Slow Cooker black eyed peas are the perfect after holiday no-cooking and no-baking dish!
Using up your leftover ham or turkey, this “hoppin john” recipe is a dump and go!
Full of delicious Southern flavors like deep spices and garlic, you can serve flavorful black eyed peas right over rice or with cornbread.
Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas
These slow cooker black eyed peas are a great balance of spices and a wonderful way to cook without the work! Simple dump and go, slow cooker recipes make everything SO incredibly easy.
What I love about these flavorful beans is that they are a great side dish or a great full-time dinner dish and quite filling. If you are making a full Southern-style meal, make sure you add fried okra too.
This dish is also great to use up leftover ham or turkey from the holidays and is a good fit for a few days after Thanksgiving or Christmas!
Ingredients
- 1 bag, 16 oz, dry black eyed peas – Do not cook.
- 6 cups water
- 3 bouillon cubes, crushed
- onion, diced (1)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- red bell pepper, diced (1)
- jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (1)
- 1 cup chopped ham
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1-1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
RELATED RECIPES: Black Eyed Pea Salad (Cold), Crock Pot Ham and Green Beans, Cowboy Caviar
SERVE ON: A bed of white rice or skillet cornbread
How to make Hoppin John
Add all ingredients, including water, to a slow cooker and mix well, incorporating all the spices.
Heat black eyed peas (beans) on high for approx 6 hours or until beans are tender (start checking at hour 5).
Mix well before serving over rice!
Instead of Ham use…
After the holidays so many people have leftover ham, so throwing that in the slow cooker (like I did) is a great way to use the rest of that. Its totally optional if you do not want to add ham and you will still get delicious peas.
Plus black eyed peas are good luck for the new year, so you can get a jump on that!
All that said, if the ham is not your jam, try:
- Ground Beef
- Sausage
- Bacon
- Left over Turkey
Common Black Eyed Peas Recipe Questions
- Are Black Eyed Peas a Bean or a Pea? Black eyed peas are a “cowpea” and are actually a bean!
- Do you have to rinse the black eyed peas before cooking? You do not have to rinse or precook the beans prior to the slow cooker.
- Why are black eyed peas considered good luck? Black eyed peas are considered good luck because they are supposed to represent coins with collard greens representing money and corn bread representing “gold”.
- What is “Hoppin John” ? Hoppin John typically has black eyed peas, pork, and rice and very common in the South . Many people believe its named this way because of a guy nick named “Hoppin John” who used to sell black eyed peas and rice on the streets of Charleston, SC. You can read more about the history here.
More Amazing Southern Side Dishes to Sink your Teeth into!
Need more southern dish recipes?
- Fried Corn Fritters with Honey – Crispy and golden, fresh sweet corn fritters also make a great appetizer keeping you full until the real meal gets served up.
- Sweet Corn Casserole – Sweet corn casserole combines creamed corn into a southern homemade side dish easily done from scratch.
- Southern Style Green Beans and Bacon – Southern Style Green Beans with fresh green beans and crispy bacon is a flawless side dish for any meal. Do not wait for the holidays to enjoy this mouth watering, tender and perfect vegetable side dish.
- Cinnamon Southern Style Apples – Cinnamon Southern Fried Apples with pecans, a delicious savory and sweet side dish that can also be served for breakfast. Coated in delicious brown sugar and pecans, every bite is perfection!
Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas
Ingredients
- 16 oz. dry black eyed peas
- 6 cups water
- 3 beef bouillon cubes crushed
- 1 onion diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 1 cup chopped ham
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 1-1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- You do not have to rinse or precook the beans prior to adding them to the slow cooker.
- Add all ingredients, including water, to a slow cooker and mix well, incorporating all the spices and meat.
- Heat black eyed peas (beans) on high for about 6 hours or until beans are tender (start checking at hour 5).
- Mix well before serving over fresh cornbread or rice.
Video
Notes
- SERVE OVER: Rice, Cornbread Collard greens, and hot sauce
- Like Black Eyed Peas less spicy? Skip the jalapeno!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments & Reviews
Staci says
Do you cook the bacon first or put it in to cook in the slow cooker?
Trisha says
Hi staci, you leave the bacon uncooked. It will cook in the slow cooker all day.
Sunny says
No baby what is you doing ? You boil you neck bones and hog maws and season. And you let your black eyed peas soak over night get up about 2 am and put them in a crock pot and put the boiled meat in the pot with it and set on slow. Stir yall folk don’t know nothing about no cornbread black eyed peas and greens. Go have several sets. You are talking to. A Mississippi girl by wY of Louisiana. I will put your food to shame Sat down some place
Trisha says
Sunny, I full understand and respect there are a lot of ways, traditionally and culturally, to enjoy black eyed peas. This recipe is very good – however its a more modern recipe. The beans are soaked, but are soaked in a slow cooker versus overnight. Regarding using neck bones and hog, I am positive all of that is delicious but many people do not have access to additional meat with Covid or have limited products at stores – plus the time involved. This black eyed pea recipe is a great alternative to those that are not wanting a totally from scratch recipe and still tastes delicious. As mentioned in the article, yes – Black Eyed Peas are served with greens for good luck, but I personally prefer them with cornbread or rice.
Food isnt a competition, its something we have to continue to share with love knowing that not everyone has the same skill, time, or resources to create and this site is based on helping even the most modest cook create something in the home for their family.
Much love,
trisha
Carolyn Mcpheron says
Trisha, can i use garden crowder peas instead? And how would i need to adjust my time?
Trisha says
Carolyn, this was a really interesting question and I didnt honestly know the answer on the substitution.
When I do some research on crowder peas in a crock pot, recipes typically have them in the crock pot 4-5 hours. (like this one – https://www.facebook.com/JanetsAppalachianKitchen/posts/crock-pot-crowder-peasfor-easter-i-fixed-us-a-mess-of-crowder-peas-to-go-with-su/1329647460468421/ )
When I look at my recipe versus crowder peas recipes on timing, it appears they may need a bit shorter time, maxing out around 5 hours over what I do, which is 6. Unfortunately I don’t know the concreate answer without testing, so I would say check them at hour 4-5 and then adjust if you need more time.
Id be interested to hear if this recipe worked for that so if you do make them, let me know!
Heather says
Can you adjust this to make in an instant pot?
Trisha Haas says
Hi Heather! That would be an entirely different type of recipe and unfortunately, I am not sure the instructions to give you on making black-eyed peas in an instant pot.
Mary says
This recipe was absolutely delicious! Leftovers were even better the next day. So easy to make I highly recommend it. Good job.
Trisha Haas says
Thank you!! It’s one of my favorites too. I am glad you tried it.
Amanda says
Can leftovers be frozen? Looks delicious and I’m not a big black eyed pea fan!
Trisha Haas says
Typically they can be frozen but I have not tested out to give exact measurements on timing they would keep.