Southerners know to eat black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year’s Day. According to legendary Southern food expert John Egerton’s book Southern Cooking: Home, Travel, History, black-eyed peas are associated with “mystical, mythical powers that bring good luck.” And there are plenty of black-eyed pea recipes to get you in the new year on a good note, from Classic Hoppin’ John to Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas. But the Southern favorite bean goes way beyond the slow cooker on January 1. From salads to chili, black-eyed peas make a hearty addition to any recipe. Try Smoky Black Eyed Pea Hummus or Southwest Black Eyed Pea Dip instead of your usual Rotel Dip for your Super Bowl party this year. We’ve also added black-eyed peas to other Southern classics like squash casserole, Cobb salad, and hush puppies. If you’re looking for fun new ways to eat black-eyed peas, these hearty, easy recipes are just the thing.
Becky Luigert Stayner
The aroma of this Beef & Black-Eyed Peach Chili fills the air the moment you remove the cornbread from the skillet. Add chili meat, sweet onion, black-eyed peas, and beer to your Dutch oven and you’ll have a delicious bowl of chili ready in under an hour. Serve as is or top with jalapeño slices, cheddar cheese, and pico de gallo. You can’t go wrong with it any way you like it. So grab a spoon and start enjoying this chili today!
Jennifer Davis
This recipe proves that black-eyed peas are perfect for summer. Tangy watercress replaces traditional greens, while peaches, coriander and black-eyed peas add freshness. Red pepper jelly is used in the sweet and spicy dressing. Buy your favorite or make your own using peppers from your garden.
Van Chaplin
Why not switch things up by combining two of our favorite Southern dishes into one? Black eyed peas are simmered with tomatoes, green chiles, corn and smoked ham, and served with creamy, cheesy grits. The flavors in this dish make it the perfect alternative to chili on cold winter nights.
Alison Miksch
Made with rice, peas, chopped vegetables and breadcrumbs, the patties add a crunchy texture to every bite, but the tomato-jalapeno gravy makes it even tastier.We recommend cooking the rice 1-2 days in advance so it dries out.
Beth Dreiling Hontzas
Try Hoppin’ John, which is light and refreshing with fresh mint, parsley and jalapeño peppers. After cooking the peas, simply mix with the other ingredients and chill for 2 hours. This salad makes a comforting and stimulating side dish to accompany any spring or summer main dish.
Photo: Ian Bagwell
While Hoppin’ John is typically served hot, this cold salad is perfect for a summer picnic or lunch. This salad also makes great use of leftovers from our Classic Fresh Field Peas Recipe. Feel free to use your favorite cooked whole grain in place of the rice.
Southern Living
Roasting black-eyed peas gives them a crispy texture that makes them perfect for snacking. All you need for this one-step recipe is a baking sheet and a few ingredients you might have in your pantry. Chili powder and cumin give the beans a flavorful coating that won’t disappoint your guests.
Jennifer Davis
This version of Hoppin’ John uses quick and easy grocery store ingredients like jarred roasted red peppers and pre-prepared salsa to add flavor without the hassle. The bacon crisps up in a skillet before adding it to the slow cooker for extra flavor. We recommend garnishing this dish with hot sauce and bright green chopped parsley.
Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Tory Cox
This tailgate staple is one of our food editors’ favorite sneakily healthy recipes to serve on game day. Our Texas Caviar features the expected black-eyed peas, onions, and bell peppers, with chopped green tomatoes added for added tang. Toss with your favorite Italian dressing and serve with tortilla chips.
Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist: Kristin Keeley
This is a foolproof way to cook black-eyed peas, whether you serve them as a side dish over rice or as a main dish. We’ll show you how to cook fresh peas in a Dutch oven, or dried peas in a slow cooker. Either way, they’re simmered in a flavorful broth made with broth, bacon, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme.
Antonis Achilleos, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis, Food Styling: Emily Neighbors Hall
Store-bought rotisserie chicken and refrigerated tortellini make an easy lunch or dinner. This recipe tosses a homemade basil vinaigrette with pasta, chicken, tomatoes, black-eyed peas, corn, arugula, and toasted pecans. But this versatile salad recipe works well with whatever vegetables you have in your fridge or garden.
Erin Kunkel. Styling by Melissa Padilla
Chef Sheldon Simeon shares his latest Hoppin’ John recipe that will earn you the title of top chef in your family. Black-eyed peas are enhanced with tender, fall-off-the-bone oxtail and apple cider vinegar. Serve over fluffy rice.
Photography: Alison Miksch, Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland, Food Styling: Melissa Gray
Use your Instant Pot to prepare beans and vegetables in a new way this New Year’s Day. Smoked ham hocks infuse every spoonful with smoky flavor, while tomatoes add color and texture. Thanks to the Instant Pot, this dish comes together faster than your average black-eyed pea soup. It pairs perfectly with cornbread and a cold beer.
Antonis Achilleos, Prop Styling: Christina Lane, Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos
We’ve turned our Texas Caviar ingredients into a warm cheese dip that’s perfect for any football party. Prepare the dish the day before and pop it in the oven before the game. Top with fresh salsa and serve with tortilla chips.
Prop Styling: Antonis Achilleos; Heather Chadak Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Neighbors Hall
It doesn’t get any easier than a soup recipe that makes dinner in your slow cooker. The kale and tomatoes are added at the end to retain their fresh flavor and vibrant color. This recipe works with any sausage that will warm you from the inside out.
Greg Dupree, Prop Styling: Ginny Branch, Food Styling: Anna Hampton
Filled with corn, black-eyed peas, and plenty of melted cheese, these stuffed peppers are cooked on the grill until lightly charred and full of smoky flavor. This colorful dish makes a delicious vegetarian dinner or the perfect side dish for grilled steak, chicken, or fish. Grilled peppers taste better with the skin on, so we recommend peeling the poblanos.
Allison Miksch, Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl, Food Styling: Mary Claire Britton
If you’ve never made Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day before, this recipe is a great place to start. It uses thick-cut bacon and the holy trinity of Cajun cooking: onion, celery, and bell peppers to create this quintessential soul food staple. As per tradition, serve it over rice.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
This recipe for Southern Fried Hummus will be a hit with your friends during the Super Bowl. It uses canned black-eyed peas instead of chickpeas and is seasoned with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and other great flavors found in Middle Eastern hummus. Smoked paprika adds beautiful color.
Greg Dupree, Prop Styling: Mindy Shapiro Levin, Food Styling: Tori Cox
This old-fashioned casserole was created in 1987. We love every bite of cheese, and you won’t go home hungry after eating this summer reunion side dish featuring summer squash, sausage, black-eyed peas, and a crescent-shaped bread roll crust.
Photography: Allison Miksch, Prop Styling: Kay E. Clark, Food Styling: Tory Cox
Inspired by Texas caviar, this colorful vegetarian dish can be served as a main or as a base for grilled proteins like chicken or shrimp. Made from cracked wheat, bulgur is a cracked, partially cooked whole wheat grain that’s easy to prepare at home. As a whole grain, it’s naturally high in fiber and is low in fat, low in calories, vegetarian and even vegan.
Photography and styling: Kaitlyn Bensel
This Instant Pot recipe couldn’t be easier: just add the ingredients and you’re ready to go. Our test kitchen pros love how the popular appliance turned out perfectly creamy beans that hold their shape without being mushy. Super tender with a smoky ham flavor, these Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas have all the flavor you could want.
Victor Protacio, Food Styling: Richon Hannahs, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
This classic salad recipe gets a Southern twist with black-eyed peas and cornbread croutons. Packed with protein and veggies, this salad is a hearty main dish that requires just 35 minutes of prep time, and the punchy, bright dressing complements a variety of toppings.
Jennifer Causey, Prop Stylist: Lindsay Lower, Food Stylist: Tory Cox
This University of Georgia-inspired appetizer will become your new favorite tailgate recipe, even if you don’t root for the University of Georgia. The caviar is seasoned with a mixture of rice vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, and garlic powder that’s been quickly simmered in a pan. Refrigerate for 4 hours to allow the flavors to meld.
Becky Luigert Stayner
A Lowcountry classic transformed into these piping hot, delicious fritters. Cornmeal mix is tossed with seasoned peas, shredded country ham, cooked long grain rice, green onions and jalapeños. Deep fried and served with a delicious tomato corn relish.
This easy soup is the most comforting way to enjoy peas and veggies on New Year’s Day. For another twist, add some smoked turkey wings and chopped country ham. Day-old cornbread makes the perfect cornbread croutons to accompany a piping hot bowl of Hoppin’ John.
