These Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas are pressure cooked with smoked sausage and collard greens in a flavorful broth. Tender, loaded with smoky flavor, and oh so satisfying. This is serious comfort food!
Cowboy Caviar and White Bean, Black Eyed Pea and Avocado Crostini are two more super easy black eyed pea recipes that we love at this time of year.
I am here to tell you that this easy black eyed peas recipe with sausage and collards is one of the most flavorful, comforting recovery/de-tox foods that exists. It’s the perfect choice on a cold New Year’s Day when all you want to do is curl up on the couch and watch movies.
And, it’s so easy to make! Exactly what we need the day following all the hectic holiday happenings.
Table of contents
Easy Hoppin’ John
This black eyed peas recipe is an easy version of the Southern classic, Hoppin’ John made in an Instant Pot. There are a ton of variations of this recipe, but the core ingredients include black eyed peas, onions and some sort of smoked pork. Hoppin’ John is typically served with collard greens and spooned over rice.
Using your pressure cooker is the quickest, easiest method for creating tender black eyed peas with no pre-soaking needed.
Lucky Black Eyed Peas
Old Southern tradition dictates that eating black eyed peas and collard greens on New Year’s Day will bring good luck in the coming year. Collards, because of their green color, represent prosperity. I think we could all use a little of both!
The tradition began after the Civil War when people in the South felt lucky to have black eyed peas available to help them survive the winter months. It has evolved over time and now people all over prepare black eyed peas on New Year’s Day as a sort of lucky charm for the new year.
You’re not just lucky to have this found this recipe – you’ll be lucky after eating it!
Ingredient Notes
- Dried black eyed peas – Although called peas, black eyed peas are part of the legume family and they are actually beans. You’ll find them in grocery stores with all the other bagged dried beans.
- Bacon – Regular bacon, not thick-sliced, is best for this recipe.
- Smoked sausage – Fully cooked smoked sausage that is typically sold as a rope sausage from brands like Johnsonville and Hillshire Farms.
- Vegetables – Yellow onion, celery, and garlic.
- Jalapeno – For a mild result, be sure to remove the seeds and trim the ribs on the inside of the pepper.
- Cajun seasoning – My homemade Kickin’ Cajun Seasoning Mix is hands down my favorite seasoning blend. You can use a store-bought Cajun or Creole seasoning if you’d like.
- Additional seasoning – Dried thyme, black pepper and bay leaf. After cooking, you can season with a little salt if you feel it needs it, but most Cajun seasoning blends have plenty.
- Low sodium chicken broth – It’s always best to go with low-sodium broth and add additional salt, if needed.
- Collard greens – You’ll find bunches of collard greens near the other dark, leafy greens in the produce section of your store. They also come chopped, pre-washed and bagged. If you can’t find collards, you can substitute kale.
- For serving – Cooked white rice and hot sauce, like Tabasco.
How to Make Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas
This is a quick overview of how to make this recipe. You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cook the bacon on the Sauté setting in your Instant Pot until brown and crispy.
- Add the sausage and cook until lightly browned.
- Add the onion, celery, garlic, jalapeno, Cajun seasoning, thyme, and pepper and sauté for one minute longer.
- Add the broth and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in black eyed peas and collard greens then tuck the bay leaf into the mixture. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Then, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Finally, vent to manually release any remaining pressure. Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and additional pepper, if needed.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas over a mound of cooked white rice for a super satisfying, protein-loaded main course. I make this recipe for our lunch on New Year’s Day and I always set out Tabasco for those who want to add some heat.
It’s also common to serve black eyed peas with cornbread on the side. My Rustic Sweet Cornbread or Pumpkin Cornbread would both be delicious.
Black eyed peas serve well as a substantial side dish. They’re a great way to bulk up a menu!
Storing and Reheating Tips
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate within two hours. For the best quality, they should be used within four or five days. For longer storage, Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas can be frozen for up to three to four months.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat. If frozen, defrost completely in the refrigerator before reheating. You can add a splash of water or chicken broth to thin the mixture, if desired.
Sign up for my free newsletter for all the latest recipes and join me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for more cooking inspiration!
Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black eyed peas
- 4 slices bacon (not thick-sliced), chopped
- 8 ounces smoked sausage, sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon Kickin' Cajun Seasoning Mix, or store-bought Cajun or Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, to taste
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups chopped collard greens or kale, thick stems removed
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
- Cooked white rice and Tabasco, for serving
Instructions
- Place the black eyed peas in a colander and rinse with cool water. Drain well. Sort through them and remove any debris. Set aside.
- Set Instant Pot to SAUTE and set for 15 minutes. Once hot, add the bacon and sauté until brown and crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the sausage and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned.
- Add the onion, celery, garlic, jalapeno, Cajun seasoning, thyme, and pepper and sauté 1 minute longer.
- Add the broth and stir, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the black eyed peas and collard greens (or kale).Tuck the bay leaf into the mixture. Press CANCEL.
- Cover and seal the lid. Press MANUAL and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. It will take 10 to 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure before it begins to count down.
- Once the 25 minutes are up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then press the steam release valve to manually release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the bay leaf. Taste and season with salt and additional pepper, only if needed. Serve with rice and hot sauce on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Dried Bean Recipes
Excellent recipe and easy to make. I would not change a thing!
This is 2nd year I have made this recipe. It’s perfect!
This was on our menu yesterday as well. So glad you loved it! Thanks for your comment, Toby. 🙂
I don’t have an instant pot…….should I cook the beans first? Or just follow the recipe and cook longer? This looks perfect!
Hi Suzanne. If you want to do this on a pot on the stove, I recommend cooking the black eyed peas in the broth and seasoning for at least an hour or more before adding the sausage and collards. I’d recommend sautéing the sausage and just adding it along with the collards and cooking for an additional 30 minutes or so until the beans are tender.
My new New Year’s Day recipe! So good. I won’t only make it once a year though. Delicious! I made it in a pot – thank you for the fast response, Valerie! Followed the recipe, served over rice, with cornbread.
This was so good!! Didn’t wait till New Year’s Day to make it. First experience with black eyed peas, followed the recipe as written. Great flavor, everything cooked perfectly in the Instant pot. Served over rice, with jalapeño cornbread on the side. Family loved it, it’s a keeper!! Thank you Valerie for sharing the recipe!
So glad you didn’t wait! And, so happy you all loved it. I’m looking forward to making this tomorrow. Thanks, Patti. 🙂