Bacon Black Eyed Peas
Bacon Black Eyed Peas are a New Year’s tradition that’ll bring you luck all year long! Tender, flavorful beans and bacon are a perfect pair!
Why We Love Black-Eyed Peas for New Years
- Black eyed peas were a tradition at my grandma’s house on New Year’s day growing up. So they have a big old soft spot in my heart for them.
- These peas are great with leftover Christmas ham and are just so comforting on cold days. I’ve even skipped the bacon in this recipe and added chopped up ham to the pot at the end until it’s warmed through.
- This recipe makes a BIG batch of black eyed peas. So you can share with friends and family or enjoy leftovers all week.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Black-Eyed Peas
BLACK-EYED PEAS: You’ll need dried blackk-eyed peas for this dish. They’ll be with the bags of dried beans, not in the canned food area of the store.
SEASONING: We’re using seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, pepper, cayenne, and bay leaves to flavor the peas. Oh, and you’ll use some butter to finish things off. Yum!
BROTH: It is important to use unsalted chicken stock for this recipe. You don’t want the peas to be too salty, and you can always add more salt if needed later.
PRODUCE: Grab a small sweet onion, a few cloves of garlic, and a bunch of parsley.
How to Cook Black Eyed Peas
Jump to RecipeSTEP 1 Soak the black eyed peas overnight in a bowl covered in water or use the “quick soak” method below. Drain the peas and set them aside. Place the bacon into a large pot over medium heat and cook until it’s crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
STEP 2 Add the onions to the bacon drippings still in the pot. Cook the onions until they’re softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, pepper, and cayenne to the pot and stir everything together.
STEP 3 Add the drained peas to the pot along with the chicken stock and bay leaves and then give that all a stir. Bring the pot to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook the peas for 60-90 minutes. Be sure to stir the pot occasionally. When the peas are tender, they’re ready.
STEP 4 To finished off the peas, remove the bay leaves and then add the butter and half the bacon to the pot. Stir the pot until the butter has melted. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle some parsley and the rest of the bacon on top and you’re ready to eat.
Tips & Tricks
- If you do not have time to soak the black-eyed peas overnight, you can do a “quick soak”. Add the peas to a large pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and allow the peas to soak for 1 hour. Drain the water off, transfer the peas to a bowl, and continue with the rest of the recipe.
- The peas are very lightly spicy. If you want more of a kick, double the cayenne or swap out for chipotle powder for a smokey spice. You can also add some of your favorite hot sauce.
- The peas will thicken as they sit, so when you go to reheat them, you may need to add some water or more unsalted chicken stock to loosen them up. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Add a splash or two of red wine vinegar to your serving for peas for an extra flavorful experience. The tart from the vinegar works well with the richness of the peas.
- You can easily make this recipe vegetarian by skipping the bacon (but why would you?!) and swapping out for unsalted vegetable broth.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Black-Eyed Peas Recipe FAQ
Do you need to soak black eyes peas before cooking them?
You don’t have to soak your beans.
Soaking the bean overnight (or using the “quick soak” method above) drastically reduces the cooking time needed to make the beans tender. You can cook them from dry, they’ll just take much much longer to cook.
How long to cook black eyed peas?
After soaking, the peas need to cook for 60-90 minutes. The time will vary based on how tender you like your black eyed peas.
Why do we eat black-eyes peas on New Year’s Day?
Eating black eyed peas on New Year’s Day is said to bring good luck, health, and prosperity in the coming year.
Are black-eyed peas beans or peas?
Black-eyed peas are a type of cowpea in the bean and pea family. Even though it’s called a “pea” they’re actually beans. Confusing right?!
Other Recipes You May like
- Southern Fried Corn
- Roasted Cabbage with Bacon
- Crockpot Baked Beans
- Creamed Spinach with Bacon
- Bacon Jalapeno Creamed Corn
- Loaded Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
Bacon Black Eyed Peas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces thick-cut bacon cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 small sweet onion peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
- 4 cups unsalted chicken stock (see note)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Place the black-eyed peas into a large bowl. Cover with water and let them soak overnight, or at least 8 hours. (see note for a faster option)
- Place a dutch oven over medium heat, and cook the bacon until crispy, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Leave the bacon drippings in the pot.
- Add the onion to the pot and cook until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, pepper, and cayenne to the pot. Stir in the spices and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the black-eyed peas, chicken stock, and bay leaves to the pot, and stir it together. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Simmer the peas for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally. They are done when the peas are tender. Remove the bay leaves.
- Add the butter and stir until it has melted into the peas. Stir in half the bacon. Give the peas a taste and add salt & pepper if needed. Serve with the remaining bacon and chopped parsley on top for garnish.
Notes
- It is important to use unsalted chicken stock. You don’t want the peas to be too salty, and you can always add more salt if needed later.
- If you do not have time to soak the black-eyed peas overnight, you can do a “quick soak”. Add the peas to a large pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and allow the peas to soak for 1 hour. Drain the water off, transfer the peas to a bowl, and continue with the rest of the recipe.
- The peas are very lightly spicy. If you want more of a kick, double the cayenne or swap out for chipotle powder for a smokey spice. You can also add some of your favorite hot sauce.
- The peas will thicken as they sit, so when you go to reheat them, you may need to add some water or more unsalted chicken stock to loosen them up. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.