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. ❤️
Content…For More Than New Year’s |
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.
Deborah Smith says
My family and really enjoyed this recipe! It is definitely part of my meal planning rotation.
ImmaculateBites says
Am so thrilled ! Thanks so much
Joe Piscapo says
93 percent of daily salt?!?!?!? 50% of saturated fats?! Black eyed peas are being advertised as heart healthy. Nothing heart healthy about this recipe. BOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Joe! Cut back on the salt, bacon as needed .
Safeeyhah says
What is the difference in the recipe if I use a crock pot instead?
ImmaculateBites says
It takes longer to cook in a crockpot , for sure . However , I can’t offer you exact water ratio. Maybe another reader can answer your question.
Brenda Rouse says
When you cook them in a crockpot the broth is thinner,it works for me.
Crystal B says
Loved it! I love greens and black eyed pea!
ImmaculateBites says
It is a fabulous combo!
Hana says
Hello, trying to make this using canned black eyed peas – which say they only need 4 min of cooking time?? – do I still simmer the beans for the full 20 minutes in the stock, or should I add them in the last 4 min? Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you do.
Leah says
If I used canned peas instead, how many cans should I use? Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
3-4 cans would work.
Jessica Ng-Hinojosa says
I just did this with canned, and I only simmered for 5-8 mins (instead of the 20 mins) and then added the bacon and kale and simmered for the additional 10 mins, and it was perfect. Beans not too Mushy with the reduced time.
ImmaculateBites says
I’m so glad this recipe was a hit for you, your version sounds great too
Jennifer Crawford says
I made this once and am making it again. I always loved black eyed peas but this recipe is phenomenal!!! Thank you ever so much.
Andrea says
I absolutely loved this version. It was delicious. Thank so much!
Julie says
This was awesome! My family loved it. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Definitely making it again. Wouldn’t change a thing.
ImmaculateBites says
YES!!
L says
Can’t wait to try this one. Would a cast iron dutch oven work okay or should I use a regular pot?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Leah! A cast iron dutch oven will work just fine :)!
Missy B says
Hi there, when do you add the ham hocks or is that instead of bacon? Thanks, anxious to try this recipe sounds delicious
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Missy. You sauté your already cooked ham hocks before the bacon and sausage.
You will love it, can’t wait for you to try it :).
L Newsome says
Are the collard greens fresh? Seems like they would need longer than 10 minutes to be soft. thanks
ImmaculateBites says
They are fresh . Cook longer if desired .
scott says
what part of the south is this from? as I have eaten blackeyed peas from about every part of every southern state and have never eaten Blackeyed peas cooked like these
Jenn says
I just received a jar of fresh hulled black eyed peas. (They aRe green). How do you go about using fresh beans in this recipe?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Jenn! You would cook it in exactly the same way. Cooking time would decrease by about 15 minutes since it is fresh. Just make sure to keep checking so that it is just tender and does not get too soft. Happy cooking!
Luz Munera says
I want to try this tomorrow, I have a bag of black eye peas. Don’t know why I bought lol. We usually use the can ones for another recipe. But don’t want to let it got to waste. And this recipe looks yummy, I have bacon and kelabasy. Do you think the kelabasy would be ok to use?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Luz! Hahaha trust me, having a bag of black-eyed peas, especially in the times we live in right now, is a great idea! I have never used Kelabasy before, but I do not think you should have a problem with it. Do let me know how it works out for you 🙂 !
Sue Wood says
Is Adobe seasoning a creole seasoning? I made a white chicken chili this weekend and my fiance was beside himself over the black eyed peas I used. So now I am looking for more recipes using black eyed peas and I think this will be the first one! Looks amazing!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Sue! I loove black eyed peas and you will love this recipe too ). Adobe and creole seasonings have similar ingredients so, yes, you could use adobo seasoning if you have that at hand. Also check out my Homemade Creole seasoning here https://www.africanbites.com/creole-seasoning/#wprm-recipe-container-566715. Happy cooking.
maryfuller says
Really good. I’ve made this 2X and will make it again!
ImmaculateBites says
That amazing!! So thrilled you love this recipe! Thanks for stopping by!