Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas
Perfect New Year’s Day Recipe!
I’ve spent years perfecting this recipe to ensure the black-eyed peas come out tender and flavorful every time. This simple, no-soak method is a go-to in my kitchen, because like so many other people, I always forget to soak them! So, thanks to the pressure cooker, you can have perfectly tender black-eyed peas with tons of bacon flavor ready in under an hour.
If you’re not familiar with the Southern tradition, it’s believed to be good luck to eat black-eyed peas on New Years Day. Some people believe that black-eyed peas symbolize coins, so eating them on the first day of the year can bring forth financial prosperity for the days to come.
Whether it’s all true or not, I’m not sure… What I do know is that you certainly don’t have to twist my arm when it comes to a delicious bowl of black-eyed peas or black-eyed peas soup!
Featured Comment
This is a great recipe!! Easy Peasey! My first time cooking dried black-eyed peas in instant pot. Made these today for New Year good luck and it’s a keeper recipe for sure. Thank you for this yummy, easy version. Simple to customize to your taste. ~Michelle
Key Ingredients and Tips
Black-Eyed Peas – use dried black-eyed peas and make sure to rinse them first. No need to soak them though!
Chicken Stock – Store-bought stock will works well, I would just recommend you get “low sodium” or “no salt added” to have full control over saltiness of the dish. Plus, bacon is already quite salty. You can also use homemade chicken stock for the best flavor.
Bacon – I like to use regular pork bacon for the best flavor. It releases a good amount of fat while cooking, which flavors the rest of the dish. However, you can certainly use turkey bacon if you’d prefer but note the flavor will not be the same.
Garlic – fresh garlic cloves add the very best flavor to this dish. Together with some garlic powder, you will get the best aroma and garlic flavor.
Can You Cook Dry Black-Eyed Peas Without Soaking?
Yes! This is what my recipe is all about. While it is believed that soaking the beans first will improve their texture by making them more tender, creamy, and easier to digest. It also shortens cook time by several hours. Personally, I haven’t noticed too much difference in tenderness, but in cook time.
Over the years, I’ve forgotten a few times to soak beans, or peas, or lentils before cooking them. It has not affected my final result with more cooking time.
Although, in this recipe, that doesn’t really matter! Why? Pressure cooker shortens hours of time and yields wonderfully tender results.
How to Make Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas
Prep the Peas & Bacon:
Rinse peas under cold running water to wash away possible debris and set them aside. Dice raw bacon while it’s still cold into small pieces.
Lyuba’s Expert Tip: Make sure your knife is sharp and bacon is cold to make it easier to cut.
Sauté Bacon Until Fat Renders:
Set Instant Pot to Sauté (Normal). Add chopped bacon and cook, stirring, until most fat renders and edges are lightly crisp, 5-7 minutes. Make sure to cook until the fat is rendered, otherwise the bacon will turn soft/soggy during pressure cooking.
Soften Aromatics (Don’t Brown the Garlic):
Smash and mince garlic, stir in with the bacon and sauté just a few seconds until fragrant. Don’t cook it too long or it can turn bitter.
Load Peas & Seasonings:
Add the rinsed peas and stir. Pour in water and chicken stock, then add garlic powder, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper (go light on salt since bacon is salty). Stir to combine.
Pressure Cook 30 Minutes, Then Natural Release 10-15Min:
Close and latch the lid, set valve to “Seal,” and cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes (it will take a few minutes to come to pressure). When finished, natural release 10-15 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure.
Finish & Serve
Fluff peas with a spoon and serve. For extra creaminess/thickness, mash a few peas back into the pot as you stir.
Lyuba’s Expert Tip: You can mash a few peas using a wooden spoon as you mix them to create a creamier, thicker consistency.
Storing and Reheating
Make sure to cool the black-eyed peas before you store them. Store them in an airtight food storage container, in the refrigerator, for 4-5 days. Store them with the liquids they were cooked with! This will help with reheating.
Reheat in a pot on stove-top over medium heat or for a few seconds in the microwave.
Keep in mind that you can easily freeze cooked black-eyed peas.
Variations, Serving Suggestions, and Tips
Add some vegetables – You can keep this dish simple or add some veggies! You can choose some onions, jalapeños, tomatoes, bell peppers, and/or collard greens to add some more flavor to the beans. To do that, sauté the veggies with the bacon, when bacon is about half way done, and then proceed with adding beans and finishing as the recipe suggests.
Protein Variation (Ham or Turkey)– you can add some diced ham or some leftover turkey meat in addition to or instead of the bacon. It’s a great way to use up leftover holiday ham and turkey.
Make it vegan – simply omit the bacon and use vegetable broth.
Seasoning profiles (pick one):
- Cajun & Smoky: Add 1 tsp Cajun seasoning, ½ tsp smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne before pressure cooking. Finish with 1 Tbsp butter for gloss (optional).
- Herby Garlic-Thyme: Add 1 tsp dried thyme, 2 bay leaves, and 2 extra minced garlic cloves. Finish with 1-2 Tbsp chopped parsley.
Serving – my jalapeno cornbread would be fantastic with this black-eyed peas recipe! You can also use simple buttermilk cornbread or buttermilk biscuits. This is a great side dish for pork main dishes like beef chili, pork loin and BBQ pulled pork.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, there will be liquid left in the pot after the beans are done but that is actually a good thing. As you mix the beans, some will start to break and mix with the liquid, which will give the side dish a creamy consistency. If you don’t want your side to have too much liquid, you can also use a slotted spoon and strain off some of the liquid.
Keep in mind that many people do prefer the black-eyed peas to have some of this flavorful cooking liquid with the beans. When storing the cooked beans, store them with the liquids. They will be even better the next day.
If you soaked your black-eyed peas before cooking them, cut the cooking time by about half. Soaked black-eyed peas cook faster. Pressure cook on High for 12-15 minutes, then natural release 10 minutes. Texture check: 12 minutes – firmer, 15 minutes – very tender. Reduce the liquid by about 1 cup since they already absorbed some water while soaking.
No, the cooking time will not change if you double or half the recipe. The cooking time is determined by the size of the food and how long it takes to cook through not the amount of food.
Yes, scale all ingredients 1:1 and keep the pressure-cook time the same. Important safety note: don’t fill the Instant Pot above the 1/2 line for beans/legumes. If a double batch approaches that line, use a larger pot (8-qt) or cook in two rounds.
Frozen black-eyed peas do not require soaking, as opposed to dried. So treat them like already soaked beans and cook them for 10-15 minutes at high pressure and then do a natural release for 10-15 minutes. (Note that 10 minutes will yield slightly firmer black-eyed peas and 15 minutes will make them softer.)
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Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 16 oz bacon
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 lb dry black-eyed peas (1 lb bag usually has 2-2 1/4 cups of peas)
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt to taste
- fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse peas and set them aside.
- Dice raw bacon into small pieces. Make sure your knife is sharp and bacon is cold to make it easier to cut.
- Turn Instant Pot to Saute and let it heat up. Add a little bit of oil to the bottom of the pot and add bacon. Saute bacon until browned.
- Smash and mince garlic and add it to the pot. Mix and let is sauté for a few seconds, until fragrant.
- Add peas to the pot and mix.
- Add water, chicken stock, garlic powder, some salt, and fresh cracked black pepper. (Don't add too much salt since bacon is salty.)
- Stir and close the lid and make sure it’s latched. Turn the valve to “seal” and set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure cook mode for 30 minutes.
- Let it do a natural release for 10-15 minutes.
- Fluff up peas and serve. You can also mix the black-eyed peas and mash a few as you mix to create creamier texture.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Enjoy More Instant Pot Recipes
I love making beans in an Instant Pot because it’s always so fast and tender, much like my Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup and Instant Pot Split Pea Soup!
You can also make many main dishes in the pressure cooker like Beef Stew In Instant Pot and Instant Pot Spaghetti.
Soups are also great and fast in an Instant pot like Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup and Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup.
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in December, 2018.
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Categories:
Dinner Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Instant Pot Side Dishes, Most Popular Recipes, New Year's Eve Recipes, Side Dishes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
The flavor was pretty good, but they definitely weren’t done in 30 minutes. To be fair, my pressure cooker is CrockPot brand so maybe that made the difference? Usually its the same. I had to cook another 2 hours to get the consistency we’re used to. Will make again with increased time.
Delicious! I have been cooking black eyed peas for years! This is the best I have found! I do not have a instapot, cooked it in a regular pot!
I’m so glad the recipe worked well on the stovetop! Thanks for taking the time to share and leave such a kind comment.
Yes, black eyed peas and collard greens are a traditional southern dish eaten as a ritual on New Year’s for prosperity. This is because black eyed peas are native to Africa, and were brought here by enslaved Africans and paired up with the collard greens. Collard greens are very nutrient dense, and grow well even in poor, sandy soil. This was a vital source of nourishment for slaves that were often given meager rations. The ritual of consuming collard greens as a representation of paper money, and black eyes peas as a symbol of coins arose in the mixing of these cultures.
In my home, one with an African American father from the south and a mother from German and Swedish heritage, our pot was a mix of black eyed peas, sauerkraut and pork, and collards were served separately.
I plan to use my instant pot this time to make my peas, thanks for posting this recipe!
Your New Year’s spread sounds incredible, and I hope the Instant Pot makes the peas even easier this time around. Thank you again for reading, cooking, and for such a thoughtful comment. Happy New Year to you and your family!
What a great recipe! These turned out so delicious. We just loved them. Perfect flavor.
I am so happy to hear you like the recipe!
If i use two pounds of Black-Eyed Peas, how much liquid should I add to the instant pot? This is my first time making this recipe and I assume doubling the liquid contents would be too much.
Hi Molly,
I am so sorry I am just seeing your comment for some reason, next time message me on Facebook so I can respond quicker. You would double the recipe including the liquid.
This is a great recipe!! Easy Peasey! My first time cooking dried black eyed peas in instant pot. Made these today for New Year good luck and it’s a keeper recipe for sure. Thank you for this yummy, easy version. Simple to customize to your taste.
I am so glad it turned out well for you!
So delicious! We love them just like this. No onion, no garlic. Great for a chili night with cornbread! One of our favorites.❣️
I am so happy you liked the recipe! 🙂
so easy and delicious!
i toss a couple of smoked turkey parts (neck, wing, drumstick… pick your poison) in place of the bacon… 🤌🏾
Yum! I am sure that is good!
Delicious. My family loved them and it was easy! I only used 5 slices of bacon.
So glad you liked it, Sara!
Excellent, my family loved it with ham, and cornbread. So easy , delicious!
So glad it was a hit, Lynn!
Served with diced white onion either over rice or cauliflower rice.
Used 2 1/4 cups of soaked peas
3 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of water
One of air fry Turkey wing
Saute in 3 tsp of fat
After cooking too soupy, cook down until a bit thicker about 10 minutes much better
Do you know how to adjust the cook time with soaked peas?
Hi Nick,
If you can keep the same cooking time, the beans will be quite soft. If you don’t want that, cut the cooking time to about 15 minutes.
Simple and tasty. They taste just like the ones my Mom I used to make. Will make again.
Thanks, Chris! I am glad you liked it!
Entire family loved it! Easy too! I only put 3 slices of bacon and it was perfect
Glad you liked it, Kisa! Thanks for stopping by!
Recipe was easy, and super delicious!
Thank you, Natalie! Glad you liked it!
Good, Quick and EASY
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Has anyone tried this with frozen black eyed peas? I have some in the freezer to make and can’t seem to find any recipes using frozen. TIA
Hi Sara,
It’s to my understanding frozen blacked eyed peas are already cooked, so you wouldn’t need to use the instant pot. I would recommend cooking them on the stove for less time.
I am about to make these without chicken broth and ham instead of bacon and I was hoping to find out when to add a splash of apple cider vinegar. Before I cook or after?
Hi Ashley,
It is your personal preference to use water over chicken stock but it will have less flavor, I would use the vinger before or your beans are going to taste very vinegary. I hope you enjoy them!
Made this for our New Year’s Day 2020 meal! Served over brown rice really good. My husband and I enjoyed! I did kick my bowl up a notch by added stewed tomatoes and okra along with Ro Tel diced tomatoes with green chilies. It will definitely be the way to cook black eyed peas in the future and keep the New Year’s tradition going.
Hi Cassandra,
I am sorry for the late response, I am just now seeing your comment. I am so glad you liked them! Thanks for stopping by to let me know! 🙂
My peas turned out perfect! I only have one negative – the bacon frying in the IP is a waste of time. It took so long that I finally just put the bacon into a skillet. I think just frying the bacon that way to begin with is much quicker and you get to your delicious peas much quicker!
2 lbs of peas (little over 5 cups) 13 cups liquid. Salt pork,an onion 40 minutia cook time and 15 minutes natural release, (couldn’t wait any longer to see what I had) Peas were perfect. Just enough liquid that was slightly thick after cooling and pretty tasty. This is the first thing I’ve cooked (I bought extra peas just in case the instapot didn’t work). I am sold and our new year’s dinner for 12 will be a blast. Thanks for a great recipe and everyones comments for inspiration.
I’m cooking for group of 12 for Thanksgiving. Can I add another cup of peas and maybe they won’t be too soupy and have enough peas to serve?
Hi, Kay! Yes, you can add another cup if you like it thicker, you may need to add more liquid though.
Tried this recipe tonight. Turned out fabulous. I subbed 1 teaspoon of bacon grease, 1 tablespoon of canola oil and two onions diced instead of bacon. Delish!
Hi, Becky! So glad you liked it!
I made this tonight and it was superb! Instead of chicken broth, I used a homemade vegetable broth also made in my instant pot using the pulp left over from my juicer! I was a little nervous that it wouldn’t turn out, but tonight we had a little taste of heaven. 🙂 Thank you for this recipe. It is a little soupy, but I loved it this way. one solution to it being too soupy is to blend half of it to make a creamy texture and mix it all together. The creamy beans will hopefully soak up some of the liquid.
Hi Rachel, Thanks for the kind comment. I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
I like black eyed peas and I followed your recipe exactly but when I opened the lid on my instant pot all I had a mushy, soupy mess. I think from now on I’ll just buy canned. My family thought they were horrible and I had to throw them out. It was a total waste of time and money.
Hello, I followed the recipe by adding 3 cups water plus 3 cups chicken stock to 1 lb beans. But the water didn’t absorb in the beans. It’s like bean soup. Is that right? Am I just supposed to pour the liquid out now? I’ve never made black eyed peas before…
Sierra, since it’s made in the instant pot all the water won’t absorb I prefer to drain it off then risk it burning.
Just made these with no changes. Perfect. Great recipe. I used china doll peas.
Paula, I’m so glad you liked it!
Pretty tasty, but the amount of liquid just makes it a soup. I’m not sure how you got the photos you did. Will do again with much less liquid!
Hi Stephanie!
You can maybe add 1/2 cup less liquid to start. I did have some excess liquid as well but it was just left behind in the pot when I scooped the beans. You can also carefully tilt the pot and strain off some liquid.
Twenty minutes worked just fine for peas soaked overnight. Thanks for the recipe:)
Wonderful to heat that, Paula! Thank you 🙂
I’m a Texan who definitely takes my black eyed peas seriously. In addition to bacon, I added 1 1/2 cups of diced ham. My husband and I enjoyed this as a main dish with a fresh green salad and bisquits. Great on a cold evening!
Ham and bacon sounds perfect together!!
I’m so glad you liked it. Thank you, Beverly!
I definitely enjoyed this recipe
Yum!
I’m veggie so omitted the bacon and added lots of spices & garlic. It was great! I would say it was a bit too soupy for my taste. I ended up ladling out some of the liquid to use to cook some rice. Would definitely omit one cup of water next time.
I’m happy to hear that, Alex! I can definitely understand not wanting too much liquid 🙂
I will add, I made a different bean dish that came out a little too liquidy, and I left the pot on “warm” for 2 hours, with the lid of & it evaporated and made the dish nice and thick for leftovers. (For the instant meal, I drained it off my bowl
I ended up with TONS of liquid. What have I done wrong??
Idk but I ended up with a ton of liquid. I did 3 cups of BEP and 9 cups of water. The directions call for a 1/3, BEP/water. I put my brand new instapot on high 30 minutes. I did let some steam out after it naturally released some. I ended up with perfect peas but about 6 cups of liquid. Help please. I so wanted to connect a link to my WW App but my recipe ended up like soup!!
Thanks for a excellent recipe, it’s a good base for me. Because, I have a low sodium diet. The changes made by me was no salt, and reduce the liquid by one cup.
I’m glad it worked well for you, Robert! I would also recommend finding a brand of bacon that would give you lower sodium as well since bacon tends to be quite salty. I’m glad you liked it!
If I wanted to cut the recipe in half would the cook time also be cut in half?
Hi Jeff!
No, the time shouldn’t be affected since pressure cooker cooks evenly throughout the dish. This is how much time the beans will need to cook completely 🙂
If you like your beans more whole and less soft and mushy, you can turn off the pressure cooker after 20-25 minutes. Size of the bean will affect cook time more than amount.
I’ve always been afraid of pressure cookers, but decided to take the plunge on an Instant Pot this past Black Friday. I JUST tried it for the first time tonight with your Black-Eyed Pea recipe and OH MY GOODNESS are these beans awesome! The recipe was easy, and the beans turned out perfect. Hallelujah! Thank you for the great recipe!!!
Welcome to the club, Glenda!
I took that plunge myself about 6 months ago and I love using it on things that normally would take a long time to cook. Love the texture and how fast it’s done 🙂
I’m SO glad you like the peas!
Thank you for the resources that you provide. I received an Instant Pot for Christmas, and this is the first recipe I tried. The peas were delicious! Now, on to my newbie question. If I’d like the peas a little more firm, do I just set the time for less, say 20 instead of 30 minutes?
Thanks again,
Lisa
Hi Lisa!
So glad you liked the peas!
I would say definitely play around with time since you know exactly how firm or soft you like them. Set it to 20 and then give it a try. 🙂
Thanks for the shout-out. I’m a big black-eyed peas fan!
How long Would you cook 2 pounds of black Eye peas in your instinct pot