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Black Eyed Peas Recipe is the soulful southern pot of creamy, smoky peas simmered low and slow with crispy bacon, and the first time I made a full dutch oven of these on a chilly New Year’s Day the whole house smelled like my grandmother’s kitchen and the pot was scraped clean by dinner. They are the natural partner to a mess of southern collard greens on any comfort food plate.
One pot, a pound of dried peas, smoky bacon, and a simple spice blend turn into the creamiest black eyed peas you have ever had.
Black Eyed Peas Recipe Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 2 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 303kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Smoky, savory, and gently spicy with bacon in every bite
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our slow cooker BBQ chicken
Quick Answer
To make this black eyed peas recipe, cook chopped bacon in a dutch oven until crispy, then soften sweet onion and garlic right in the drippings. Bloom seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, pepper, and cayenne for 30 seconds, add dried black eyed peas, chicken stock, and bay leaves, and simmer covered for 60 to 90 minutes until creamy. Finish with butter and the crispy bacon on top.
Jump to:
- Black Eyed Peas Recipe Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Black Eyed Peas Recipe
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Black Eyed Peas Recipe FAQs
- Other Recommended Southern Comfort Food Recipes
- Black Eyed Peas Recipe
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Bacon drippings build the flavor base. Cooking the onion and garlic in rendered bacon fat instead of plain oil layers smoky, savory depth into the pot before the peas ever go in.
- Blooming the spices wakes them up. Giving the spice blend 30 seconds in the hot fat toasts the garlic powder, thyme, and cayenne so they taste rounded instead of dusty.
- No soak needed for dried peas. Black eyed peas are thinner skinned than most dried beans, so they cook to creamy perfection straight from the bag in 60 to 90 minutes of gentle simmering.
- Unsalted stock keeps the seasoning in your control. The bacon and seasoned salt carry plenty of sodium, so unsalted chicken stock lets the peas simmer down without turning the pot salty.
- A covered, gentle simmer keeps the peas intact. Hard boiling bursts the skins and turns the pot to mush, while a low covered simmer cooks them evenly and builds a silky pot liquor.
- Butter at the end makes it luxurious. Two tablespoons of butter stirred in off the heat emulsifies into the pot liquor for a glossy, rich finish that makes these taste slow cooked all day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is real southern comfort food made completely from scratch, with creamy peas and a smoky pot liquor you will want to sop up with cornbread.
- One dutch oven and pantry staples feed a dozen people for just a few dollars, perfect for holidays and Sunday suppers.
- It is the classic New Year’s lucky dinner, especially served alongside baked beans with salt pork at a southern style spread.
Key Ingredients
A short list of smart staples does all the heavy lifting in this black eyed peas recipe.
- Dried Black Eyed Peas: A full pound of dried peas cooks up creamier and far more flavorful than canned, and they soak up all that smoky pot liquor as they simmer.
- Thick Cut Bacon: Twelve ounces gives you crispy topping pieces plus the rendered drippings that flavor the entire pot from the ground up.
- Sweet Onion and Garlic: Softened in the bacon fat, they build the savory backbone every great pot of peas needs.
- Unsalted Chicken Stock: Four cups simmer down into a rich, silky broth without making the pot too salty.
- Spice Blend: Seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, black pepper, and a little cayenne give gentle heat and depth, the same warm seasoning instinct behind our hot dog sauce.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This pot of peas is endlessly adaptable, so make it your own with these easy swaps.
- Ham hock style: Swap the bacon for a smoked ham hock or leftover ham bone and simmer it right in the pot for old fashioned flavor.
- Extra spicy: Double the cayenne or stir in a few dashes of hot sauce at the end for a pot with real kick.
- Hoppin John: Serve the peas over white rice with sliced scallions on top for the classic Carolina dish.
- Vegetable boost: Stir in a few handfuls of chopped collards or spinach during the last 15 minutes of simmering.
- Smoked sausage: Brown sliced kielbasa in the pot with the bacon, the same smoky move we love in our smoked kielbasa.
How to Make Black Eyed Peas Recipe
- In a dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take the bacon out and reserve the drippings in the pot.
- Add the onion to the pot and cook until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, pepper, and cayenne to the pot. Stir and cook for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
- Add the peas, chicken stock, and bay leaves and stir together. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer covered for 60 to 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender.
- Stir in the butter to melt, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve with the crispy bacon on top and fresh parsley if desired.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Pick through the dried peas first. Give them a quick rinse and look for any small stones or shriveled peas before they go in the pot.
- Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil bursts the skins, so aim for slow, lazy bubbles with the lid on.
- Check the liquid as they cook. If the pot looks dry before the peas are tender, add a splash more stock or water.
- Save some bacon for the top. Stirring all of it in is tempting, but the crispy pieces on top are the best bite.
- Fish out the bay leaves before serving. They have done their job after the simmer.
- Taste before adding extra salt. Between the bacon and seasoned salt, the pot usually lands perfectly seasoned on its own.
- Make them a day ahead. Like chili, these peas taste even better after a night in the fridge as the pot liquor thickens.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Cornbread is non negotiable with a pot of black eyed peas, and a plate with collard greens and smothered potatoes is a full southern supper.
For a bigger spread, serve them alongside Louisiana fried chicken or oven St Louis ribs and watch the table go quiet.
Spoon leftovers over steamed white rice for an easy Hoppin John style lunch, and do not skip a few dashes of hot sauce and a sweet glass of iced tea.
They also freeze beautifully. Cool the pot completely, portion into freezer containers with plenty of the pot liquor, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Black Eyed Peas Recipe FAQs
No soaking required. Black eyed peas have thinner skins than most dried beans, so they go straight from the bag into the pot and simmer tender in 60 to 90 minutes. If you do soak them overnight, start checking for doneness around 45 minutes instead.
You can in a pinch. Use four 15 ounce cans, drained and rinsed, cut the stock down to 2 cups, and simmer just 15 to 20 minutes so they do not turn mushy. The texture is softer than dried, but the bacon and spice flavor still shines.
It is a beloved southern tradition where the peas represent coins and good luck for the coming year. Pair them with collard greens for dollars and cornbread for gold and you have covered all your bases.
Cool the peas and refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of stock or water to loosen the pot liquor back up.
Yes. Cook the bacon, onion, garlic, and spices in a skillet first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker with the peas, stock, and bay leaves. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours until the peas are creamy.
Very old dried peas take longer to soften, and acidic add ins like tomatoes can slow them down too. Keep simmering, checking every 15 minutes and adding liquid as needed, and they will get there.
Want to round out the southern table? Our boiled peanuts are the snack to set out while the pot simmers.
Black Eyed Peas Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces thick-cut bacon 1/2 inch dice
- 1 small sweet onion small diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound dried black-eyed peas soaked overnight and drained
- 4 cups unsalted chicken stock
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- In a dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy, 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally. Take the bacon out, reserving the bacon drippings in the pot, and place the cooked bacon on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.12 ounces thick-cut bacon
- Add the onion to the pot and cook until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.1 small sweet onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Next, add the seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, pepper, and cayenne to the pot. Stir it in and cook for 30 seconds.2 teaspoons seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Add the peas, chicken stock, and bay leaves to the pot, and stir it together. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer, covered, for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally. They are done when the peas are tender.1 pound dried black-eyed peas, 4 cups unsalted chicken stock, 2 dried bay leaves
- Add the butter and stir it in to melt, taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve with the crispy bacon on top and fresh parsley if desired.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Video
Notes
- You can do a quick soak instead of soaking these overnight, see above on how to do that.
- Use your favorite bacon or other meat suggested above.
- Add some red wine vinegar to each serving for an amp in flavor.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- Serve with any of your favorite main dishes.
- Cooking time will vary depending on how tender you like your beans.
Nutrition
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