This is my Mississippi-bred mama’s Black Eyed Peas recipe I grew up on, and it doesn’t get more authentically Southern than these. She makes her black eyed peas creamy and a bit brothy for a long braise plus she packs the pot with smoked meat, some spices and okra. I’m gonna teach you how to pull these off and believe me, it ain’t that hard either. Serve up a big pot any day of the week or especially for New Year’s Day along with some cornbread and collard greens for good luck.
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How To Cook Dried Black Eyed Peas
These step-by-step photos show how to make black eyed peas with okra, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Black Eyed Peas Recipe
1. Place rinsed ham hocks in a large pot
Cover them completely with water, and boil until tender and flavorful.
2. Season and simmer the dried black eyed peas
Add soaked black eyed peas along with salt, garlic powder, sugar, paprika, onion powder, and cayenne. Cover and let everything cook until the peas are super tender and the liquid reduces.
PRO TIP: This cooking process can take up to an hour and a half so be sure to add more water if necessary so it doesn’t dry out. There should be enough water to always cover that meat. If the peas begin to look dry, add a cup of water and check the bottom of the pot to make sure they don’t stick. You will want to cook the peas until softened.
3. Stir in the frozen okra
Cover the pot, and continue cooking until the okra is softened and tender.
4. Check the liquid level
Add more water for a brothy pot, or mash or blend a few peas and stir them back in for thicker Southern black eyed peas.
PRO TIP: The peas will continue to thicken in the sauce after the heat is turned off.
Full Black Eyed Peas Recipe
Black Eyed Peas Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb ham hocks
- 16 oz black eyed peas, soaked or 24 oz frozen
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper Optional
- 6 oz frozen okra You can go up to an entire 12 oz package of okra if you enjoy it.
Instructions
- Rinse the ham hocks (or turkey wings) very well then add to a large pot along with enough water to fully submerge them then cover with a lid. This is usually about 6 cups of water depending on your pot size.
- Boil over medium high heat for at least 1 hr or until meat is near being tender Pierce with a fork to check tenderness. This can take up to an hour and a half. Add more water if necessary so it doesn’t dry out. There should be enough water to always cover the meat.
- Add rinsed or frozen peas to pot along with salt, garlic powder, sugar, paprika, onion powder and cayenne if using. Stir together, cover with the lid and allow the peas to come to a boil over medium high heat.
- Continue to cook, stirring occasionally and checking as water begins to evaporate and peas become tender. This will take about an hour to an hour and a half. If peas begin to look dry, add a cup of water (or chicken broth) and check bottom of pot to make sure they don’t stick. You will want the peas to be softened.
- Finally, if using, add frozen okra and allow to cook covered for 20-30 minutes or until tender and softened.
- At this point, you will need to check the peas and liquid to make sure you have it how you prefer. If you like it more brothy with more liquid, add additional broth or water and stir. Add until you reach the consistency you like. If you like your peas thickened more than they currently are, you can either use an immersion blender to blend a few peas in the pot or you can remove a cup of peas along with some broth and add to a heavy duty blender and mix until smooth then stir back into the pot. Remember the peas will continue to thicken in sauce after heat is turned off and they settle so you may want to check first before doing to step.
Notes
How to Store
- Fridge: Let the peas cool all the way down, then store them in an airtight container or freezer bag with the air pressed out. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Transfer cooled peas to freezer bags or containers, remove as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Add the peas back to a pot and warm over medium heat until heated through. If they thickened in the fridge, splash in a little water or broth and stir until they loosen back up.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Start with soaked peas, boos. Skip the canned stuff. I know, it’s tempting to take the shortcut. But trust me, soak the dried beans. You’ll get rid of the extra sodium and prevent your beans from falling apart during the cooking process.
- Do a quick soak if you forgot to soak them. Cover the peas with water, bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes, cut the heat, and let them sit for about an hour before draining and using.
- Rinse the ham hocks real good. They can be quite salty which will transfer to your peas if they aren’t rinsed.
- Check the ham hocks for doneness. When you poke them with a fork, it should slide in easy and the meat should feel tender, not stiff or tight. If it’s fighting back, it needs more time.
- Adjust the seasoning and broth at the end. Once the peas are tender, taste and tweak the salt, spice, and liquid until the pot tastes how you like it.
- Let the peas rest before serving. I like to turn off the heat and give them a few minutes to settle so the sauce thickens up and those flavors develop even more.
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Serving Suggestions
- Make it the Main: No need to serve these up with anything else but some good ole fashioned Jiffy cornbread muffins or for a twist, some sweet potato cornbread.
- Sunday Supper: Whip up some chicken gizzards or some fried catfish, and pair these black eyed peas with turnip greens, hog maws and candied sweet potatoes.
- Over Rice: Whip up a pot of some rice and spoon your peas directly over it. The rice will soak up your brothy sauce creating bomb flavor in every bite.
Recipe Help
They need to be soaked overnight or for a minimum of eight hours. Rinse and sort the peas looking for any damaged pieces or stones. Then cover with at least an inch of cold water. Cover them with a lid and let them soak.
Fo sho! You can swap in 24 ounces of frozen peas if necessary. My biggest caution is don’t use canned beans. It ain’t the same boos.
Yep boos you can! Add to a slow cooker combining all the ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, depending on the type of peas used and your slow cooker’s heat settings.
More Easy Bean Recipes
- Southern Baked Beans
- Pinto Beans Recipe
- Red Beans and Rice
- Butter Beans Recipe
- Jamaican Rice and Peas
- Vegetarian Hoppin John Recipe
This post was originally published in December 2019. It has been updated for content and new images.
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I am making some now for a christmas potluck. My grandma was from alabama and she is now gone to heaven but i miss her cooking badly so im always trying to figire out what she did. She used okra as well im not sure if im supposed to debone the hocks after its done or just leave them in. I will decide when they are done. Thank u so much they look amazing.
Cooking those dishes is such a beautiful way to keep her close. You can do it either way with the ham hocks. Some people leave them whole in the pot, and others pull the meat off the bone, chop it up, and stir it back in before serving. I usually take the bones out once they’re tender, just to make it easier for folks at a potluck, but trust your instincts your grandma’s way is always the right one. I’m so glad you’re making this, and I hope it brings back some really good memories.
I’ve never been a fan of black eyed peas but I made this recipe for New Years and twice since. It’s perfect as is but I used ham shank and deboned it and added smoked sausage. This is amazing.
So glad you liked it, Belinda!
I made this today along with the collards recipe I found on here. I omitted the okra and used bacon as the meat. I also cooked 1/4 of an onion(chopped small)with the bacon. I was born and raised in GA, so I already knew my way around a New Year’s Day dinner but I think I’ll be using this recipe from now on. It is AMAZING (so are the collards).
Wow thank you so so much! So glad you enjoyed these.
this was my second time using this recipe and it is good first time i used smoked neck bones this time i am using smoked turkey necks and it has that good old fashion southern taste reminds me of the old days
Yay! So happy to hear that!
So i cant bring in the year with out black eye peas, just went and brought me a can.. I will be doing this recipe tonight, but with sausage because its what i have on hand. Everything else will stay the same..
Happy new year!!!!
Thanks
Happy New Year to you!
Is it possible I could use chicken bullion powder a touch of bacon grease and some smoked salt to mock a ham hock pork like taste or even smoked Turkey? I just dont have any meat
Absolutely you can! And it will still taste great.
This was DELICIOUS!!!!!! So easy and my husband’s favorite!
Black eyed beans are my favorite beans. This is a plus because I am on a healthy dishes phase.
This was everything a gourmet dish should be, and then some! Love traditional recipes, and this was no exception; easily, a new favorite dish!