – Caramelized onion, garlic, thyme, celery, bay leaf, jalapenos, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper deliver fantastic smells and flavors. You can kick up the heat more with a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Chicken Broth is the essential liquid bursting with chicken essence and rich umami flavors to simmer the black-eyed peas.
- Collard Greens – Black-eyed beans symbolize pennies. Collard greens, on the other hand, represent bills in this lucky dish. Plus, adding greens makes it more nourishing.
How to Make Southern Black-Eyed Peas
Prep
- Soak – Rinse dry black-eyed pea beans and pick through and discard any foreign object. Add beans to a large pot, covering them with 3-4 inches of cold water. Let sit for 2-3 hours or overnight.
- Cook the Meat – In a large, heavy sauté pan, fry the chopped bacon until brown and crispy (4-5 minutes). Add sausage and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the bacon and sausage mixture and set aside. (Photo 1)
- Saute – Add the onions, celery, garlic, jalapenos, thyme, and bay leaf, and saute for 5 minutes or so until the onions become translucent and the seasonings release their fragrance. (Photos 2-3)
Cook
- Add Liquid – Then pour in the chicken broth or water. (Photo 4)
- Season – Drain the soaked beans, rinse, and place the beans in the pot—season with Creole seasoning and salt to taste. Mix and bring to a boil.
- Simmer – Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. (Photos 5-7)
- Assemble– Toss in the collard greens, bacon, and sausage into the pot, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or more, stirring occasionally, or until beans are tender and slightly thickened to your desire. (Photo 8)
- Final Touch – Add more stock or water if the mixture becomes dry and thick. The texture of the beans should be thick and somewhat creamy but not watery. Remove the bay leaves.
- Serve – Taste and adjust for seasonings with pepper, Creole seasoning, and salt if needed. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with green onion.
Flavor Variations
- Vegan – Omit the meat and replace the rendered fat with olive oil; then vegetable broth can replace the chicken broth for a vegan version. And to make this dish more nutritious, you can add collard greens, carrots, and bell peppers.
- Crockpot Southern Black-Eyed Peas – This one is more effortless but equally delicious. Put everything in the crockpot, and you’ll have your dinner ready in 5-6 hours on high and about 9-10 hours on low. Imagine the things you can accomplish in those waiting hours. 😉
- Tropical Twist – Make these black-eyed peas with bacon and pork creamy and interestingly yummy with coconut milk. And I bet you’ll love this dish even more.
- Tomato – Fresh tomatoes or tomato sauce will also add a nice variation to this Hoppin John recipe. The kick of tangy goodness will surely make your tastebuds happy.
Recipe Notes
- You can substitute the dried black-eyed peas with canned ones. However, add them 10 minutes before the dish finishes cooking so they have time to heat through because they’re already cooked.
- For a thicker consistency, I suggest mashing a few softened beans against the side of the pot with the back of your spoon. The mashed beans will make a creamier and thicker broth. Or remove about a cup, puree them in a blender or food processor, and then pour the puree back into the pot and give it a good stir.
Making-Ahead and Storage
Surprisingly, this bean stew freezes well. So go for it and make a large batch. It’ll come in handy when a soul-food craving hits.❤️ Transfer the black-eyed peas stew into a clean, airtight container or heavy-duty freezer-safe ziplock bags once cooled.
Refrigerate for 3-5 days or freeze for 6 months. Pack them in a freezer bag, either the whole thing or in single-serving sizes, for easy thawing and reheating. Thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to serve. Reheat in a pan on medium-low heat or in a microwave. You may add more chicken broth or water as needed.
FAQs
Technically, you don’t need to soak black-eyed peas. However, soaking them for a few hours or overnight shortens the cooking time. It’s totally up to you.
Adding bacon, sausage, and seasonings intensifies this dish’s flavor. But to take this dish to another level, add tomato sauce or coconut milk.
As a tradition, Southerners put clean pennies and dimes into their pot of black-eyed peas, believing they’ll bring luck and prosperity. They believe the one who gets the most coins in their bowl is the luckiest.
What to Serve With Black-Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day
Double your luck by serving this black-eyed peas recipe with collard greens (representing money) and cornbread (for gold). Pork (because it roots forward) will complete a traditional New Year’s dinner. No lobster or chicken if you’re going for good luck. Oven-baked pork chops, smoked bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, or fried pork chops are all good.
More Traditional Southern Dishes to Try
- Southern Mac and Cheese
- Butter Biscuits
- Southern Fried Cabbage
- New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
- Southern Deviled Eggs
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”8AgprXDl” upload-date=”2019-04-01T07:08:53.000Z” name=”Black Eyed Peas Recipe” description=”Southern Black Eyed Peas Recipe or Hoppin’ John is a hearty, warm and soulful food. This black eyed peas recipe is smokey, spicy with a deep yet not too overwhelming bacon flavor. A Southern traditional dish served on New Year’s Day to bring good luck charm!”]
This blog post was originally published in December 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Southern Black-Eyed Peas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound (453g) black-eyed peas
- 4-5 thick slices bacon, chopped
- 5 ounces smoked sausage or turkey, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 2-3 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 optional jalapeno, minced (can replace with ¼ teaspoon cayenne)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 7-8 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups (or more) collard greens (or you can use kale)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse dry black-eyed pea beans, pick through, and discard any foreign objects. Add beans to a large pot and cover with 3-4 inches of cold water. Let sit for 2-3 hours (or overnight).
- In a large, heavy sauté pan, saute chopped bacon until brown and crispy (4-5 minutes), then add sausage and saute for 2-3 more minutes. Remove bacon and sausage mixture, and set aside.
- Throw in the onions, celery, garlic, jalapenos, thyme, and bay leaf, and saute for 3-5 minutes until the onions are wilted and aromatic.
- Then pour in the chicken broth or water.
- Drain the soaked beans, rinse, and place them in the pot. Season with Creole seasoning and salt to taste. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes.
- Toss the collard greens, bacon, and sausage into the pot, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or more, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and the broth thickens to your desired texture.
- Add more stock or water if the mixture becomes dry and thick. The texture of the beans should be thick and somewhat creamy but not watery.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning if needed. Serve over rice and garnish with chopped green onion.
Thank you for this recipe!!! I used thick sliced ham, along with the bacon and pork/venison smoked sausage. I also put 1/2 jalapeno for a little kick. Definitely what I was hoping for!
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the feedback 🙂
Can this be made in the crockpot?
Absolutely yes. In fact, I have a recipe for the crockpot. Enjoy!
https://www.africanbites.com/slow-cooker-black-eyed-peas/
Perfect! Thank you so much!
Just came across this recipe and I haven’t even tried it because I’m standing over this amazing smelling pot waiting to add my cooked bacon, sausage and collards. Out of respect to the recipe poster and the amazing reviews I am preparing this dish exactly as written. Can’t wait to watch my family dig in!
Awesome! Can’t wait to hear what your family said. Thanks so much for stopping by and trying the recipe.
I made a vegan version (omitted meat) and served over mash potato with steamed asparagus on the side. The kids absolutely LOVED it. I used hot smoked paprika when making the seasoning mix and had oregano on hand (in stead of thyme) and added in some spinach. I love black-eyed peas, so this recipe is a new favourite!
Amazing!!!!! That looks absolutely delicious!! Glad you loved it. Looking forward to you trying more of my recipes.
Yes, this was quite delicious and is going into my regular rotation!
Amazing!!!!! That looks absolutely delicious!! Glad you loved it. Looking forward to you trying more of my recipes.
I made this recipe substituting the bacon and smoked turkey with shredded chicken and it was good, but then I added stewed tomatoes and boy oh boy…this was “G double O D”. Thank you for my new favorite soup!
You are so sweet, thank you!
I really love these black eyed peas all though I added smoked ham hocks to mine instead of bacon.
Thank you, . Stay tuned for more amazing recipes.
This recipe is soooo good I book marked it and make it once a week now with a side of corn bread. I’m vegetarian so I subbed the bacon and sausage for a vegan spicy chorizo sausage at the end.
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the feedback Ariana:)!
Could I substitUte kale for the collard greens
Yes you sure can.
Oh my gosh, I LOVED this-had a big bowl and gobbled it up. I was out of Better Than Boullion chicken paste (I don’t buy stock in those plastic coated boxes, or otherwise), so I used their beef flavor instead. I also only had bacon, no sausage; and I used more celery. I have collards growing in my yard (in January 🙂 ), so picked a bunch of those and put them in. This was soooo good! I see why everybody gives it 5 stars. Can’t wait to try it with sausage too! Yum! So Yum!
Awesome!!! Can’t wait to know how it turns out for you.
The very best black eyed pea recipe yet! I wish I could give it 6 stars!
The very best black eyed pea recipe yet! I increased the spices to taste and collard greens. I wish I could give it 6 stars!
Awww..Thank you so much!!!! Happy to hear it worked out well, Cyndi
This was my first time ever making black eyed peas. I followed the recipe exactly other than omitting the greens because I didn’t have them. It was so amazing! Everyone in my house loved them so much that I am going to start making them every New Year’s Day. 10/10!!!
Thank you:) There’s more to come, so stay tuned
This was the first time I tried black eyed peas. What a great and tasty recipe! I soaked the peas overnight and they were perfect. Looking forward to other recipes.
You are more than welcome. And if there’s a recipe you’d love to see, please let me know. Thanks:)
Can I use frozen black eyed peas?
Yes, you sure can.
Fresh frozen black-eyed peas take 30-35 minutes to cook, so you’ll want to reduce the cook time and liquid because they won’t absorb as much as dried. If they’re already cooked, reduce the amount of liquid and add the beans close to the end to heat them up. I’ve never used frozen peas, so I don’t know by how much. Please let me know how it goes.
Wow, I think these are my new favorite beans! Thank you so much for a delicious, easy to understand recipe. Because you wrote that 2 hrs was enough time to soak the dried beans, I was able to make this all in one afternoon without an overnight soak! I really let these cook hot on pretty high flame after bringing to a boil, and they kept their shape so beautifully. Even after refrigerating leftovers and reheating they kept their shape, yet it was easy to mash some into the broth to thicken it a little. Thanks again for a wonderful recipe.
Thank you:) There’s more to come, so stay tuned
This is my first time cooking black eyed peas and they were so yummy! Lots of flavor and full of a well rounded spice blend. Rained all day and this soup warmed up my whole family. Thank you
Oh great to hear that. Thank you so much!
I was in search of a recipe for a Juneteenth celebration luncheon,and I found this yummy recipe. My husband said it’s one of the best things I have ever made (and he’s tried a lot of fabulous recipes)! This is going into my regular rotation for sure.
Thank you, Stay tuned for more amazing recipes.
The beans were fire! I will say if you have older beans (check the packaging) it may need to cook longer. Mine had to cook for a few hours, or maybe I should’ve soaked longer than 3 hours. That was my only scare because the flavor was there! I’d definitely do these again! SO YUM!!
Thank you, Stay tuned for more amazing recipes.
This was so easy to make and so delicious! We loved it for our New Year’s dinner.
I forgot to mention that I made it vegan (and didn’t replace the meat with a vegan version.) Super yummy!
Amazing!!!!! That looks absolutely delicious!! Glad you loved it. Looking forward to you trying more of my recipes.
Thank you:) There’s more to come, so stay tuned
I made this for the first time for New Year’s Day and my crowd is still talking about how good it is. One of my friend’s is a professional chef and writer and she loved it.
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the feedback Patti:)!
There aroma that this dish makes while cooking is so wonderful! I personally have always thought Black Eye Peas tasted like I had a little bit of dust in my mouth but this recipe made Black Eye Peas truly great. My customers absolutely loved this for New Year’s Day. I soaked my peas overnight, doubled up on the sausage (homemade), and used a TBS of creole seasoning (Chupacabra Cajun Seasoning).
Amazing!!!!! That looks absolutely delicious!! Glad you loved it. Looking forward to you trying more of my recipes.