Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 45

Servings: people

Calories: 334kcal

We love to make Black Eyed Peas for New Years (and year round!). This Instant Pot recipe is especially quick and simple.

Heat the oil in the Instant Pot, using the Sauté setting.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Once heated, add in the chopped bacon. Cook until the pieces are crispy.
5 slices bacon
Add in the onion, bell pepper, ¼ teaspoon of salt, pepper, and paprika.
½ onion, 1 bell pepper, 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon ground paprika
Cook for a few minutes until softened.
Add in the garlic and ham and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
2 cloves garlic, 1 cup diced ham
Stir in the black eyed peas.
2 cups dried black eyed peas
Pour in the chicken broth. Add in the bay leaves and 1 teaspoon of salt.
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 2 bay leaves
Cover the Instant Pot. Press Cancel.
Press the Pressure Cook or Manual button and set the timer for 20 minutes on high pressure.
Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure valve.
Remove the bay leaves and give everything a stir.
Serve as is or over rice or your favorite grain.
2 cups cooked white rice

For vegetarian black eyed peas, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth, omit the bacon and ham, and add ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika (or use vegetarian bacon!).
In place of the bacon and ham, you can add 1 large or 2 small ham hocks. Simply remove the ham hocks, shred the meat, and return it to the instant pot at the end of cooking.
You can also sausage instead of bacon and ham.
Try adding kale or collard greens!
For spicier black eyed peas, add a dash of cayenne pepper.
Make sure to sift through the beans before using them to remove any dirt or foreign objects.
If using older beans (check the expiration date!), you may need to cook them for a bit longer.
No need to soak the beans ahead of time; let the instant pot do the work for you!
Easily double this recipe with no need to increase the cook time!
Don't let the beans sit in the instant pot on warm for very long, as it can turn them mushy.

Storage: Store instant pot black eyed peas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.