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Last Updated on November 12, 2020

Black-eyed peas are one of the most delicious Southern meals. Check my instant pot black eyed peas recipe, and you’ll love the warm flavorful taste of this ultimate comfort food.

Black-eyed peas have been long associated with New Year’s Day. It’s a tradition in the Southern United States to eat it along with collard greens for good luck during the year. That’s why restaurants usually serve black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, and restaurants are always busy!

Other than the tradition, black-eyed peas actually taste surprisingly good. Especially if you add bacon and seasonings! And over and above that, they’re quick and easy to prepare! I recently decided to give an instant pot black eyed peas meal a try, and I was impressed with how fast I was done!

Keep reading to find out what it takes not to have to wait at the restaurant for this delicious bowl in my instant pot black-eyed peas recipe below that takes less than an hour to get done.

Ingredients

Making instant pot black eyed peas is already a breeze, but to make it extra so, I like to prepare the ingredients beforehand in case anything is missing here or there and I need a visit to the grocery store. Here’s everything you’ll need to make these black-eyed peas instant pot recipe.

• 3 cups of water 
• 2 cups of broth
• 1 lb dried black-eyed peas
• 1/2 lb bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper (alternatively, you could use bell pepper)
• 1 bay leaf

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Servings: 4 servings
• Calories: 324 kcals

How to Cook Black Eyed Peas in an Instant Pot?

Now that the ingredients are out of the way, let’s see how to cook dried black-eyed peas in an instant pot. You’ll be adding one more recipe to your favorite instant pot recipes after you check this out, and you’ll be thankful for your instant pot for making it so easy to cook beans and peas!

Prep the Dried Peas 

First of all, prep the dried black-eyed peas by rinsing them thoroughly. Keep an eye out for any tiny pebbles or debris because they can come in the way of the meal’s taste. I’ve come across recipes that skipped the soaking or rising of dried black-eyed peas altogether, but I don’t feel comfortable if I don’t rinse the dry black-eyed peas very carefully.

Do Black-Eyed Peas Need to Be Soaked?

Whether you soak black-eyed peas or not doesn’t really affect the total cooking time or the black-eyed peas’ tenderness; it’s just a precautionary measure, especially if your digestive system gives you a rough time, like myself.

Anyway, if you decide to soak the peas, you can do it either an hour before you start cooking them in an instant pot, or you could do it overnight; both methods work! For overnight soaking, make sure the water is just above their surface, and leave them to soak for 6-8 hours. If they’re very small, leave them for much less time.

On the other hand, for a quick rinse, simply place the peas in a pot, cover them with water, and bring them to boil. Once you’re done, just cover them with a lid (3:1 water-to-bean ratio) and leave them to sit in the water for approximately an hour.

For me, a quick 10-minute rise does the trick, along with some great ingredients for seasoning, but feel free to do whatever makes you comfortable the most.

Mix All Ingredients in the Instant Pot Bowl

Then, you want to put the diced bacon, diced onion, and diced celery in the bowl and Saute for 2 minutes. Then add all the rest of the ingredients and stir them using a wooden spoon. You won’t stir for long; just 10 seconds would be enough. After you’re done, close the instant pot’s bowl lid and make sure it’s latched. 

Leave the Black-Eyed Peas to Cook 

Once you seal the lid, turn the instant pot’s valve to “seal” and set the pot to cook on high-pressure cook mode for 30 minutes. When it’s done, let it do a natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes using the steam release knob.

Your Black-Eyed Peas Are Ready!

After the natural release process is over, go ahead and open the lid.

Following that, use a fork to fluff up the peas, and that’s it! Your instant pot black eyed peas are ready to serve. I love serving them with cornbread or collards.

Could it be simpler? No more worrying about soaking, under-cooking, or the endless list of worries we have when cooking such meals!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Ok to Soak Beans for 2 Days?

It’s not preferable. When beans are soaked for over 12 hours, they start absorbing too much water and lose their essential texture, nutrients, and flavor. 8 hours is the ideal time to leave your beans to soak. As we mentioned above in the recipe, soaking isn’t an essential step anyway, so don’t overkill. 

How Do You Know When Beans Have Soaked Long Enough?

You’ll sense it! Examine them and see whether they’re plump. Also, I always try to cut them in half and see whether they split uniformly. If that’s the case, they’re good to go.

Does Soaking Beans Reduce Gas?

Yes! If they tend to bloat you and give you gas, soaking can definitely help reduce that. Soak them overnight and then filter the water the next morning. By doing so, you’re discarding all the sugar that’s leading to gas production in the first place.

Final Thoughts

This instant pot black eyed peas recipe is truly one of my favorites! This is my type of soul food, and I just love it when food is both easy to make and delicious at the same time, don’t you? 

Not to mention, it works as either a meal or a side dish! Let me know if you make this recipe and how you like to eat it!

Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas and Ham in a Nutshell

1. Rinse dried peas thoroughly, sorting any tiny pebbles or other debris.
2. Put all the ingredients in the instant pot bowl and stir with a wooden spoon for 10 seconds.
3. Set the seal on the lid and double-check that it’s latched. Then, turn the valve to “seal” and set the Instant Pot to cook on high-pressure cook mode for 30 minutes.
4. Let it perform a natural release for 10-15 minutes.
5. Open the lid and remove the ham hock, and set it aside. With a fork, fluff up peas and serve. Happy new year, people!

Some recipes to pair with this Instant pot black eyed peas recipe:

Crispy Paleo Fried Chicken that is Finger Licking Good!

Lips Making Gluten Free Cornbread that Everyone will Love