By Becky Hardin
Published Dec 26, 2022
This Crockpot black eyed peas recipe is one of my favorites things to make around the New Year, and it’s so simple to do! Filled with sausage, tomatoes, jalapeños, and cajun seasoning, this dish packs a smokey punch that really warms things up.
Black-eyed peas are a traditional Southern comfort food, often served to bring good luck in the New Year. Cooking black eyed peas in my slow cooker has proven to be the easiest method, and it gives them plenty of time to soak up all the flavors! This is such a cozy dish to serve in the cold months of winter!
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas
- Black Eyed Peas: Use 1 pound of dried black-eyed peas.
- Broth: Chicken broth acts as the main liquid to give this dish it’s slightly soupy/saucey quality.
- Tomatoes: Use a can of diced tomatoes to create the base of the sauce.
- Sausage: Use fully-cooked sausage, diced into small pieces. I like using a smoked sausage–pork, beef, or turkey all work fine. You can also use cooked bacon or diced ham instead.
- Onion, Celery, & Garlic: These add texture, aroma, and flavor.
- Jalapeño: Diced jalapeño peppers add a bit of heat. Feel free to omit it if you don’t want any spice.
- Herbs & Spices: Cajun seasoning is the flavor star here, plus bay leaf and thyme.
Tips for Success
- Make sure to sift through the dried 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 black eyed peas ahead of time; let the crockpot do the work for you!
- Don’t let the beans sit in the crockpot on warm for very long, or it will make them mushy.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover crockpot black eyed peas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a large saucepan set over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
If I want to make this a meal, I serve these Crockpot black eyed peas on a bed of rice, along with collard greens or another veggie, and some homemade cornbread . They also pair well with comfort food favorites , like hush puppies , baked Mac and cheese , or mashed potatoes .
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
- ▢ 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth store-bought or homemade
- ▢ 14 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can)
- ▢ 1 cup fully-cooked diced smoked sausage beef, pork, turkey, or a blend
- ▢ 1 onion diced
- ▢ 1 rib celery diced
- ▢ 1 jalapeño pepper diced, omit for less spice
- ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
- ▢ 1 bay leaf
- ▢ 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- ▢ 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ▢ Kosher salt to taste
Video
Instructions
- To a large crockpot, add all the ingredients except the salt. Stir to combine. 1 pound dried black-eyed peas, 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 14 ounces diced tomatoes, 1 cup fully-cooked diced smoked sausage, 1 onion, 1 rib celery, 1 jalapeño pepper, 4 cloves garlic, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours.
- Remove the bay leaf, add salt to taste, and serve! Kosher salt
Equipment
- Crockpot
Becky’s Tips
- For vegetarian black eyed peas, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth, omit the sausages, and add ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika (or use vegetarian sausages!).
- In place of the sausages, you can add 1 large or 2 small ham hocks. Simply remove the ham hocks, shred the meat, and return it to the crockpot at the end of cooking.
- You can also use bacon or ham instead of sausage.
- Try adding chopped bell peppers or collard greens!
- You can use creole seasoning in place of the cajun seasoning.
- For a less spicy version, omit the jalapeño.
- 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 crockpot 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 crockpot on warm for very long, as it can turn them mushy.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Black Eyed Peas in a Crockpot Step by Step
Add Ingredients to the Crockpot: To a large crockpot, add 1 pound of dried black-eyed peas, 7 cups of low-sodium chicken broth, 14 ounces of diced tomatoes, 1 cup of fully-cooked diced smoked sausage, 1 diced onion, 1 rib of diced celery, 1 diced jalapeño pepper, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons of cajun seasoning, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
Cook: Cover and cook on HIGH for 5-6 hours.
Serve: Stir everything together, remove the bay leaf, add salt to taste, and serve! I find it’s best to remove the black eyed peas from the Crockpot and serve them from a dish, so they don’t get mushy.
More Crockpot Comfort Foods We Love
Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
Crockpot Goulash
Crockpot White Chicken Chili
Crockpot Meatloaf
Crockpot Black Eyed Peas Recipe
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
- 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth store-bought or homemade
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 1 cup fully-cooked diced smoked sausage beef, pork, turkey, or a blend
- 1 onion diced
- 1 rib celery diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper diced, omit for less spice
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- To a large crockpot, add all the ingredients except the salt. Stir to combine. 1 pound dried black-eyed peas, 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 14 ounces diced tomatoes, 1 cup fully-cooked diced smoked sausage, 1 onion, 1 rib celery, 1 jalapeño pepper, 4 cloves garlic, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours.
- Remove the bay leaf, add salt to taste, and serve! Kosher salt
Video
Notes
- For vegetarian black eyed peas, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth, omit the sausages, and add ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika (or use vegetarian sausages!).
- In place of the sausages, you can add 1 large or 2 small ham hocks. Simply remove the ham hocks, shred the meat, and return it to the crockpot at the end of cooking.
- You can also use bacon or ham instead of sausage.
- Try adding chopped bell peppers or collard greens!
- You can use creole seasoning in place of the cajun seasoning.
- For a less spicy version, omit the jalapeño.
- 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 crockpot 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 crockpot on warm for very long, as it can turn them mushy.
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
