Black-Eyed Peas

Like grits, greens and its cousin Hoppin’ John, black-eyed peas is an iconic Southern side dish beloved by generations of folks. A cookout staple, this black-eyed peas recipe is a nonnegotiable addition when serving up soul food. It’s a phenomenal comfort food that’s deceptively easy to make.

The recipe calls for a host of delicious aromatic ingredients like garlic and onion, crushed chili flakes, thyme and pork. If you want to know the secret to life-changing black-eyed peas (the kind that has friends and family begging for your recipe), the answer is using a mix of salt pork belly and smoked ham hocks. If you’ve never cooked with ham hocks, let this Southern black-eyed pea recipe be your introduction.

Black-Eyed Peas Ingredients

• Black-eyed peas: Flavor-wise, black-eyed peas boast an earthy, somewhat nutty taste and creamy texture.
• Onion and garlic: These fragrant members of the allium family bring an aromatic dimension to any recipe. Onions also add a little sweetness once they’ve been cooked down.
• Pork belly: If you can’t find salt pork belly, thick-cut bacon or smoked sausage is a perfect swap.
• Herbs: Bay leaf is a background herb. Its minty, bitter flavor supports the other flavors in a recipe without upsetting the balance in a dish. While you can use fresh or dried thyme, I prefer dried for any recipe that simmers on the stovetop for more than half an hour.
• Red pepper flakes: Using red pepper flakes offers just enough spice to liven things up without making your black-eyed peas outright spicy. Tweak the amount as needed depending on whether you’re spice-sensitive or a heat fiend.
• Pepper: Skip the ground pepper. Freshly cracked black peppercorns bring the most flavor and depth to a dish.
• Chicken broth: Because there’s plenty of salty pork in this recipe, we prefer low-sodium chicken broth. Pick it up at the store or make homemade chicken broth for that incomparable flavor.
• Ham hocks: Smoky, salty ham hocks are one of the flavor heavyweights in this black-eyed peas recipe. Soak ham hocks overnight if you’re minding your salt levels.

Directions

Step 1: Quick soak the beans

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Put the peas in a Dutch oven. Add enough water so the peas are covered by two inches. Bring the water to a boil and boil for two minutes. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat, then cover and let the peas stand for one hour. Drain and rinse the peas, then set aside.

Step 2: Saute the onions and pork

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Heat oil in the Dutch oven. Add the onions and saute until soft and translucent. Add the pork belly, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, red pepper flakes and pepper. Cook for one minute until garlic becomes fragrant.

Step 3: Simmer the peas and ham hocks

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Pour in the chicken broth. Add the ham hocks and peas. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes or until the peas are tender.

Editor’s Tip: Give the peas an occasional stir as they’re cooking. If the liquid is cooking off too fast, add extra broth or water.

Step 4: Chop the ham hocks

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Remove and discard the bay leaves. Take out the ham hocks, remove the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Finely chop the meat and stir it back into the peas.

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Black-Eyed Peas Variations

• Use a slow cooker: Saute the onions until soft, then add the pork belly, herbs and spices to the slow cooker. Stir in the broth, ham hocks and black-eyed peas. Cover and cook on high for seven hours. When the peas are done cooking, take the ham hocks out, remove the meat, chop well and add it back in.
• Substitute ham hocks: We’ve already talked about using bacon instead of pork belly and ham hocks, but if you want to skip the pork altogether, try smoked turkey legs. They’re richly flavored and offer a lean, tasty high-protein alternative.
• Make vegetarian black-eyed peas: Substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth and leave out the pork and ham hocks to make vegetarian black-eyed peas. To mimic the salty, umami-rich flavor of the pork, add a splash of soy sauce.
• Use a pressure cooker: Set your pressure cooker to saute mode, and cook the onions until tender. Mix in the pork belly, spices and herbs, and cook for a minute or so. Pour in the broth, and add the peas and ham hocks. Cancel saute mode, then secure the lid on the pressure cooker. Cook on the High setting for 30 minutes, followed by a 15-minute natural release. Take out the ham hocks, remove and chop the meat, then stir it back into the mix.

How to Store Black-Eyed Peas

Allow the peas to cool down, then place them in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to four days. Reheat them in the microwave for a minute or two or warm them on the stovetop until heated.

Black-Eyed Peas Tips

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Do you need to soak black-eyed peas before cooking?

While you should definitely sort and rinse your peas before cooking them (no one wants rocks on their plate), you don’t technically need to soak black-eyed peas. That said, soaking black-eyed peas is a good idea because it cuts down cooking time and improves the texture of the peas. If you’re skipping the overnight soak, your peas will need a longer cooking time. For forgetful folks (guilty), you can quick-soak dried beans with similar results as an overnight soak.

What should you serve with black-eyed peas?

Black-eyed peas are a versatile side dish, but soul food recipes are always our first port of call when deciding what to serve with these tasty legumes. Classic Southern sides like collard or mustard greens, fried okra and cornbread will complement the black-eyed peas. The sides can then be paired with mouthwatering mains like Creole chicken, shrimp and grits and, of course, country-style ribs.

For something other than Southern pairings, try a simple roast chicken, grilled fish or juicy steak recipes.

Some folks believe serving black-eyed peas or Hoppin’ John as part of your New Year’s Day meal brings good luck and prosperity. You can bet this dish appears on our tables every January 1, just in case.