New Year’s Day Black Eyed Peas is a traditional Southern dish said to bring you good luck. Learn how to make the classic recipe yourself!
Smoky ham and black-eyed peas come together for the ultimate comforting Side Dish perfect for the cold winter months! For another equally traditional black-eyed peas dish, check out my recipe for Hoppin’ John!
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Sabrina’s New Year’s Day Black-Eyed Pea Recipe
This is an easy recipe for traditional Southern Black-Eyed Peas, but you do need to plan ahead and give yourself about a day to make them. Black-eyed peas are actually beans and they need to be soaked overnight. The black-eyed beans are cooked slowly for about 3 hours with a smoked ham hock so not only do you get mouthwatering flavor, but the beans and ham are super tender.
Chef’s Note: A New Year’s Tradition
Dating back to the Civil War, black-eyed peas are part of the traditional New Year’s Day meal and are said to bring you good fortune. They’re often served with Collard Greens and Cornbread to represent wealth and prosperity to come. In this tradition, the peas represent coins, the greens represent bills, and cornbread represents gold. Pigs are also a sign of prosperity, so round out your New Year’s Day meal with a Roast Pork Loin or Crown Pork Roast!
Ingredients
- Black-eyed peas: you’ll need 1 pound of dried black-eyed peas for this recipe. Although they’re called peas, these are actually beans and need to be soaked overnight. Make sure to clean them well to pick out any rocks or debris.
- Ham Hock: This recipe calls for one smoked ham hock or pork knuckle on the bone. Ham hock takes a long time to cook, so it’s perfect for this recipe since it will have hours to break down and infuse the beans with its rich, smoky flavor.
- Bacon: The 6 slices of bacon give this dish even more savory, salty, and smoky flavor. You’ll crisp up the bacon first and cook the veggies in the fat, then add the bacon back in at the end.
- Vegetables: Diced yellow onion, carrot, and celery stalk are foundational flavoring ingredients in this classic dish. This combination of vegetables is known as mirepoix in French cooking. It’s often used to flavor soups, meat, and other savory recipes.
- Chicken broth: Using chicken broth instead of water as the cooking liquid gives the beans a delicious depth of flavor.
- Bay Leaf: Bay leaves are a very aromatic fragrant herb that adds a lot of flavor. You put them in whole so it’s easy to remove them at the end because they aren’t really edible. (They are super tough and pungent.)
- Pepperoncini: Pepperoncini is a mild Italian pepper that adds a bright tangy vinegar flavor and a hint of heat.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Colander: Add the dry beans to a colander and run cold water through them to remove as much dirt as possible from the outside.
- Large bowl: After rinsing the beans, add them to a large bowl and fill it with water to cover. Soaking the beans overnight softens them so they don’t take as long to cook the next day.
- Large pot: Cook your Black Eyed Peas recipe in a Dutch oven or another large pot you have a lid for.
- Wooden spoon: Use a sturdy kitchen spoon to stir the ingredients and fish out bay leaves before serving.
How to Make
Time needed: 11 hours and 30 minutes.
- Prepare black-eyed peas
Pour the dry black-eyed peas onto a clean kitchen towel and pick through to remove any rocks and non-beans. Rinse the beans well under cold water. Place them in a large bowl with water and let them soak overnight.
- Cook the bacon
Add the bacon to a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until crispy, then remove it from the pot.
- Prepare bean mixture:
Add the ham hock, onions, carrots, and celery to the same pot. Cook in the bacon grease for 5 minutes. Then in the soaked beans, chicken broth, pepperoncini, bay leaves, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring the Black Eyed Peas recipe to a simmer. Reduce and stir the soaked beans, chicken broth, pepperoncini, bay leaves, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring the Black Eyed Peas recipe to a simmer. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the lid. Cook covered for 3 hours.
- Finish:
Add the bacon back into the pot. Take out the ham hock and use a knife to remove the meat from the bone. Add the ham back into the pot and discard the bone. Remove the bay leaves from the Black Eyed Peas and serve with other Southern dishes.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
- 6 slices bacon , diced
- 1 smoked ham hock , or a leftover ham hock on the bone
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 1 carrot , diced
- 2 stalks celery , diced
- 7 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup pepperoncinis , roughly chopped
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the beans on a clean kitchen towel and pick through for any rocks or non-beans.
- Rinse the beans well then place in a large bowl of water and let the beans soak overnight.
- Add the bacon and to a large pot or dutch oven on medium heat.
- Remove the bacon when it's crispy.
- Add in the ham hock, onion, carrots and celery, stir and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add in the soaked beans, chicken broth, pepperoncinis, bay leaves, salt and black pepper.
- Stir well bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 3 hours, covered.
- Add the bacon back into the pan, remove the ham hock and remove the meat from the bone, discarding the bone and putting the meat back in the pot.
- Discard bay leaves before serving.
Nutrition
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Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes. Black-eyed peas are an excellent recipe to prepare ahead of time. Preparing the dish in advance can make your holiday less stressful, and the extra time allows the flavor to develop more before serving. Follow the standard recipe instructions to prepare New Year’s Day Black-Eyed Peas. Then, let them cool and store them in the fridge for 1-2 days before serving. On the day of, reheat them on the stovetop and enjoy!
Nutritional Facts
Cooking Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Remember to soak the beans! Dried beans take hours to cook, but you can cut down on the cooking time by soaking them in water overnight. Soaking softens the beans slightly and helps them cook quickly.
- Don’t open the pot. While cooking, it’s best to keep the lid closed. This keeps the beans at a nice simmer and helps to cook the recipe evenly with all the heat trapped.
How to Store
- Store: Let any leftover Black Eyed Peas cool to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container to store in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Reheat: Simply reheat the beans on the stovetop over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, to serve.
- Freeze: Store the peas in a shallow, freezer-safe container and keep them frozen for up to 6 months. Let the recipe thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Slow Cooker Black-Eyed Peas
Start by cooking the bacon in a separate pan. Add the dried beans to your slow cooker (you don’t have to presoak this version). Add the ham hock, onion, carrots, chicken broth, and other ingredients aside from the bacon. Cover and cook on high for 7 hours. Remove the ham hock and bay leaves. Shred the meat and add it back to the beans, discarding the ham hock bone. Stir in the bacon and serve.
Frequent Questions
They’re called black-eyed peas because of the black portion at the center of the bean. These beans are also known as goat peas and southern peas.
Yes! Black-eyed peas are high in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals like iron and magnesium. They are low in fat, making them a healthy addition to meals.
Variations
- Meat: Instead of a ham hock, you can use bone-in smoked turkey or smoked chicken pieces. You want it to be smoked and on the bone for the best flavor, just make sure to remove any bones at the end. You could also use a leftover Baked Ham bone with a good amount of meat on it.
- Seasoning: I keep the seasonings pretty simple to let the smoked ham flavor shine but feel free to add more flavor. Herbs like thyme and parsley would work well. You can also add minced garlic or garlic powder. For some heat, add a bit of your favorite hot sauce or red pepper flakes.
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