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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We make these every year for New Year’s Day and they’re always a hit! Such a great recipe any time of the year though. Thanks for sharing 🙂
This is exactly what I was looking. Made it for the family get together and everyone loved it.
What a delicious recipe! My grandmother passed down a similar one to this. I can’t wait to make this for her!
I love how all that ham hock flavor gets right through the beans and the cooking liquid. I have had other versions without the okra but like that in there too.
love black eyed peas and love the traditional flavors too, even after New Year’s Day, for me it works any time of the year, thank you!
Love your recipes. Can I cut this recipe in half?
I’ve been making these for many years at the New Year holiday; in the last five years or so, I make them several times a year as a side dish. I love your version here, Jocelyn, but I do omit the okra. These are delicious. Thanx and Happy New Year!!!
For our good luck New Years day meal we used your recipes for both black eyed peas and collards. Both were excellent and now the recipes are printed. I used your recommended turkey wing which I had leftover from Christmas dinner. Have always used pork for seasonings but the turkey wing is now the go to for black eyes. Many thanks for sharing.
The perfect New Year’s Day recipe!! I used dried beans and soaked them overnight before cooking. The ham hock and spices blended perfectly and we will be enjoying the leftovers (and adding this to our annual NYD meal).
I just made a batch of your recipe. I used ham shanks instead of hocks because the store only had shanks available. I also used diced onion and a large garlic clove instead of the powder. I was afraid it would be too sweet but it wasn’t. It’s a very tasty recipe and I can’t wait to serve it for New Year’s Day brunch. Thank you for publishing it.