How to Cook Black Eyed Peas in a Slow Cooker

Black-eyed peas are one of our New Year’s Eve traditions. In the past, we’ve opened up a can of them and sort of swallowed them down with whatever meal we were having. But this year I’ve learned how to cook black eyed peas in a slow cooker and it’s on!

I’ll admit that I felt a little intimidated at the thought of cooking fresh black-eyed peas but I wanted to do something that would bring more flavor to our New Year celebration. Crockpot Black Eyed Peas are here and it’s a completely different experience!

CROCKPOT BLACK EYED PEAS

HOW TO COOK BLACK EYED PEAS IN A SLOW COOKER

I know a lot of people have the tradition of eating black-eyed peas to celebrate the New Year, but you might have been asking yourself a question.

Where did black-eyed peas on New Year’s come from?

All of the traditions have to do with the theme of prosperity and luck. Apparently, for the past 1,500 years or so, people have been eating black-eyed peas for good luck.

Often they’re served with greens and the peas represent coins while the greens represent money. The greens can be a variety of types including collards, mustard, or turnip greens. It usually depends on where you live.

Our tradition never involved greens but now I’m hunting for a great recipe to try! But first I’ve got our slow cooker black-eyed peas recipe to share with you!

CROCK POT BLACK EYED PEAS AND HAM HOCKS

This recipe is perfect for leftovers. If you’ve had a ham for a holiday meal like Thanksgiving or Christmas, save the ham bone to use for this recipe! You can also buy a ham hock to use.

Sometimes we make black-eyed peas as a side dish but they can be served as a main dish too! So it’s a great recipe to have on hand.

You’ll need dried black-eyed peas in addition to your ham bone or ham hock.

HOW TO COOK BLACK EYED PEAS IN A CROCKPOT

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5 from 1 vote

Crockpot Black Eyed Peas

Learn how to make black eyed peas in a slow cooker with this easy Crockpot recipe. The ham adds great flavor to this New Year's Eve tradition! This is also a great Easter recipe!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time6 hours hrs

Servings: 8

Calories: 265

Equipment

• Slow cooker
• Slow Cooker Liners

Ingredients

• 1 16 ounce bag dried black eye peas
• 2 cups cooked ham (cubed)
• 1 leftover ham bone (or ham hock)
• 1 medium onion (diced)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ to 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Open the black-eyed peas and rinse. Look for any rocks or bad beans and remove them.
• Add all of the ingredients, except the salt, into the slow cooker.
• Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours.
• Remove the ham bone and pull apart any meat from the bone. If you don't want to have any meat in the black-eyed peas, then just set aside.
• If including the meat, cube it, and return it to the Crockpot.
• Taste and add salt, as desired.
• Enjoy!

Notes

If you'd like your black-eyed peas to have a creamier texture, remove 1 cup of them from the slow cooker. Mash them and add back to the crock.

Please note: All nutritional values are estimates. Exact values depend on the specific products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 265 kcal

CROCKPOT BLACK EYED PEAS FAQ

What is the best way to cook black eyed peas?

Honestly, I have to say the slow cooker. You can cook them on the stovetop but with this recipe, you basically dump and go. That’s my favorite kind of recipe!

What size Crockpot do I need?

For this recipe, I recommend a 6 QT. Slow Cooker. For easier cleanup, I also recommend using a slow cooker liner.

Crock-Pot Cook & Carry 6-Quart Oval Portable Manual Slow CookerReynolds Kitchens Premium Slow Cooker Liners

What do I do if grease builds up on top of my peas?

You can use a paper towel to remove the fat from the top of the peas. Lay it on top of the grease and remove it quickly.

Do you have to soak black-eyed peas before cooking?

Soaking is not a requirement. But if you’re looking to reduce the cooking time, it will help. You can put the beans in a bowl of water and leave them overnight. Then add them to the recipe.

You can do a quick soak if you use hot water to save time. Pour your peas into a pot and cover them with water. Then bring the water to a boil and let them boil for a few minutes.

But I love this recipe because there is no need to pre-soak!

How long do you cook frozen black eyed peas?

You can use frozen peas for this recipe. I would cook them for the same amount of time as the dried black eyed peas. If you’re looking to reduce the cooking time, soaking dried peas is how you get that. Using frozen back eye peas for this recipe is just an easy swap. You can use whatever is easiest for you.

Do I have to make black eyed peas with ham bone?

You do not! You can substitute bacon or sausage. You can even use a combination of different meats.

What can I serve black-eyed peas with?

You can serve them as a main dish or a side dish! Here are some of our favorite serving ideas:

• Collard greens
• Corn muffins
• Pork chops
• Over rice
• On top of baked potato
• Mashed potatoes

On New Year’s Day we usually make steak and have these as a side dish. But that’s back in the days of canned black-eyed peas. I have a feeling these will be the star of the show as we ring in a new year!

MORE HOLIDAY CROCKPOT RECIPES

• Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
• Crock Pot Corn Casserole
• Crock Pot Garlic Mashed Poatoes

How does your family celebrate the new year with food? I’d love to here more New Year’s Day crock pot ideas!

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