Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas (GF)

Known for being a lucky New Year food, this Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas recipe makes the perfect New Year’s Day main course!

This easy recipe uses only basic ingredients, which makes it fast and easy to make in your Instant Pot pressure cooker.

The best part is black eyed peas taste even better the next day! I hope this recipe brings your entire family prosperity in January and the new year.

Ingredients for Black-Eyed Peas

• 12 ounces thick cut bacon – chopped
• 1 cup onion – diced
• 4 cloves garlic – minced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 pound dry black eyed peas
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Knife
• Cutting Board
• Mixing spoon
• Instant Pot

By the Numbers: How to Make Black Eyed Peas in the Instant Pot

Follow these simple steps to make the best black eyed peas in your Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.

Step 1: Cook Bacon.

The first thing you want to do is to press the Saute button on your Instant Pot. Once it’s warm, you can add 12 ounces of chopped bacon and cook it, stirring frequently, until you’ve rendered most of the fat out of it.

Once most of the fat is cooked down, you want to drain all of the excess grease into a jar. You’ll want to leave about a tablespoon or two of bacon grease in the pot with the bacon to saute the onion in.

Make sure to leave the little bits of bacon too… it gives the peas a nice smoky flavor!

Step 2: Cook Onion and Garlic.

Add 1 cup of diced onion to the cooked bacon and saute until it starts becoming translucent.

Next, stir in 4 cloves of minced garlic and saute until you can smell its aroma, then press the Off button on your Instant Pot to turn off the heat.

Step 3: Deglaze Pot with Chicken Stock.

Pour a small amount of your chicken stock (about ¼ cup) into the bottom of the pot and use a heavy wooden spoon to stir, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot really well to make sure nothing is stuck. If you skip this step, you may end up with a burn notice.

Once the bottom is thoroughly scraped, pour in the rest of the 6 cups of chicken broth, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and a bay leaf.

Step 4: Pressure Cook Black Eyed Peas.

Next, stir in one pound of black eyed peas and securely place the lid on your Instant Pot, put the valve into the sealing position and press the Pressure Cook function button and cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes.

Once the cooking time is complete, you’ll want to allow a full natural pressure release. Open the lid.

Step 5: Serve Black Eyed Peas.

Stir really well, then serve your tasty Black Eyed Peas in a soup bowl or serving dish.

Tips for Making Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas

Answers to your questions about making amazing pressure cooker black-eyed peas.

1. Why are Black Eyed Peas eaten on New Year’s Day?

It’s an old Southern Tradition that says eating black eyed peas is a secret weapon for bringing a prosperous New Year. Making this dish each year can become a fun family tradition like making DIY Party Poppers!

2. Can it be made with a ham hock?

Yes, if you’d like to use a leftover ham bone (or diced ham) rather than bacon, you can add the pre-cooked hock in during cooking. You’ll need to use a little olive oil to saute the onion and garlic in since you won’t have the bacon grease already in the pot.

Tip: If you’re cooking a ham for Christmas, save the hock in the freezer until you’re ready to make this recipe.

3. Is there a vegetarian option?

If you want to make vegetarian black-eyed peas in your Instant Pot, all you have to do is:

1. Skip the bacon and use olive oil to saute the onions.
2. Substitute vegetable broth or filtered water for chicken stock.

This recipe is naturally gluten free and dairy free.

4. How to serve black-eyed peas?

Black-eyed peas are traditionally served in a bowl as a soup. However, if you want to turn it into a heartier meal, you can serve them over over cooked white rice (I like Instant Pot Basmati Rice).

5. How to make spicy black-eyed peas?

We like to keep it mild in our house, but if you want to add some heat to your black eyed-peas, sprinkle in a bit of cayenne pepper or Louisiana hot sauce to take it up a notch.

6. How to store and reheat leftovers?

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also get a silicone Instant Pot lid that fits right over the pot.

To reheat, pour into a small pan on the stove top and cook over low heat until thoroughly heated through.

7. Which stock to use?

I personally like to use my homemade Chicken Stock. However, you can use any stock you get at the store, make yourself or order online.

My favorite brand to buy is Kettle & Fire. They have a good selection and everything is super high quality.

8. Best place to buy quality bacon?

The best bacon is from Butcher Box! Seriously, it’s so good and there’s no sugar added. It doesn’t shrink up the way some bacon does either.

We also get bacon ends and pieces in our Misfits Market order regularly because it’s reasonably priced and can be shipped out with our weekly produce order. I love the flavor of the ends in pieces in recipes like these Black Eyed Peas.

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