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Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas are so delicious, and they are a fast cooking bean! Don’t even bother soaking them, just season them with great ingredients, and have a fortuitous bowl of good-luck-bringing, pressure cooked black-eyed peas. Don’t forget the collard greens, this recipe has them as a tasty option! Make pressure cooker black eyed peas and Steam in the New Year!
Originally published 12/29/2017
Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas
A long held tradition in the Southern United States is eating black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year’s Day for good luck. The more black-eyed peas you eat, the more luck you will have.
The peas (actually beans) swell when cooked, so they symbolize prosperity; the greens symbolize money; the pork, because pigs root forward when foraging, represents positive motion (according to Wikipedia).
This tradition is very popular, and black-eyed peas appear in recipes such as Cowboy Caviar in Texas, to Hoppin’ John in Alabama, to Peas with Ham up in North Carolina (according to Southern Living).
The Black-Eyed Peas are usually cooked with some kind of pork, for flavor, and though I was told that a good Southerner does not cook collard greens with the black-eyed peas, I did anyway. I’m from Seattle (Mom from the South).
This Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas recipe is fast cooking, for a dry beans recipe, so it makes sense, and tastes great, to cook the collards with the beans. However, if you do not like that method, I have a fabulous Instant Pot Collard Greens recipe that you can make separately!
If you like a more traditional version of black-eyed peas, try my Southern Black-Eyed Peas recipe
Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens (or without) are a delicious meal to enjoy any time of the year!
This has been a fun and also challenging year for me, and I’m curious to see what the next year will bring!
I want to thank you all for reading my blog posts, trying my recipes, and supporting Simply Happy Foodie in this first couple of years of being an official food recipe blog. If you ever have ideas or requests, please reach out to me. You can find me on Facebook, Pinterest, or leave me a comment here.
Happy New Year!
Southern Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas
Instant Pot Collard Greens
Instant Pot Ham Hock and Bean Soup
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice with Sausage
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
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If you make this amazing pressure cooker black-eyed peas recipe, please leave a comment with a star rating below. I’d love to know how you liked it!
Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 small Onion, chopped
- 2 Celery Ribs (Stalks), diced
- 1 Bell Pepper, red or green
- 2 small Bay Leaves
- 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
- 3 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Coarse Salt, or 3/4 tsp table salt
- 4 cloves Garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 Jalapeño Pepper, seeded and diced small
- 3 ½ cups Chicken Broth, low sodium
- 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1-2 slices Bacon, chopped
- 1 small Ham Hock (or meaty ham bone)
- 1 ¼ cups Black-Eyed Peas, dry*
- 2 cups Collard Greens, (optional) chopped in 2" pieces
Instructions
- Turn the pressure cooker on to the Sauté function. When the display reads Hot, add the oil.
- Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to turn translucent.
- Add the thyme, smoked paprika, pepper, and salt. Stir.
- Add the garlic and jalapeño. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
- Add the broth, balsamic vinegar, bacon, and ham hock.
- Stir in the black-eyed peas, and collard greens, if using.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker, locking it in place. Set the steam release knob to the Sealing position. Cancel the Sauté function.
- Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button (or dial) and use the + or - button (or dial) to select 17 minutes (for firmer beans choose 14 minutes). High Pressure.
- When the cooking cycle has ended and the pot beeps, let it sit undisturbed for 15 minutes (15 minute Natural Release), then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to release the remaining steam/pressure.
- When the pin in the lid drops down, open it and give the contents a stir. Discard bay leaves and ham hock (the ham hock won't be tender, it is for flavor, but if you can get some meat off of it, add it to the pot!).
- Serve over rice for a Hoppin' John, or as is. Enjoy with cornbread to sop up that yummy broth! Happy New Year! Or, any time of year!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
RESOURCES TO MAKE Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas Recipe and More
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There’s a hit right out of the park! Thanks, great recipe. I didn’t have smoked paprika, so just used paprika. However, the ham had been smoked in mesquite, so, VOILA. My S/O never “liked” black eyed peas in over 60 years of trying. She absolutely LOVED these, is raving about them. I’m gonna cook up some good rice now and we’ll have Hoppin’ John for our New Year intro! BTW, I didn’t have greens so chopped up some kale and parsley to get lots of green flowing our way! Thanks for making our life that much better!
An extra star for changing hearts about food! Six stars!!!!
Thank you, Jim! I’m very glad you and your S/O enjoyed this recipe! Happy New Year!
Making this today. My ham hock is frozen. Any suggestions on how to adjust the cook time?
Keep the cook time the same,. The beans will be overcooked if you add time. You could precook the frozen ham hock for 10 minutes, then depressurize and add the beans and red bell pepper, then cook as directed.
Do I need to adjust the cook time if I have already soaked the beans?
Yes, you will need to reduce the cook time. I think about 8 minutes. You can add time if they are not fully cooked after that. I haven’t tried soaked beans in this recipe, but that is my guess based on other soaked bean recipes.
When using a ham bone, should I cook it first, then add the rest and cook as directed?
I think so. Cook the bone and broth, etc. (except bell pepper and collards, if using) for about 25 minutes, then add the beans, bell pepper, and collards and cook as directed in the recipe.
I was thinking of adding smoked sausage. Do you think I should do this during cooking or sauté it separately and add it after?
If it is a link style, just slice it and add it in. If it is ground, cook it first.
Hi, this looks delicious!
I always get confused between stalks and ribs of celery, but I think you mean ribs, because 2 stalks would be 2 bunches if I am to believe the cooking dictionaries and it seems like it would be too much for that amount of beans? So is it 2 bunches or 2 sticks of celery?
Thanks!
The terms rib and stalk are both used to described a single piece (stick) of celery.
Thanks! That’s what I thought. Happy New Year!
I Could not find collard greens at my grocery store. I got Kale instead do you think I will have the same results?
The kale is less hardy than collard greens, so just add it after pressure cooking and put the lid on, letting the kale cook in the residual heat for 10 to 15 minutes. If you like it even softer, try the sauté setting for a few minutes, stirring occasionally (no lid).
I waited too long to shop and all of the dried beans were sold out at the store. I did find frozen black-eyed peas however. Any thoughts on if there should be time adjustment for cooking or leave everything as-is?
I believe the frozen beans are already cooked. If so, then you will only need to cook for 8 to 10 minutes. The thing is, the ham hock or ham bone will need to cook longer to get the most flavor. I would do a 2 step method. Step 1 will cook the ham hock or ham bone and get the meat tender and extract the most flavor from it. I would add everything except the frozen beans. Then cook for the time indicated in the recipe. Release pressure. Then I would add the beans and cook for 8-10 minutes, if the frozen beans are precooked. I would try to thaw them a bit first as well as the pot will take longer to come back up to pressure otherwise.
Peas. They are called peas, not black-eyed beans.
Haha! Did I call them black-eyed beans?! I’ll have to go look. 😀
Well, according to the Library of Congress, they are actually a bean. But who cares what they are called, they are delicious!!
Is there any difference with frozen black eyed peas? Making today for tomorrow. more cook time or less?
If you are using a ham hock, I would make this is 2 stages. Stage 1 will cook the ham hock or ham bone and get the meat tender and extract the most flavor from it. I would add everything except the frozen beans. Then cook for the time indicated in the recipe. Then I would add the beans and cook for 8-10 minutes, if the frozen beans are precooked. I would try to thaw them a bit first as well as the pot will take longer to come back up to pressure otherwise.
What’s your method of cooking the ham hock? And for how long should I do that? I’m just making these today
I buy my ham hocks smoked, so in the pot they go with the beans/peas.
Do you cook the bacon or just put it in raw?
I just toss it in raw, and it will cook in the liquid and give off the smoky flavor.
Thank you so much!!! It was delicious!!!!
Thank you so much! These were delicious!!!! Do you have a recipe for stove cooking? I told my best friend how good these were and she wants the recipe, but she doesn’t have an instant pot.