Black Eyed Peas and Rice

Black eyed peas and rice is yet another tweak from our ever popular Instant Pot Hoppin John recipe!! A New Years Day recipe that is supposed to bring you luck for the new year, but can be made year round with ham or vegetarian.

Crockpot Black Eyed Peas and Rice

Eating black eyed peas on New Years is an Old Fashioned fable about bringing good luck, or is it? Whether it does or not you will love this hearty meal with tomatoes, peppers and TONS of flavor. We did share Crockpot Black Eyed Peas Recipe a while back but that was more plain and not with any grains at all either.

There are three main ways to cook this, we will focus on 2 below. If you wanted the fastest possible you would want to follow our Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas and Ham steps. You don’t have to add meat to that one at all if you want to keep it vegetarian but that does add a lot of flavor to the dish.

Black Eyed Peas with Rice

We shared here How Long to Cook Black Eyed Peas a number of different ways. In a Crock takes longer but it is a hands off way to make it in the morning and having your meal ready when you get home.

If you do choose to add meat with bones, add at the beginning and remove the ham hocks 30 minutes before serving. Dice meat, discard bones and it’s a great way to add lots more flavor, but optional of course.

• 1 cup dry, cooked in rice cooker or as Instant Pot white rice to fold in at the end.
• 2 c black eyed peas dry, rinsed, soaked in water overnight
• Onion diced
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 bell peppers diced
• Celery sliced
• 1 can diced tomatoes 15 oz.
• 4 c vegetable broth
• Smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or more for heat
• Bay leaves are optional

Some people would refer to this as Slow Cooker Hoppin John. A term for New Year’s, but can be certainly enjoyed all year long. After the holidays to add protein you could dice up smoked turkey or ham and throw that in there too.

Recipe with Black Eyed Peas and Rice

If you live in the south you likely have made the classic pairing of Beans and Cornbread and may have your own spices that are a must for y’all. Go ahead and add those too. Here are basic steps and ingredients to create a savory, mild one pot meal. You can make this spicy a number of different ways such as;

1. A sprinkle of red pepper flakes is easiest.
2. But if you have jalapeno powder I like that flavor better.
3. Chili powder is popular but I don’t think it offers as much zing.
4. Tobasco sauce works for heat.
5. Sriracha will give it a bit of an Asian tweak.

For either method you need to use soaked peas. Rinse out of bag, pour into a bowl covered with water + 2″ above them. Sit on countertop overnight. In morning drain, rinse and continue…. For a lower calorie duo you can use veggies like Black Eyed Peas and Cabbage.

Slow cooker black eyed peas and rice

Put everything into crockpot except rice, cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until as tender as you’d like. 30 minutes before it finishes make rice in pressure cooker, rice maker or on stovetop. Fold in cooked rice before serving.

Traditional New Years Eve Dinner

Black eyed peas and rice on the stove – In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent.

• Add the soaked and drained black-eyed peas to the pot. Stir well to combine with the sautéed vegetables. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices. Add the smoked paprika, cumin powder, cayenne pepper (if using), salt, and black pepper. Mix everything together.
• Pour in the vegetable or chicken broth, ensuring that the black-eyed peas are covered with liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot.
• Let it simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the black-eyed peas are tender. Stir occasionally and add more broth if needed.
• While the black-eyed peas are simmering, prepare the rice in a separate saucepan, rice cooker or pressure cooker to fluffy.
• Fluff the rice with a fork.

Once the black-eyed peas are tender, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. If the mixture is too thick, add a bit more broth or water. Fold in cooked rice and serve.