This easy Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas recipe is super rich & flavorful, with smokey bacon, pimento, & spices that give the tender peas a kick! No soaking required.
❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- WAY BETTER THAN CANNED. Instead of canned black-eyed peas, try this instead. It's so much more flavorful and has a thick, rich texture that you just can't get in a can.
- NO NEED TO SOAK the black-eyed peas here. They're a really easy bean to cook in the pressure cooker and, when you add a couple of staple ingredients, they're rich and spicy with a really smokey flavor that is absolutely delicious.
- PAIRS PERFECTLY with so many different main courses, or stands on its own as a whole meal!
🫛 Ingredients
- 12 oz bacon - If you need a little bit of a shortcut, use a 5oz bag of real bacon pieces instead.
- 1 cup diced ham - I like to use the pre-diced ham you find in the deli section.
- 4 oz jarred diced pimento - Make sure to get the diced pimento and not pimento slices.
- 1 diced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic - This is roughly 2 large cloves of garlic
- 1 cup dry black-eyed peas - Don't be intimidated by dry beans! These are super small, so they're easy to cook to perfection in a pressure cooker.
- seasonings - We'll be using 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less for heat), 2 bay leaves, and 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 cups chicken stock or chicken broth
- 3oz tomato paste - About half of a standard can
Variations & Additions
- Make this a vegan and vegetarian dish by leaving out the ham & bacon and using vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
- I didn't include a ham hock in the recipe because they can be intimidating and hard to find, and I wanted to make this one easy. However, if you have one on hand, throw it in with the peas - it will give your dish a ton of flavor!
Want more simple, delicious side dishes? You'll love this recipe for Baked Okra or these Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes.
🍲 How to Make Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas
- COOK BACON AND HAM. Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Once hot, add 12oz chopped bacon and 1 cup diced ham.
- Cook bacon and ham for 8-10 minutes, until some of the bacon fat is rendered. Turn off the heat and remove all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot.
Cooking Tip
If you have browned bits starting to stick to the bottom of the pot, pour a splash of chicken broth into the pan and scrape up the bits with a wooden spoon.
The pot won't pressure cook with food stuck to the bottom of the pan. Plus, those yummy browned bits will give your black-eyed peas a ton of smokey flavor.
- ADD ONION AND PIMENTO. Add 1 diced onion and 4oz diced pimento (drained) to the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the onion starts to turn translucent.
- PRESSURE COOK PEAS. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot; stir well. Lock on the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual, high pressure, 10 minutes.
- Once the cook cycle is over, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10-15 minutes. Manually release the remaining pressure and stir the peas.
Pea to Water Cooking Ratio
Even if you don't use this specific recipe, just remember to use 1 cup of dried black-eyed peas to 3 cups of water or other liquid when cooking in a pressure cooker. You'll notice I used 2 cups in the recipe - when you add in the liquid from the onion, pimento, and garlic, I had to reduce it a little. If you're cooking just peas, go with 3 cups!
❄️ Leftovers & Storage
STORAGE: Store your black-eyed peas in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This dish is best enjoyed within 3-4 days of cooking the peas.
REHEATING: When you're ready to eat the leftovers, microwave for about 30 seconds per serving or reheat the entire portion of leftovers on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
FREEZING: Simply store in a freezer bag or an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw the peas in the fridge when you're ready to enjoy them.
Pair this dish with my French Onion Chicken and Crock Pot Corn Pudding for a great weeknight meal!
📝 More Helpful Tips & Tricks
- I do recommend giving your dried peas a quick rinse before adding to the Instant Pot; make sure there is no dirt!
- This is a delicious dish when served over rice. It also goes well with cornbread or collard greens - the traditional New Year's Day meal!
- If your black-eyed peas leftovers get a little thick, you can always add a few tablespoons of water or chicken stock when reheating.
- You can double this recipe and freeze an extra batch for later.
Have a fantastic New Year - I hope this black-eyed peas recipe brings you a little bit of luck! If you make it, I'd love to hear what you think. Leave a ⭐️ rating or comment below, or tag me 📸 on social media (@lambertslately).
Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz bacon chopped into 1" pieces
- 1 cup diced ham
- 4 oz jarred diced pimento
- 1 onion diced small
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup dry black eyed peas
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 oz tomato paste
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to saute mode. Once hot, add 12oz chopped bacon and 1 cup diced ham.
- Cook bacon and ham for 8-10 minutes, until some of the bacon fat is rendered. Turn off the heat and remove all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot.
- Add 1 diced onion and 4oz diced pimento (drained) to the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until onion starts to turn translucent.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot; stir well. Lock on the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual, high pressure, 10 minutes.
- Once the cook cycle is over, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10-15 minutes. Manually release the remaining pressure and stir the peas.
Notes
- I recommend giving your dried peas a quick rinse before tossing them into the Instant Pot—just to make sure there's no dirt lingering!
- This dish is absolutely delicious and served over rice and pairs perfectly with cornbread or collard greens, just like a traditional New Year's Day meal.
- If your black-eyed peas leftovers get a bit thick, just stir in a few tablespoons of water or chicken stock when reheating.
- Even if you're not following this exact recipe, remember that for cooking black-eyed peas in a pressure cooker, the general rule is 1 cup of dried peas to 3 cups of liquid. In this recipe, I used 2 cups since the liquid from the onion, pimento, and garlic adds some moisture. But if you're just cooking the peas, stick with 3 cups!
- You can easily double this recipe and freeze some for later.
- If you notice browned bits starting to stick to the bottom of the pot, deglaze it with a splash of chicken broth and scrape them up with a wooden spoon. Not only will this keep your Instant Pot working properly, but those flavorful browned bits will add a smoky depth to your black-eyed peas.
Nutrition Facts
Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 16 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.
