Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas

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Our Instant Pot black eyed peas feature bay leaves, ham hocks, and garlic. Simple flavors combined with modern techniques to create a delicious side dish!

Winter temperatures have finally found us here in the Ozarks. I can’t think of a better Winter dish than black eyed peas.

Unfortunately, they usually take hours to prepare. Luckily for us, we have a pressure cooker.

So, for today’s recipe, we’re sharing our Instant Pot black eyed peas. In less than an hour, you too can have perfectly cooked black eyed peas.

Shall we get started?

A decorative bowl filled with instant pot black eyed peas.

How to make Instant Pot black eyed peas?

First, place the liner into the pot and dice your onions and garlic. Next, press the saute button and let the liner warm up.

After that, saute the onions until they’re soft and then add the garlic. The garlic only needs to saute for about 30 seconds. Turn off the cooker.

The broth, meat, and other ingredients added to the liner.

Once the onions and garlic are ready, toss in the bay leaves, black eyed peas, chicken broth, ham hocks, thyme, and water.

Also, if you were adding any extra ingredients (like bell pepper or jalapenos), this would be the time to do so.

Close the lid, set the valve to, “sealed,” and press the manual or high pressure cook button.

The timer needs to be set for 16 minutes. Additionally, the pressure cooker will need to complete a 15 minute natural release.

The peas have cooked and are ready to be served.

Then, when the natural release is done, carefully open the valve to release the remaining pressure.

Last, open the lid, stir the peas, and remove the bay leaves and ham hock. That’s it, your Instant Pot black eyed peas are done!

Kim and I hope you enjoy this offering and we wish you all the best 🙂

A metal spoon showing a scoop of the black eyed peas.

Do black eyed peas have to be soaked overnight?

Technically, no they don’t have to soak overnight. With that being said, I’m sure there’s a great reason for soaking. But, as you can see from our recipe, it’s not necessary.

Looking for another great recipe using beans? Check out our Instant Pot baked beans.

What can I add to my black eyed peas?

  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Jalapenos
  • Collard Greens
  • Cooked Bacon
  • Diced Ham
  • Bell Pepper
  • Paprika
  • Balsamic Vinegar
The instant pot black eyed peas served in a bowl.
The instant pot black eyed peas served in a bowl.

Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas

4.4 from 12 votes
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Author: John
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Come to Pressure and Natural Release: 25 minutes
Total Time: 51 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil, canola, vegetable, or oil of choice
  • 1 cup white onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 pound black eyed peas, dry, uncooked, not soaked
  • 1 pound ham hock, or leftover ham bone
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • Turn on the Instant Pot using the saute function, and allow the stainless steel liner to get hot. Once the liner gets hot, add the oil and onions. Cook the onions until they are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes), then add the garlic. Continue to cook for an additional 30 seconds. Press cancel on the Instant Pot.
    1 tablespoon cooking oil
    1 cup white onion
    4 garlic cloves
  • Add the black eyed peas, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, ham hock, broth, and water.
    2 bay leaves
    2 fresh thyme sprigs
    1 pound black eyed peas
    1 pound ham hock
    2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
    2 cups water
  • Close the lid, and set the valve to sealing. Press the manual (pressure cook) button, and adjust the time to 16 minutes (14-15 minutes for firmer black eye peas or 17-18 minutes for softer black eyed peas).
  • After the time is up, allow a 15 minute natural release before opening the valve to release any remaining pressure.
  • Carefully open the lid, and remove the bay leaves and ham hock. If any meat is able to be removed from the bone, remove it and add it back to the black eyed peas.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with fresh cornbread.

Suggested Equipment

Notes

The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients and a serving size of 1/2 a cup of the black eyed peas. Actual calories will vary. The peas can be stored in your fridge, in a sealed container, for up to 3 days. 
*As the black eyed peas cool, they absorb most of the residual liquid. If you’d like a “soupier” dish, add 1-2 cups of additional liquid prior to cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 366mg | Potassium: 413mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 24IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 3mg
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