I grew up on Southern Cooking, and after years of tinkering I landed on a Hoppin’ John that’s smoky, spicy, and balanced with a subtle bacon presence that families traditionally serve on New Year’s Day for good luck.
I love a Southern Black-Eyed Peas Recipe that doesn’t try too hard but still surprises you. This Hoppin’ John sings with deep smoke from thick cut bacon and the rustic note of a smoked ham hock, making it smoky, spicy, and oddly satisfying.
You’ll see it pop up in Easy Blackeye Peas Recipes lists and folks call it the Black Eyed Peas Recipe they keep coming back to, but mine trips into a little twist people can’t quite name. I won’t give it all away, but there’s a reason it’s eaten on New Years, and yeah, I’m weirdly proud of that.
Ingredients
- Black eyed peas: Creamy, starchy beans high in fiber and plant protein, help digestion and steady energy.
- Bacon: Smoky, salty, adds fat and umami, crunchy bits liven texture, but very high sodium.
- Smoked ham hock: Deep meaty smoky flavor, collagen rich, boosts broth richness and mouthfeel, contains salt.
- Onion: Sweet to savory base, provides vitamin C and antioxidants, softens and sweetens with heat.
- Green bell pepper: Crunchy, bright flavor, vitamin C rich, gives freshness color and a mild vegetal sweetness.
- Garlic: Pungent, aromatic, adds depth and savory bite, contains beneficial sulfur compounds for health.
- Apple cider vinegar or hot sauce: Acidic kick that brightens flavors, balances richness, helps cut through fattiness, wakes dish up.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 lb dried black eyed peas picked over and rinsed (about 2 cups)
- 6 cups low sodium chicken stock or water
- 6 slices thick cut bacon chopped
- 1 smoked ham hock (about 8 oz) or a smoked turkey wing
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper more if you like it spicy
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Salt about 1 tsp to start more to taste
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or hot sauce optional
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice uncooked for serving
- 2 scallions thinly sliced for garnish
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley for garnish optional
How to Make this
1. Pick over and rinse the black eyed peas, then put them in a pot and cover with water to quick soak if you want faster cooking: bring to a boil 2 minutes, turn off heat and let sit 1 hour, drain. If you’re not soaking, just rinse and use as is.
2. Cook the bacon in a large heavy pot over medium heat until browned and some fat has rendered, about 8 minutes; remove most of the bacon leaving about 2 tablespoons fat in the pot, but keep the crispy pieces to stir back in later.
3. Add the diced onion, green bell pepper and celery to the bacon fat and sauté until soft and starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes; stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne, dried thyme (or fresh sprigs), and bay leaf and cook 30 seconds to wake up the spices.
4. Return the bacon to the pot, add the smoked ham hock (or smoked turkey wing), then add the rinsed or soaked peas and pour in 6 cups low sodium chicken stock or water; scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze.
5. Bring everything to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover partially and cook gently until peas are tender, 45 to 75 minutes depending on whether you soaked them; check every 15 minutes and add a little water if it looks too thick.
6. Once the peas are tender, take out the ham hock, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot; discard bone and skin. Smash a cup of peas against the side of the pot with a spoon to thicken the broth if you like it creamy.
7. Season with 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and start with about 1 teaspoon salt, simmer 5 more minutes, then finish with 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or a few dashes of hot sauce to brighten the flavors; taste and adjust salt, cayenne or hot sauce to your liking.
8. While the peas finish, cook 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice: rinse rice, combine with 3 cups water and a pinch of salt in a saucepan, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover and cook 15 to 18 minutes; let rest 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
9. Serve the black eyed peas over the rice, spoon on some of the smoky broth, sprinkle thinly sliced scallions and chopped parsley on top, and enjoy — leftover peas taste even better the next day so don’t be afraid to make extra.
Equipment Needed
1. Large heavy pot or Dutch oven for browning bacon and simmering the peas and ham hock
2. Saucepan with a tight fitting lid for cooking the rice
3. Cutting board and a sharp chef knife for chopping onion, green pepper, celery and trimming bacon
4. Colander or fine mesh sieve for rinsing and draining the black eyed peas
5. Measuring cups and measuring spoons for stock, rice and seasonings
6. Wooden spoon or sturdy spatula for sautéing, stirring and smashing a cup of peas against the pot (dont be shy, this helps thicken the broth)
7. Slotted spoon or tongs for lifting out crispy bacon and removing the ham hock
8. Ladle and a fork for spooning smoky broth over the rice and fluffing the rice before serving
FAQ
Southern Black Eyed Peas Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Bacon: swap with chopped smoked turkey bacon, pancetta, or 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp smoked paprika to replace the fat and smokiness; turkey bacon cuts fat but still gives a smoky note.
- Smoked ham hock: use a smoked turkey wing, about 8 oz smoked pork shoulder, or 1 cup concentrated ham or chicken stock; for a vegetarian option try 2 tbsp miso + 1 tsp smoked paprika for savory depth.
- 6 cups low sodium chicken stock or water: use low sodium vegetable broth, beef broth for a richer base, or water + 1-2 bouillon cubes if thats what you have on hand.
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice: substitute brown rice (use more liquid and longer cook time), jasmine rice for fragrance, or quinoa for more protein and a nuttier texture.
Pro Tips
– Soak or dont soak, but plan for it: quick soak the peas for an hour if you want faster, more even cooking, or use a pressure cooker and cut the time way down. If you skip soaking, expect to add 20 to 30 extra minutes and check for doneness often so they dont get chalky.
– Render most of the bacon fat but save a few crispy pieces to stir in at the end, that contrast makes the dish sing. Brown the onion, pepper and celery well, scraping the pot to lift the browned bits into the broth, that is where a lot of flavor lives.
– For a creamier, thicker bowl smash about a cup of beans against the pot with a spoon or pulse with an immersion blender, but dont overdo it or you lose the nice whole-bean texture. Also control thickness by adding stock a little at a time while simmering so you dont accidentally end up soupy.
– Season at the end and brighten it up: salt late because salted beans take forever to soften, and finish with vinegar or hot sauce to wake up the flavors. Taste as it cools too, leftovers often need another splash of acid or heat the next day.
Southern Black Eyed Peas Recipe
I grew up on Southern Cooking, and after years of tinkering I landed on a Hoppin' John that's smoky, spicy, and balanced with a subtle bacon presence that families traditionally serve on New Year's Day for good luck.
6
servings
521
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large heavy pot or Dutch oven for browning bacon and simmering the peas and ham hock
2. Saucepan with a tight fitting lid for cooking the rice
3. Cutting board and a sharp chef knife for chopping onion, green pepper, celery and trimming bacon
4. Colander or fine mesh sieve for rinsing and draining the black eyed peas
5. Measuring cups and measuring spoons for stock, rice and seasonings
6. Wooden spoon or sturdy spatula for sautéing, stirring and smashing a cup of peas against the pot (dont be shy, this helps thicken the broth)
7. Slotted spoon or tongs for lifting out crispy bacon and removing the ham hock
8. Ladle and a fork for spooning smoky broth over the rice and fluffing the rice before serving
Ingredients
1 lb dried black eyed peas picked over and rinsed (about 2 cups)
6 cups low sodium chicken stock or water
6 slices thick cut bacon chopped
1 smoked ham hock (about 8 oz) or a smoked turkey wing
1 large yellow onion diced
1 green bell pepper diced
2 celery stalks diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper more if you like it spicy
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Salt about 1 tsp to start more to taste
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or hot sauce optional
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice uncooked for serving
2 scallions thinly sliced for garnish
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley for garnish optional
Directions
- Pick over and rinse the black eyed peas, then put them in a pot and cover with water to quick soak if you want faster cooking: bring to a boil 2 minutes, turn off heat and let sit 1 hour, drain. If you’re not soaking, just rinse and use as is.
- Cook the bacon in a large heavy pot over medium heat until browned and some fat has rendered, about 8 minutes; remove most of the bacon leaving about 2 tablespoons fat in the pot, but keep the crispy pieces to stir back in later.
- Add the diced onion, green bell pepper and celery to the bacon fat and sauté until soft and starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes; stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne, dried thyme (or fresh sprigs), and bay leaf and cook 30 seconds to wake up the spices.
- Return the bacon to the pot, add the smoked ham hock (or smoked turkey wing), then add the rinsed or soaked peas and pour in 6 cups low sodium chicken stock or water; scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze.
- Bring everything to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover partially and cook gently until peas are tender, 45 to 75 minutes depending on whether you soaked them; check every 15 minutes and add a little water if it looks too thick.
- Once the peas are tender, take out the ham hock, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot; discard bone and skin. Smash a cup of peas against the side of the pot with a spoon to thicken the broth if you like it creamy.
- Season with 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and start with about 1 teaspoon salt, simmer 5 more minutes, then finish with 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or a few dashes of hot sauce to brighten the flavors; taste and adjust salt, cayenne or hot sauce to your liking.
- While the peas finish, cook 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice: rinse rice, combine with 3 cups water and a pinch of salt in a saucepan, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover and cook 15 to 18 minutes; let rest 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Serve the black eyed peas over the rice, spoon on some of the smoky broth, sprinkle thinly sliced scallions and chopped parsley on top, and enjoy — leftover peas taste even better the next day so don’t be afraid to make extra.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 820g
- Total number of serves: 6
- Calories: 521kcal
- Fat: 12.8g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0.08g
- Polyunsaturated: 1.7g
- Monounsaturated: 3.3g
- Cholesterol: 38mg
- Sodium: 980mg
- Potassium: 742mg
- Carbohydrates: 77g
- Fiber: 10g
- Sugar: 5g
- Protein: 22g
- Vitamin A: 1200IU
- Vitamin C: 14mg
- Calcium: 100mg
- Iron: 2.7mg
