With their nutty texture and tasty, earthy flavor, Southern Black-Eyed Peas are an inexpensive, nutritious, and easy-to-make side dish.
Although they are delicious at any time of the year, many people believe that eating them along with ham, collard greens, cornbread, or hoe cakes on New Year’s Day brings good luck and prosperity in the new year.
Made from scratch, this simple southern-style recipe is the best and features rehydrated, dried black-eyed peas gently simmered in chicken stock and then perfectly seasoned with a ham hock, onion, and garlic.
Considered soul food, black-eyed peas are a true southern delicacy and are as versatile as they are delicious. While they are usually served as a side dish, Black-Eyed Peas and Rice (Hoppin’ John) is often served as a main dish. They can also be substituted for chickpeas to make Black-Eyed Pea Hummus, a tasty appetizer.
Southern black-eyed peas, or cowpeas as they are sometimes called, have come a long way from their lowly beginnings as food for cattle to the tasty legumes we have today.
Jump to:
Why you will love this recipe:
- These delicious little gems have high levels of dietary fiber, iron, folate, potassium, protein, and Vitamin A. Pair them with brown rice, and you have a nutritional powerhouse!
- They are budget-friendly; a one-pound bag of dried black-eyed peas costs around $2.00 and contains 12 servings. How’s that for a bargain?
- They are the ultimate in comfort food!
Ingredient notes:
(Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.)
- Black-eyed peas – this recipe calls for dried peas; however, I’ve included directions below to substitute fresh, refrigerated, and even canned peas.
- Ham hock – you can substitute a ham shank, leftover ham, salt pork, pork belly, a ham bone, or even the meat from a smoked turkey leg or neck for the ham hock.
- Chicken stock – adds additional flavor. Feel free to use vegetable stock instead. I like to use Roasted Chicken, Better Than Boullion, but you can use whatever kind you have.
- Onion and fresh garlic – these cruciferous veggies add great flavor.
- Kosher salt, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper – all work together to perfectly season the peas.
- Olive oil – is used to saute the onion and garlic. (not pictured)
- Red wine vinegar – adds just a bit of acid, which brings out the flavor of the peas.
How to rehydrate dried black-eyed peas:
Before you begin cooking with dried peas, you need to rehydrate them using one of two methods.
- The first method is to soak them overnight by placing the peas in a bowl or pot of cold water and allowing them to stand for 6-8 hours. Then the peas need to be drained and rinsed with fresh water. At this point, they are ready to cook.
- The second is the quick-soak method. Add the dried peas to a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, cover with water, and bring to a rapid boil. Continue boiling the peas for two more minutes. Remove the peas from the heat, cover them, and let them sit for at least an hour. Then drain and rinse with fresh water.
For both of these methods, keep an eye on the peas and add more water, if needed, to keep them covered while they rehydrate. When properly rehydrated, they will be doubled in size.
How to cook black-eyed peas:
- Once they are rehydrated, and you are ready to cook, add olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and ham hock and cook until the onions are tender, which should take about four to five minutes. Then, add the garlic and cook for one minute.
- Add the drained and rinsed peas, chicken stock, red wine vinegar, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let the peas simmer for 45-60 minutes or until they are tender.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. If desired, garnish with parsley, thyme, or chives.
Recipe variations:
To change things up a bit, consider adding or substituting the following ingredients:
- Add a handful of chopped kale or collards.
- A can of Rotel or fire-roasted tomatoes adds excellent flavor and more veggies.
- Swap out the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
- Add a cup of chopped leftover ham.
- Cook a few slices of bacon, remove them from the pan, and drain. Cook the onion in bacon grease instead of olive oil. Before serving the peas, top with the crumbled bacon.
- Add a cup or so of chopped-up smoked sausage.
- In addition to the onion, feel free to add any or all of these vegetables: celery, green pepper, carrots, or jalapeno peppers.
- Add a few bay leaves when the peas are cooking, and remove them before serving.
- Throw in some sliced okra.
As you can see, the possibilities are endless.
Frequently asked questions:
I like to serve these tasty legumes with pork entrees, such as Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Glaze, Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs, Mushroom Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Bacon, Double Smoked Ham, and they also pair well with my Au Gratin Potatoes and Ham.
Fresh black-eyed peas are generally best, but you can’t distinguish between them once they are rehydrated and cooked. The major plus with dried peas is that they are inexpensive, readily available all year long and keep indefinitely in your pantry.
Around the holidays, you can often find dried black-eyed peas that have already been rehydrated in the refrigerated section at your grocery store. They are more expensive, coming in at about $4.00 for 12 ounces. But you can skip the step of rehydrating them.
If you are lucky enough to have fresh peas, follow the directions as written, except do not hydrate them before cooking. They will also not take as long to cook.
I don’t recommend canned black-eyed peas. However, if that’s all you have, they will work in a pinch, but be sure to rinse and drain them thoroughly. Then proceed with the recipe, but only add one-half cup of chicken stock for every can and reduce the other ingredients proportionately instead of the amounts listed. Also, only cook them for about 10-20 minutes.
Absolutely! Saute the onions and garlic as directed, and when they are done, put them and the rest of the ingredients, including the rehydrated peas, in your Crockpot or slow cooker. Cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.
Yes, this recipe can be made up to 48 hours ahead. Store them covered in the refrigerator and reheat them on the stove when ready to serve. They do tend to thicken when refrigerated, so you may need to add more water or chicken stock to thin them out a bit.
Black-eyed peas are legumes, the most famous variety of cowpea, similar to purple-hull peas, field peas, white acre peas, zipper peas, and pink-eyed peas. While they are called peas, they are a type of bean.
Once fed to cattle, these tasty protein-filled treats are a prized commodity at local farmers’ markets in the summer and are often eaten on New Year’s Day for good luck.
Sharon’s tips:
Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for several months.
To reheat leftovers, place them in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Feel free to add water or chicken stock if they get too thick.
Recipes with black-eyed peas:
Here are more Southern pea recipes and menu ideas.
★★★★★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
📋 Recipe:
Southern Black-Eyed Peas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black-eyed peas, about 2 cups
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 ham hock or ham shank,
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sweet onion medium, chopped
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Rehydrate peas using the quick soak method or overnight soak method. Drain and rinse the peas.
- Add the olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and ham hock and saute until the onions are tender. This should take about four to five minutes. Add the garlic and saute for about one minute.
- Add the peas, chicken stock, red wine vinegar, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let the peas simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until they are tender.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. If desired, garnish with parsley, thyme, or chives.
Notes
- The first method is to soak them overnight by placing the peas in a bowl or pot of water and allowing them to sit for at least 6-8 hours. They do not need to be refrigerated. Then the peas need to be drained and rinsed thoroughly with fresh water. At this point, the peas are ready to cook.
- If you are in a hurry, you can also use the quick-soak method. Add the peas to a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat, cover with water and bring to a rapid boil. Continue boiling the peas for two more minutes. Remove the peas from the heat, cover, and let sit for at least an hour. Then drain and rinse with fresh water.
- You can make this recipe using canned peas, but rinse and drain them thoroughly, then proceed with the recipe, and only add a half cup of chicken stock for every can instead of what’s listed.
- If you are lucky enough to have fresh peas, follow the directions as written, except do not hydrate them before cooking. They will also not take quite as long to cook.
- To make this recipe in a Crockpot or slow cooker, saute the onions and garlic as directed, and when they are done, put them and the rest of the ingredients in your Crockpot or slow cooker. Cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.
- Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for several months. To reheat, place them in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Feel free to add additional water or chicken stock if they have gotten too thick.
- This recipe can be made up to 48 hours ahead. Store covered in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove when ready to serve. They do tend to thicken when refrigerated, so you may need to add more water or chicken stock to thin them out a bit.
Nutrition
**This recipe was originally published on December 27, 2016.
The BEST Black Eyed Pea recipe I have ever had. I decided to try it this year for a different twist and this will be my go to recipe from now on. My husband just tried it and said the same thing, WOW. Thanks Sharon for all your recipes on Grits and Pinecones.
What a sweet comment, and a great way to welcome in 2021! Thank you so much for taking the time to share. You made my day.
Happy New Year!
Sharon
This is, hands down, the best Black-Eyed Peas recipe I have had. It is simple, easy to prepare. I love recipes where all the ingredients are things I already have on hand. I used a giant ham hock and homemade turkey stock from Christmas dinner. The flavors in this recipe are perfect and require no additions or tweaking of any kind. Your Southern Buttermilk Cornbread recipe is the PERFECT accompaniment. Thank you for your recipes.
Dear Stephanie,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the black-eyed peas and cornbread. And, thank you too for letting me know by leaving such sweet comments!
Happy New Year!
Sharon