Amazing 1-Pot black eyed peas for luck

Oh, honey, if you haven’t made your **black eyed peas** yet for New Year’s, you are missing out! Around my house, we stick to my Grandma’s old ways because everyone knows eating these on New Year’s Day is what brings you all the luck and prosperity for the year ahead. I remember standing on a stool watching her simmer these peas for hours to get that deep flavor. Now, I’ve taken her traditional methods and turned them into something you can rock on a hectic Tuesday night—or keep traditional for that holiday table.

Trust me when I say this is the ultimate, ridiculously creamy Southern Black Eyed Peas recipe you’ll ever try; it’s rich, it’s smoky, and it tastes like it cooked all day, even though we’re being smart about the timing. I’m Carla, and I learned from the best how to honor those slow-cooked flavors while still keeping up with my busy life. These Southern standards are too good to skip!

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If you’re tired of dry, bland beans, you absolutely have to check out my secret technique for making sure they stay gorgeous and thick. Speaking of secrets, you can find out more about my family’s best cooking tips over at my post about the secret to Hoppin’ John flavor!

Why This Creamy Southern Black Eyed Peas Recipe Works

These aren’t just some sad, watery beans from a can. What makes these **black eyed peas** truly special is how much deep, rustic flavor we pack into them without spending the whole day stirring. They come out robust and perfectly seasoned every time!

• They deliver that deep, authentic Southern flavor you crave, hitting all the right traditional notes.
• Texture is everything! We get a naturally thick and **creamy black eyed peas recipe** finish without adding any extra dairy or heavy agents—it’s all bean magic.
• You’re honoring the tradition! Serving these guarantees you’re welcoming the good luck associated with New Year’s cooking.

Achieving Smoky Flavor in Your Black Eyed Peas

The real secret sauce here is that smoky element. I always use a smoked ham hock because nothing beats that flavor seeping out while the peas simmer. If you can’t find a hock, just grab a piece of smoked turkey for nearly the same effect. Now, if you’re making **Vegan Black Eyed Peas**, don’t worry, we have a fix!

Just skip the meat and toss in about a teaspoon of liquid smoke when you add your broth, along with an extra half teaspoon of smoked paprika. It gives you that satisfying, slow-cooked depth you want!

Tips for Perfectly Creamy Black Eyed Peas

You want creaminess, not soup, right? The main trick happens near the end. Once those peas are tender, take a sturdy spoon or immersion blender and gently mash about a quarter cup of the beans right against the side of the pot. Don’t overdo it!

This process releases their starch and thickens the cooking liquid naturally, making this **Creamy Black Eyed Peas Recipe** famous in my house. It’s much better than dumping in flour, trust me!

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Gathering Ingredients for the Best Black Eyed Peas

Okay, now that we know *why* this recipe sings, let’s talk about what you need to pull it off! When you’re making classic **Southern Black Eyed Peas**, the ingredients have to be solid. You can’t cut corners here, especially when you’re aiming for that perfect holiday dish that brings luck!

I’ve listed everything out for you below. Make sure you’re grabbing dried peas, not canned—it makes a world of difference for the texture. If you want to read up next time you’re craving a hearty soup, check out my recipe for Ham and Bean Soup for more smoky inspiration!

Here is what you need for about six generous servings of truly delicious comfort food beans:

• 1 pound dried **black eyed peas**, rinsed and picked over (get rid of any pebbles, please!)
• 6 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 smoked ham hock (about 1 pound is perfect)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped small
• 2 celery stalks, chopped small
• 4 cloves garlic, minced finely
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, *only* if you want a little kick!)
• 1 bay leaf—don’t forget this one!
• 1 teaspoon salt (we add this after, remember why?)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water (this is our creamy thickener!)

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Black Eyed Peas

Since we’re using a big, flavorful ham hock, you have to be smart about the salt. The meat is already salty, so we hold off on adding more until the very end. Always taste before you dump in that full teaspoon of salt!

Now, if you are making **Vegan Black Eyed Peas**—and you absolutely can—just skip the ham hock entirely. Instead of water, use vegetable broth for a better base, and put in 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke when you add your dry seasonings. This helps replace that deep, slow-cooked smokiness that the ham hock usually provides.

Also, try to use apple cider vinegar; it has a sharpness that balances the richness of the smoky meat better than plain white vinegar, honestly.

How To Cook Black Eyed Peas: Step-by-Step Instructions

Making proper **black eyed peas** is totally doable on a weeknight, even though they taste like they took all day to simmer! The key is managing your time: we get the peas going first while we prep the flavor base separately. This keeps everything moving smoothly, which is exactly what I need when I’m trying to get dinner on the table!

If you want to see how I handle flavors in my speedy weeknight recipes, check out my Creamy Black Eyed Peas Recipe guide for more timing thoughts. And when you need something savory to go alongside these, my Ham Sliders are always a huge hit!

Preparing the Base and Aromatics for Hearty Black Eyed Peas

First things first: put your rinsed peas and the ham hock in a big pot with your water or broth. Bring that up to a boil, then drop it down to a gentle simmer, covered, for about an hour. This starts softening those peas up nicely!

While that pot is happily bubbling away, grab a skillet. Heat up your olive oil on medium heat and toss in that onion and celery. You want them soft and sweet, which usually takes about 5 to 7 minutes. Don’t rush this part! Once they smell sweet, add your garlic, thyme, paprika, and cayenne, and cook for just one minute until you can smell all those spices—that’s building our Southern base right there!

Finishing and Thickening Your Creamy Black Eyed Peas Recipe

Once the peas are tender, pull out that ham hock, let it cool a bit, and shred all the good meat off that bone. Toss the shredded meat back into the pot, making sure you removed that bay leaf first, okay? Let everything simmer uncovered for another 30 to 45 minutes so the liquid reduces a bit. For that signature creaminess, take about a quarter cup of the soft peas and mash them against the side of the pot; this is your magic trick for texture.

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Finally, stir in your salt, pepper, and vinegar. If you still want it thicker, whisk up that cornstarch and cold water slurry together until smooth, and pour it in slowly while you stir nonstop for about two minutes. It should thicken up just perfectly!

Making Easy Black Eyed Peas in the Instant Pot

I know, I know, sometimes you just need that deep flavor but you don’t have two hours to stand over a stove. If your life is crazy busy, breaking out the Instant Pot for these **black eyed peas** is a total game-changer! You still want that smoky flavor, so we keep the ham hock in there, but we shave off a ton of time.

It’s quick, it’s reliable, and it’s perfect for when you realize at 4:00 PM that you need a fantastic **side dish** on the table by dinner time. Seriously, this pressure cooker does the work of hours of simmering in less than an hour total!

For the pressure cooker step, throw your rinsed peas and your ham hock (or your seasoning substitutes if you’re going vegan!), plus your broth into the liner. Lock that lid, set it to high pressure for 25 minutes, and then let it do a natural pressure release (NPR) for about 15 minutes afterward before you quick release the rest.

After that machine releases its steam, you just move it over to sauté mode to stir in your sautéed veggie mix and the cornstarch slurry for thickening, just like the stovetop method. The final steps are the same! If you want to see another great recipe that uses the pressure cooker, check out this great tip from The Cookie Rookie on their Black Eyed Peas recipe to compare techniques!

Serving Suggestions for Your Black Eyed Peas Side Dish

So you pulled off the perfect pot of rich, smoky **black eyed peas**—congratulations! Now, how do you serve them? Truthfully, they are wonderful all by themselves, but Southerners know they are rarely served alone. They are the cornerstone of a good celebratory plate!

The most traditional way, especially for New Year’s, is spooning them right over a mound of fluffy white rice. The rice soaks up all that savory, creamy liquid, and it’s pure soul satisfaction. If you need a recipe for the perfect rice side, I have a great stovetop guide, but if you’re after a one-pot meal, that’s another option too!

You simply *must* serve these alongside some hearty greens. My favorites are my collard greens recipe; the slightly bitter, vinegary taste cuts through the richness of the peas wonderfully. This combination of greens (representing money) and peas (representing luck) is the ultimate meal!

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But don’t feel like you are stuck serving these as just a side dish! With that ham hock flavor base, these make an incredible **Black Eyed Pea Stew** or even a hearty soup. Feel free to add extra chopped veggies like carrots and potatoes and thin it out with a little more broth. If you want a vegetarian route to a big bowl of comfort, look at my vegetable soup recipe for inspiration on bulked-up vegetarian bases.

I also love seeing how others serve these beauties! My friend Emily over at Cooking with Emy serves hers with greens too, which just confirms we are on the right track for classic Southern flavor. You can check out her Black-Eyed Peas with Greens post for more inspiration!

Storage and Reheating Instructions for Leftover Black Eyed Peas

Alright, let’s talk leftovers because these **black eyed peas** taste even better the next day, I swear! If you manage to have any left—which is rare at my house after New Year’s—you need to store them correctly so they stay moist and flavorful.

First, you have to let them cool down quite a bit before you seal them up. Putting hot food directly into a sealed plastic container traps steam, and nobody wants soggy beans! Once they are just warm, transfer them into an airtight container. You can keep these beauties in the fridge for a solid three to four days. They hold up really well!

Bringing Your Creamy Black Eyed Peas Back to Life

When it comes time to reheat, I highly recommend sticking to the stovetop method. It gives you the most control over the creaminess. Scoop the portion you want into a saucepan over medium-low heat.

Now, here’s the key: dried beans drink up liquid as they sit in the fridge. Yours might look a little thick or even paste-like when you pull them out. Don’t panic! You just need to stir in a couple of splashes of water or broth while they heat up. That moisture is going to loosen everything back up, making them creamy again without tasting watered down.

If you are in a real hurry and need the microwave, just make sure you pop a damp paper towel over the top. That traps the steam a little, which helps keep the peas from drying out completely in those few minutes of microwaving time. I’d still give them a good stir halfway through!

Frequently Asked Questions About Black Eyed Peas

I know we covered a lot of ground, from using a ham hock to making them creamy, but sometimes a straightforward question pops up! I’ve gathered the most common things people ask me about making these **black eyed peas** and answered them right here. Hopefully, this helps you feel totally confident heading into your kitchen!

Do I need to soak dried black eyed peas before cooking?

Honestly, you don’t *have* to, but I really, really recommend it if you can plan ahead! Soaking dried **black eyed peas** overnight—or at least for 4 to 6 hours—significantly cuts down on your cooking time. If you skip the soak, just know they will take an extra 45 minutes to an hour of simmering time to get tender.

Remember when I talked about Grandma’s patience? If you’re in a rush, skip the soak, add a little extra broth or water in the beginning, and just let them go on low and slow until they’re soft. Either way, they’ll be delicious, but soaking guarantees us that softer, evenly cooked bean texture.

How can I make these Vegan Black Eyed Peas?

Oh, this is an easy swap, and they turn out fantastic! The key to making these **Vegan Black Eyed Peas** work is replacing the smoky, savory depth that the ham hock usually gives you. You will skip the meat completely—no ham bone needed!

Instead, use vegetable broth instead of water, and make sure you add about 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke when you add your spices in the beginning. You might even want to bump up the smoked paprika to a full teaspoon. That little addition of smoke plus the vinegar at the end gives you all the soulful flavor without needing any animal products at all. They still thicken up beautifully!

What is the tradition behind eating New Year’s Black Eyed Peas?

This is one of my favorite Southern traditions! Eating **New Year’s Black Eyed Peas** on January 1st isn’t just for flavor; it’s for luck and prosperity for the entire year. The peas themselves symbolize coins because they look like little pennies!

That’s why we always try to eat them on New Year’s Day. If you’re feeling ambitious, traditionally you serve them with greens (like collards, which symbolize paper money) and cornbread (which symbolizes gold). It’s just a sweet little way to welcome good fortune into the kitchen and our lives. If you want to read more about the luck aspect, I talk all about it on my post regarding Hoppin’ John flavor secrets!

Nutritional Snapshot of Traditional Black Eyed Peas

Since I’m always talking about making comfort food that still fits into real life, I wanted to give you a quick look at what’s inside a serving of these amazing **black eyed peas**. Please remember, because we are working with a ham hock that adds sodium and fat, this breakdown is just an estimate!

This is for one serving, based on the 6-serving yield in the recipe card:

• Estimated Calories: 280
• Total Fat: About 7 grams
• Protein: A great source at 18 grams!
• Carbohydrates: 40 grams
• Fiber: A whopping 10 grams! That’s fantastic for digestion.

See? These **Southern Black Eyed Peas** aren’t just delicious comfort food; they are packed with fiber and protein to keep you satisfied. That’s why this dish is a staple—it’s wholesome, filling, and tastes incredible!

Share Your Southern Cooking Traditions

Now that you have the secrets to making the absolute best, creamiest **black eyed peas** that taste like they simmered for hours, I really want to hear from you!

Did you make this for New Year’s Day to bring in the luck, or did you just whip up a batch for a regular Tuesday night comfort meal? I love knowing how these family recipes find their place on your table. Please be sure to leave a star rating right below this section—it helps other cooks find this recipe, and I read every single comment!

And since we talked about the smoky flavor—do you stick with the classic ham hock, or are you a smoked turkey person like my brother-in-law? Let me know your preference in the comments!

If you made this and loved it, do me a favor and share this post with a friend who needs some good luck or some serious Southern soul food in their life. You can find all my latest adventures and other favorite family recipes over on my main blog page. Happy cooking, friends, and may your year be filled with good fortune!

Creamy Southern Black Eyed Peas with Ham Hock

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Make rich, creamy Southern Black Eyed Peas using a smoked ham hock for deep flavor. This recipe is perfect for a hearty side dish, especially for New Year’s traditions.

• Author: Carla Davis
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 1 hour 45 min
• Total Time: 2 hours 0 min
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Stovetop Simmering
• Cuisine: Southern American
• Diet: Low Fat

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 pound dried black eyed peas, rinsed and picked over
• 6 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 smoked ham hock (about 1 pound)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste after cooking)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water (for thickening)

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Instructions

1. Place the rinsed black eyed peas and the ham hock into a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover with 6 cups of water or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, or until the peas begin to soften.
2. While the peas simmer, prepare the aromatics. In a separate skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and celery. Cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the minced garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper (if using) to the skillet. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Remove the ham hock from the simmering peas and set it aside to cool slightly. Discard the bay leaf from the pot.
5. Add the sautéed onion, celery, and garlic mixture to the pot of peas. Stir well.
6. Shred the meat from the ham hock, discarding the bone and any excess fat. Return the shredded meat to the pot.
7. Continue to simmer the peas, uncovered, for another 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender and the liquid has reduced. If you want a creamier texture, mash about 1/4 cup of the peas against the side of the pot.
8. Stir in the salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar.
9. If you desire a thicker consistency, stir the cornstarch slurry and pour it into the simmering peas. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the liquid thickens slightly.
10. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed before serving hot. This recipe is a great alternative to complex meal planning systems.

Notes

• For a vegetarian or vegan version, omit the ham hock. Instead, use 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke and increase the smoked paprika to 1 full teaspoon to achieve a smoky flavor. You can substitute vegetable broth for the water.
• These peas pair well with rice or collard greens for a complete Southern meal. This dish is often served for New Year’s Day for good luck.
• If you are using an Instant Pot, cook the peas, broth, and ham hock on high pressure for 25 minutes, followed by a natural pressure release for 15 minutes. Then, sauté the aromatics separately and finish the dish as directed.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup cooked
• Calories: 280
• Sugar: 3
• Sodium: 450
• Fat: 7
• Saturated Fat: 2
• Unsaturated Fat: 5
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 40
• Fiber: 10
• Protein: 18
• Cholesterol: 25