By Becky Hardin
Updated Nov 11, 2025
These smoky, savory Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas are the perfect comfort food during the cool winter months. These little black and white beans are ready to cook without soaking, so I can easily pull this recipe together quickly. Delicious, healthy, and “lucky,” I like to serve these little legumes as a hearty one-pot meal or flavorful side dish.
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5-Star Review
“Yummy and easy! I served it over rice with a side of roasted broccoli.” – Susanne
Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas Recipe
Southern cooks have made black-eyed peas in the winter for generations as their New Year’s tradition. According to the West African folklore adopted by southerners, these humble peas ward off trouble, attract luck, and bring prosperity for the coming year.
So, I have gracefully adopted this tradition of sharing black-eyed peas with friends and family to usher in a lucky New Year. If you haven’t joined in with us believers, there is no better time than now to try this hearty instant pot black eyed peas recipe. If you’re more of a crockpot person, I’ve also developed a crockpot black eyed peas recipe for you to try!
Tips for Beginners
- Make them vegetarian. Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth, omit the bacon and ham, and add ½ tsp of smoked paprika or use vegetarian bacon.
- Change the meat . Use 1 large or 2 small ham hocks. Remove the ham hocks, shred the meat, and return it to the instant pot at the end of cooking. Or, use sausage instead.
- Using old beans? You may need to extend the cooking time.
- Add some greens . For more vibrant peas, add kale or collard greens.
- For spicier black eyed peas . Add a dash of cayenne pepper to spice things up.
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil
- ▢ 5 slices bacon chopped into small pieces
- ▢ ½ onion chopped
- ▢ 1 bell pepper chopped
- ▢ 1¼ tsp kosher salt divided
- ▢ ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ▢ ½ tsp ground paprika
- ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
- ▢ 1 cup diced ham
- ▢ 2 cups dried black eyed peas no need to soak, but sifted to remove any debris.
- ▢ 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth store-bought or homemade
- ▢ 2 bay leaves
- ▢ 2 cups cooked white rice or your favorite grain, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in the Instant Pot, using the Sauté setting. 1 tbsp olive oil
- Once heated, add in the chopped bacon. Cook until the pieces are crispy. 5 slices bacon
- Add in the onion, bell pepper, ¼ teaspoon of salt, pepper, and paprika. ½ onion, 1 bell pepper, 1¼ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp ground paprika
- Cook for a few minutes until softened.
- Add in the garlic and ham and cook for another 2-3 minutes. 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup diced ham
- Stir in the black eyed peas. 2 cups dried black eyed peas
- Pour in the chicken broth. Add in the bay leaves and 1 teaspoon of salt. 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 2 bay leaves
- Cover the Instant Pot. Press Cancel.
- Press the Pressure Cook or Manual button and set the timer for 20 minutes on high pressure.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure valve.
- Remove the bay leaves and give everything a stir. Don’t let the beans sit in the instant pot on warm for very long, as they will get mushy.
- Serve as is or over rice or your favorite grain. 2 cups cooked white rice
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas Step by Step
Cook the bacon : Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the Instant Pot, using the Sauté setting. Once hot, add 5 slices of chopped bacon and cook until the pieces are crispy.
Add the veggies and seasoning: Add ½ onion, 1 bell pepper, ¼ tsp of salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and ½ tsp paprika. Cook until the vegetables have softened.
Add the garlic, ham, and peas: Add 2 cloves of garlic and 1 cup of diced ham and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of black eyed peas.
Add the broth: Pour in 4 cups of chicken broth, 2 bay leaves, and a tsp of salt.
Cook the peas: Cover the Instant Pot. Press Cancel and then press the Pressure Cook or Manual button and set the timer for 20 minutes on high pressure.
Release: Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure valve.
Remove the bay leaves: Remove the bay leaves and give everything a stir. Don’t let the beans sit in the instant pot on warm for very long, as they will get mushy.
Serve: Serve as is or over rice or your favorite grain. Enjoy!
How to Store
Store leftover instant pot black eyed peas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop in a large pot set over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Freeze instant pot black eyed peas in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve black eyed peas with garlic pull apart rolls to soak up all the soupy goodness. For a side dish, I’ll make something green like crispy garlic roasted asparagus and cilantro lime rice .
Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 5 slices bacon chopped into small pieces
- ½ onion chopped
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1¼ tsp kosher salt divided
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ground paprika
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup diced ham
- 2 cups dried black eyed peas no need to soak, but sifted to remove any debris.
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth store-bought or homemade
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups cooked white rice or your favorite grain, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in the Instant Pot, using the Sauté setting. 1 tbsp olive oil
- Once heated, add in the chopped bacon. Cook until the pieces are crispy. 5 slices bacon
- Add in the onion, bell pepper, ¼ teaspoon of salt, pepper, and paprika. ½ onion, 1 bell pepper, 1¼ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp ground paprika
- Cook for a few minutes until softened.
- Add in the garlic and ham and cook for another 2-3 minutes. 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup diced ham
- Stir in the black eyed peas. 2 cups dried black eyed peas
- Pour in the chicken broth. Add in the bay leaves and 1 teaspoon of salt. 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 2 bay leaves
- Cover the Instant Pot. Press Cancel.
- Press the Pressure Cook or Manual button and set the timer for 20 minutes on high pressure.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure valve.
- Remove the bay leaves and give everything a stir. Don’t let the beans sit in the instant pot on warm for very long, as they will get mushy.
- Serve as is or over rice or your favorite grain. 2 cups cooked white rice
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
