Southern Black Eyed Peas Recipe

Legit Southern Black Eyed Peas are something I know a whole lot about. This is my Mississippi-bred mama’s recipe I grew up on, and they are absolutely delish boos. Perfectly hearty and creamy, they are full of smoked meat and a handful of spices making them beyond cozy and comforting. Whether you pull my mama’s black eyed peas recipe out for Sunday supper or ring in the New York the right way, you will be eating GOOD boos.

On any given New Year’s Day, you can find folks throughout the South stirring up large pots of black eyed peas and greens for good luck. My home is no exception to that. 

I grew up eating this black eyed pea recipe for good luck every New Year’s Eve and several other times through the year. Each bite was tastier than the one before it, and I always came back for seconds. Now that I’m grown, this tradition stays alive and well boos. Let’s get into it.

The Lowdown of This Black Eyed Peas Recipe

Cuisine Inspiration: Southern Comfort

Primary Cooking Method: Simmering

Dietary Info: Gluten-Free; Can be made Vegan by removing meat

Key Flavor: Smoky and savory peas in a rich sauce

Skill Level: Easy y’all (No Sweat fam!)

Old School OG

There’s a reason why the elders always put on a pot of black eyed peas back in the day. They were easy to make with simple ingredients and a beyond satisfying and delicious payoff.

One-Pot Meal

We ain’t dirtying up a ton of dishes with this recipe. We throw all of our ingredients into one pot and let it do it’s magic, keeping our clean up to a minimum.

Packed With So Much Flavor

Y’all I could eat bowls and bowls of my mama’s black eyed pea recipe. We flavor build with smoky meat then layer in spices and the peas creating a rich sauce for the peas to bathe in. Too good boos.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Southern Black Eyed Peas

• Ham hocks: These bring smoky, savory vibes to our peas, plus it helps that they are a pretty budget-friendly cut of meat too.
• Peas: I use dry peas which I soak beforehand for this recipe.
• Spices: We throw in garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, and cayenne pepper to kick up those peas and infuse them with more depth of flavor.
• Sugar: My mama likes to add just a touch to enhance and balance out the saltiness of the pork and savory notes of the dish.
• Frozen okra: This traditional staple ingredient adds authenticity and texture to the pot.

How To Cook Black Eyed Peas

Step 1: Prep the Ham Hock

1

Place the rinsed ham hocks in a large pot and cover them with water so they are completely submerged. Cover with a lid and boil over medium-high heat for at least one hour or until tender.

2

Add the soaked peas to the pot with the ham hock along with salt, garlic powder, sugar, paprika, onion powder, and cayenne. Stir together, add the lid, and allow the peas to boil over medium heat. They should cook for 1 1/2 hours or so or until they get super tender and that liquid starts to evaporate.

PRO TIP: To check for doneness, gently pierce the ham hock with a fork. 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.

PRO TIP: The peas will take about an hour to an hour and a half to cook until tender. 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.

Step 2: Cook Those Peas

3

Add the frozen okra and allow to cook covered for 20-30 minutes or until tender and softened.

4

Check the peas and liquid levels to see if you need to continue cooking down the peas or not. Add more water if you like brothy peas. If you like your peas thicker, use an immersion blender to blend a few peas in the pot or remove a cup of peas along with some broth and add it to a blender to puree then then stir back into the pot.

PRO TIP: The peas will continue to thicken in the sauce after the heat is turned off.

How to Serve Black Eye Peas

• 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 eye 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. 

Meal Plan: Southern New Year’s Supper with Black Eyed Peas

Seafood gumbo is a mainstay on our New Year’s Day menu.

Southern collard greens are necessary for New Year’s as they represent prosperity. They are perfect with black eye peas.

Chitlins may not be everyone’s cup of tea but they are my daddy’s fave for New Year’s Day.

Southern cornbread is a must to serve with your black eye peas recipe and Southern greens boos.

Recipe Substitutions

• Peas: You can swap in 24 ounces of frozen peas if necessary. My biggest caution is don’t use canned beans. The results just won’t be the same boos.
• Okra: Feel free to leave out if you aren’t a fan.
• Ham Hock: Change out the pork for smoked turkey wings, legs, or necks. They will be less fatty but it will help lighten up your pot a bit.

Recipe Variations

• Add extra spice: Southerners love a kick! Throw in a little more cayenne or serve them up with hot sauce boos.
• Add More Meat: Play around with adding in some sautéed bacon or even andouille sausage for a cajun twist.
• Use Stock or Broth: Replace the water with chicken stock. It will add more of a flavorful base to your peas as they tenderize.
• Go Vegetarian: Remove that meat and add some liquid smoke along with vegetable stock to add more flavor.

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Don’t use canned beans: I know, it’s tempting to take the shortcut. But trust me, it’s much more worthwhile to soak dried beans. By doing so you avoid the extra sodium and prevent your beans from falling apart during the cooking process.
• Quick Soak if You Forget: Just cover the peas with water, bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat and let them sit for an hour before draining and adding into the recipe.
• Rinse the ham hocks: Make sure you rinse before cooking them. They can be quite salty which will transfer to your peas if they aren’t rinsed.
• Feel free to adjust the seasoning and consistency of the final pot of peas to make it to your own tastes.
• Let the rest: I like to let the peas sit for a bit off the heat before serving them up so they can thicken in the sauce and let those flavors develop even more.

How to Store

Allow the peas to fully cool down then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag removing the air.

When you want to reheat, return the peas to a pot and heat over medium heat until warmed through. You may want to add a splash of additional water or broth if they seem a bit too thick after storing.

How long will black eye peas last in the fridge?

They can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze Southern black eyed peas?

Yep for sure boos. Toss them in a freezer bag and add the date. They can stay in the freezer for up to three months. If frozen, thaw them out in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Southern black eyed peas are a staple in the South, and I’m teaching you exactly how to make them authentically and deliciously boos. The best part is it isn’t hard at all to pull off. With just a few no-fuss ingredients and some straightforward instructions, you can make these peas like you are straight from the South too! Get into it!

More Easy Bean Recipes

• Southern Baked Beans
• Pinto Beans Recipe
• Hoppin John
• Red Beans and Rice
• Butter Beans Recipe

Black Eyed Peas Recipe

Made with smoky meat and a handful of spices, these hearty Black Eyed Peas in a thick sauce are warm, comforting and packed with flavor. 

4.85 from 26 votes

Print Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

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Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Servings: 12 servings

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.

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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

Allow the peas to fully cool down then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag removing the air.

When you want to reheat, return the peas to a pot and heat over medium heat until warmed through. You may want to add a splash of additional water or broth if they seem a bit too thick after storing.

How long will black eye peas last in the fridge?

They can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze Southern black eyed peas?

Yep for sure boos. They can stay in the freezer for up to three months. If frozen, thaw them out in the fridge overnight.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 500mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 166IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg

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This post was originally published in December 2019. It has been updated for content and new images.

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