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.
Oh my gosh! Made this recipe for the first time and it is scrumptious. The only change I made was using baby spinach for the green. Thank you for sharing the recipe with us!
This is cooking as I type. My wife’s Low Country South Carolina family says you got to have rice and my Tennessee side says you must have cornbread. Easy that…both, and with sorghum syrup on hand I’m feeling lucky already. This looks and smells to be a great recipe. Thank you!
Made this lastnight in my crockpot. Used ham shanks In place of turkey and bacon. It was a hit cant wait to get off work and enjoy!! Always better the next day!!
Yes it is . Happy New Year!!!
Simmering in the crock pot as I type this. Smells amazing. Cannot wait to serve it to my family.
So happy to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks for the feedback . Wishing you a Happy and prosperous New Year.
Making it as we “speak!” Cooking the collards separately, but am so looking forward to this new twist on New Years Day black eyed peas!!!!!!! Happy New Year, Imma! Will let you know how this turns out! Having to deal with my husband snitching the bacon and sausage! LOL
I hear you Debbie. My son does the same thing with the bacon. Happy New Year! I hope all your endeavors this year are successful.
Simmering now as we watch the Saints game! It smells delicious and so far I’ve been nibbling and it’s fantastic! I added okra to mine and tomatoes! So good!
My grandma raised me. She passed away in 2002 when I was 20. I made these today…I may have gotten a little dust in my eye… These taste just like hers. What a beautiful way to celebrate the first day of 2020. Thank you for bringing all the sweetest memories back today. This recipe will be a staple in our home <3
Awww. This just melts my heart. ❤️ Thank you for sharing your thoughts. (*teary-eyed now*) Happy New Year!
Can’t wait to try this new take on black eye peas to start my new year 2020. My mom is southern and her meals was always the best, but I like to mix things up and put a new spin on things. Food is awesome.
It sure is . Happy New year! I wish you a year filled with prosperity, joy, and contentment.
I’ve never liked black eyed peas (tasted like dirt!) before now. Thank you so much for this recipe! It looks like this year I’ll be able to actually enjoy them today, and well into 2020 and beyond, rather than simply the spoonful or two I’ve been forcing myself to eat. Happy New Year and many thanks!
Aww, so happy to hear this Tiffany .
Wishing you good health, happiness, and success in this year and always. Happy New Year!
Made a double batch of these black eyed peas and brought it to work yesterday to share, and since it was New Years Day somewhere in the world it was all good. This dish along with some Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread was a big hit with everyone, and the peas were all gone in about 30 minutes. Folks just raved about it, especially when they could see greens in it. Overheard one coworker saying, “Peas for the good luck, and greens for the money!!”
Cheers to good luck and Prosperity Doug. Thanks for taking time out to share your thoughts with us . Happy New Year!
This had good flavor and I like that it incorporates greens. I did find that I had to cook the beans a lot longer than the time called for in the recipe. Even with the extra cooking (more like 60 – 90 minutes), the beans weren’t as tender as I would have liked. I think that 2 -3 hours for soaking the beans was too little (I soaked mine for three). I would soak them overnight next time and I think it would result in a creamier, better cooked bean. I would also plan on extra cooking time, just in case.
Thanks for the Feedback Michele. Wishing you all the best of 2020.
Excited to try this recipe today. I accidentally bought frozen, fresh black-eyed peas rather then dried peas. I assume I can just omit the soaking step and go from there. Happy New Year’s!
Yes, skip the the soaking part and proceed with the next steps.Wishing you all the best this New Year!!!
This was so good! We also made the skillet cornbread. Thanks for sharing recipes!
Amazing recipe I’ve cooked black eyed peas many times but adding the slight additions you listed they turned out perfect! I don’t care for celery though so I left that out, and added okra.
Awesome! So happy to hear it worked out well for you . Cheers to 2020!!!!
Have you tried Kale instead of collard greens?
Kale would do just fine here.
Kale is actually a type of Collard, so why not?
How can this recipe be adjusted to use with a pressure cooker? It sounds so delicious!
Sorry , I haven’t tired it in a pressure cooker.
Can this recipe be made a day ahead?
Yes it can. It tastes even better the next day.
May be a dumb question… I’m using “fresh shelled peas” from the grocery store….. not dry or canned or frozen…… does that change the cooking time??? I wouldn’t need to soak them, right?
Please reply.
Lynette
Hi Lynette,
No dumb question here . No you wouldn’t need to soak them, and it would cook much faster , adjust cooking times as needed.
I’m making this tomorrow for New Years but doing my greens separate
Awesome! Happy New year to you! Wishing you all the best of 2020
if I use canned black eyed peas how many cans do I use I wanted to half a recipe the sounds delicious
Hi Karen. That’d be around 1 (14.5 oz) can of canned black-eyed peas.
Oh Em Geeeee! This turned out fantastically delicious! I didn’t grow up with black eyed peas on the menu (Panamanian background, grew up with kidney beans and pigeon peas). Made it minus jalapeños but still turned out great. The creole seasoning gave it enough kick for me. I’d give this a ten stars if I could. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Yay! So happy to hear it was a hit. Happy New year!!!!
I made this recipe with canned organic black eyed peas. I replaced the greens with home made stewed tomatoes. They were absolutely wonderful. Have also made with turkey sausage and added a little more spice and the dish was equally as good. Will be making over and over again.
Can’t wait to try this for New Year’s Eve! Sound good!
Yes, it is. Have an awesome celebration!
Excellent
I’m from Louisiana (live in Colorado now) and am making this for New Years Day! I love black eyed peas anyway, but introducing them to my Chicano family here! I know this recipe will totally wow them! Thanks for posting!
Happy cooking, Tammy! And happy new year to you and your family!
I do not like blackened peas, bit this receive made all the difference. Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure! So happy to hear that . Happy New year to you and yours.
I have made these peas so many times and every time I present them, they’re always a hit!!! I love this website!!!
Thank you Merene.