Black-Eyed Pea Dip – Savory, spicy, creamy, and bubbling with hot cheese, this dip is always a crowd-pleaser. Serve it up with homemade tortilla chips and watch it disappear. 😋
When it comes to party dips, black-eyed peas may not be the first ingredient that comes to your mind, but that’s about to change. This traditional good luck food turned into a dip will blow your mind.
The flavors and textures are divine. The black-eyed peas for a creamy base with plenty of garlic, onion, and seasonings, mixed with sour cream, cream cheese, and cheddar, make for a dip that will convince even black-eyed pea haters to give this bean a second chance. 😆 It’s just that good!
Why Serve Black-Eyed Pea Dip
Honestly, this black-eyed pea dip recipe is the perfect appetizer for any event. In the South, it’s most popular on New Year’s Day because black-eyed peas are supposed to bring you good luck and prosperity for the new year. That said, I love taking this dip to Superbowl Sunday and our family gatherings throughout the year. ☺️
Recipe Ingredients
- Black-Eyed Peas – You can use canned or home-cooked black-eyed peas for this incredible recipe.
- Cheese – Cream and cheddar cheese make this dip ultra-rich. Dairy-free subs also work.
- Sour Cream – Sour cream calms the heat down a bit and gives this dip just the right amount of tang. But you can use plant-based sour cream if you prefer.
- Spices – Creole seasoning, fresh sauteed garlic, onion, and green onion add layers of flavor and a little kick. You can turn up the heat by adding a diced jalapeno if you want! 🔥
- Grape Tomatoes – This garnish adds color and balances the creaminess with some acidic notes. Yum!
How to Make Black-Eyed Pea Dip
Prepare the Dip
- Prep the Peas – Drain the black-eyed peas, put them in a large bowl, and set aside.
- Saute Veggies – Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add finely diced onions, garlic, and green onions. Sauté for about 3 minutes or until the onions are translucent and fragrant.
- Season – Remove from the heat and add to the bowl of black-eyed peas, together with Creole seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Assemble – Lightly mash the beans. Stir in the cream cheese and a cup of the grated cheese. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Final Stretch – Next, scoop the mixture into a 2-quart baking dish and then sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.
Bake the Dip
- Bake the dip for 20-25 minutes or until heated through, and the sides are bubbly.
- Garnish – Finally, remove the dip from the oven and top it with chopped tomatoes and green onions.
- Serve warm with tortilla chips, and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Honestly, this recipe would work with just about any bean, so feel free to swap out one or both cans of black-eyed peas with black beans, pinto beans, or any other bean you love. 🫘
- You can also customize this dip by adding corn, red bell pepper, fresh lime juice, other cheeses, or any other ingredient you love to taste in a dip.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure you drain canned black-eyed peas well for this recipe because too much liquid makes runny dip.
- If you want to bake this dip and then take it somewhere, try using a cast iron skillet. It will help keep the dip warm on the way to your party! Another option is to transfer the dip to a small crockpot set to warm. 👌
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can assemble the dip, top it with shredded cheese, cover it, and pop it in the fridge the day before. The next day, remove the dish from the refrigerator and let it warm up a tad while you preheat the oven, and then bake as instructed. You may need to add 5-10 minutes if baking cold dip to ensure it gets hot and bubbly.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve this black-eyed pea dip recipe warm for optimal deliciousness with your favorite dippers (mine’s homemade tortilla chips).
Keep leftover dip refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Reheat it in the oven or microwave.
It should last three months if you decide to freeze leftover black-eyed pea dip. But because it has cheese, you’ll want to stir it well after thawing and heating it in the microwave or oven.
FAQs
Absolutely! With lots of fiber and nutrients, black-eyed peas are a very healthy food. Good thing, too, because we need a little healthy in this recipe to offset the large amounts of cheese it includes. 😜
Definitely! Just drain off any liquid before adding them to the dip. This is actually one of my favorite ways to take advantage of leftover homemade black-eyed peas.
Making your black-eyed peas from scratch instead of opening a can makes this recipe even more delicious. You can do a quick soak to reduce cooking time. Cover your clean beans with about two inches of water, and then bring them to a boil. Simmer them for two or three minutes, turn off the heat, let them sit for an hour, and you’re good to go.
What Goes With Black-Eyed Pea Dip
Ok, so homemade tortilla chips are the bomb with this dip! You could also do homemade pita chips or even plantain chips. Both would pair well with spicy black-eyed pea dip.
As for drinks, I love this hot, spicy dip with a cold margarita, either a traditional margarita or something a little more tropical, like a mango or even a passion fruit margarita, to wash down this dip beautifully.
More Delectable Dips to Try
Conclusion
And now you know how to make what is probably my favorite bean dip recipe! Do you have a similar family recipe? If so, drop your best tips and tricks in the comment box below! I always love hearing from (and learning from) all my home-cook friends.
Watch How to Make It
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Black-Eyed Pea Dip
Ingredients
- 2 15-ounce cans seasoned black-eyed peas, drained (or 3 cups homemade black-eyed peas)
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons (6g) garlic, minced
- 2-3 tablespoons (3-5g) green onions, chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons (17-25g) Creole seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (120g) sour cream
- 1-1½ cups (120-180g) cheddar cheese, grated and divided
- ½-1 jalapeno, diced (optional)
- 1 cup (150g) grape tomatoes, sliced in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃.
- Drain the black-eyed peas and pour them into a medium-sized bowl.
- Heat butter in a small skillet over medium heat, then add finely diced onions, garlic, and green onions. Saute for about 3 minutes or until onions are wilted.
- Remove from the heat, and add to the bowl of black-eyed peas, together with Creole seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Lightly mash the beans.
- Stir in the cream cheese and 1 cup of the grated cheese. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Scoop the mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the dip.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and the sides are bubbly. Remove from the oven.
- Top it with chopped tomatoes, green onions, and optional toppings.
- Serve warm with tortilla chips or pita bread.
Tips & Notes:
- Make sure you drain canned black-eyed peas well for this recipe because too much liquid makes runny dip.
- If you want to bake this dip and then take it somewhere, try using a cast iron skillet. It will help keep the dip warm on the way to your party! Another option is to transfer the dip to a small crockpot set to warm.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
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