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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.
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This recipe is a keeper! I am going to use this recipe with any type of bean. Absolutely delicious!!!
I’m not sure if I commented already, so I’m sorry if I’m repeating myself. This is a most excellent recipe. I subbed one smal chipotle for the jalapeno, and fried the mire poix in bacon fat instead of adding ham and bacon. I did end up cooking for 28 minutes total. I like my beans really soft and velvety.
I think I forgot to give a star rating – 5 Stars!!! Delicious.
So, I’ll start by saying this recipe was DELICIOUS! I’ll also add that I don’t cook. In fact, I’ll confess I had no idea what a ham hock was until I asked the butcher for one at the grocery. That being said, I bought myself an Instapot before Christmas thinking that it was time I cook more, especially in light of the pandemic. This recipe was the first meal I cooked in my Instapot (black eye peas + New Year’s Day = not taking any chances with 2021). I followed the recipe to the letter and it turned out perfect! I served over white rice with cornbread. The flavor was so good (maybe the ham hock?). I will make this a New Year’s day tradition!
Also, just by chance, I had to google how to set up and test my Instapot because the written directions weren’t so great. I found your videos and they were so helpful! Thanks so much. Looking forward to trying more recipes with my Instapot.
What a great way to start 2021! I’m delighted to have provided you with a recipe you could make with such success!
Great recipe. I just made it for New Year 2021 and it’s so good. I even added the collard greens and no one complained.
Never made this before. I did start cooking bacon lardons first then added onions and peppers, etc. Also just cut up some ham since didn’t have bone. I didn’t use celery because my husband can’t eat it. I also used frozen black eyed peas. Maybe should have used more than 1 bag? Had a lot of broth but still, so very good! I’m keeping this recipe! Thanks for sharing!!!
Amazing recipe! We had some leftover Christmas 2020 ham so I diced it up and browned it like bacon and it was killer. The only other substitutions I made was adding a can of diced tomatoes, spinach, and made the whole bag of dried beans w/ 6 cups of water and a whole hamhock. YUMMO! I wish I could add a picture. Lets hope this dish brings us some much needed luck after 2020.
This recipe is spot on and damn delicious! Many thanks and Happy New Year!!
I do own an Instant Pot, so after 70+ years of eating southern style BEP I wanted to try something different. I am so happy I tried this recipe because it is absolutely delicious. We will be eating BEP more frequently in the coming year.
I did modify the recipe slightly by using 1/2 red bell pepper and 1/2 green pepper. Other than that, the recipe is spot on.
Thank you for opening up my pallet to new flavors.
Outstanding! I used a meaty hambone that had been hanging out in my freezer. Did not add the bacon and can’t say it really needs it. Loved using the smoked paprika. Overall, tons of flavor with a little kick. So glad I found-and tried-this recipe. It’s a keeper!!