Instant Pot Hoppin’ John–a classic Southern dish to celebrate the new year! Seasoned black-eyed peas are served over rice and are supposed to bring good luck in the coming year. Pressure cook the dry black eyed peas in your Instant Pot in just a few minutes!
Note: slow cooker instructions are listed in the recipe card below.
Instant Pot Hoppin’ John
I think most everyone is ready to say goodbye to 2020 and is looking forward to 2021. A new year holds hope and expectation. A southern tradition is to eat black eyed peas on New Years for good fortune. One popular way to prepare New Years black eyed peas is hoppin’ John, which is a mixture of black-eyed peas, rice, and either bacon or ham hock. Some people throw a dime into the pot and believe that whoever winds up with the dime in their serving gets extra good luck for the coming year.
Today’s version is made in the Instant Pot very quickly. I love how you can cook legumes in the Instant Pot. Black eyed peas go from rock hard to soft and tender in only 10-15 minutes of pressure cooking time.
Traditionally hoppin’ John is made with bacon or ham hock but I chose to make mine with ground sausage because that’s what I had ready to go. It was super tasty! I’ve also included how to make hoppin’ John with bacon or ham hock.
Try these other Instant Pot Recipes…
Instant Pot Texas Caviar with black eyed peas
Instant Pot Boston Baked Beans
Instant Pot Appalachian Soup Beans
Instant Pot Homemade Pork and Beans
Instant Pot Dakota Smashed Pea and Barley Soup
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Instant Pot Hoppin’ John
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-15 minutes (with 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 5 minute
- Yield: 10–12 servings 1x
Description
A classic Southern dish to celebrate the new year! Seasoned black-eyed peas are served over rice and are supposed to bring good luck in the coming year. Pressure cook the dry black eyed peas in your Instant Pot in just a few minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon or 1 pound ground sausage or 1 ham hock
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 ribs of celery, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 pound dried black eyed peas, rinsed (soaked or unsoaked)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 ½ tsp dried thyme
- 2 ½ tsp cajun seasoning
- 3–4 cups water
- 2 tsp better than bouillon chicken base
- Rice
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- If using bacon, cut it into small pieces. Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting (normal) and cook bacon pieces. Once the bacon is crispy drain off all but 2 Tbsp of grease. Then add in onions and saute for about 5 minutes. If using sausage turn Instant Pot to saute setting (more) and add in the sausage. Break it up. Add in the onions. Brown the sausage for about 5 minutes. If using ham hock, heat 2 Tbsp oil in the Instant Pot on the saute (normal) setting and add in the onions and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the ham hock into the pot in step 3.
- Turn off the Instant Pot. Stir in the celery, bell pepper and garlic.
- Add in the black eyed peas, bay leaves, thyme, cajun seasoning, and 3 cups of water (for soaked) or 4 cups of water (for unsoaked). Stir in the chicken base. Scrape the bottom of the pot so that nothing is sticking.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 10 minutes for soaked or 15 minutes for unsoaked.
- While black eyed peas are cooking prepare rice on the stove or in a separate Instant Pot (I used 2 cups dry rice).
- When time is up let the pot sit for another 10 minutes and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid. If using ham hock, remove it from pot, pull off the meat, and return the meat to the pot.
- Stir well. Strain off any excess liquid. Season to taste. Serve over rice.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- If using bacon, cut it into small pieces. Heat a pan over medium heat and cook bacon pieces. Once the bacon is crispy drain off all but 2 Tbsp of grease. Then add in onions and sauté for about 5 minutes. If using sausage heat a pan over medium high heat and add in the sausage. Break it up. Add in the onions. Brown the sausage for about 5 minutes. If using ham hock, heat 2 Tbsp oil in a pan over medium high heat and add in the onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes.
- Add contents from pan to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the celery, bell pepper and garlic.
- Add in the black eyed peas, bay leaves, thyme, cajun seasoning, and 3 cups of water (for soaked) or 4 cups of water (for unsoaked). Stir in the chicken base.
- Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, or until black eyed peas are tender.
- While black eyed peas are cooking prepare rice.
- Remove the lid. If using ham hock, remove it from pot, pull off the meat, and return the meat to the slow cooker.
- Stir well. Strain off any excess liquid. Season to taste. Serve over rice.
Notes
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. You can also use an 8 quart pot.
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Super easy recipe with amazing flavor that tastes more complicated! However, unfortunately, the amount of cooking time isn’t enough to tenderize the smoked ham hock. Could barely cut the meat from the bone! Next time I will make with an alternative meat, though I would prefer the smokiness of the ham hock to the suggested bacon or sausage. Any suggestions for tenderizing it further are greatly appreciated!
★★★★
Glad you liked it! You could pressure cook it by itself for 10-15 minutes then start the recipe from the beginning and add it in again.
Delicious! I soaked my black eyed peas and used a smoked ham shank. I’ve been making Hoppin John for decades (I’m a private chef) and this was the best recipe ever! Even my 6-year-old stepson loves them! Thanks!
★★★★★
ahhh, that’s such a nice compliment. thank you very much Allison!
Cooking this right now. I used cut up ham and pictsweet vegetable blend sauteed. Every recipe of yours I try has been a success. Thank you. f
Oh, cooked the sausage, green beans and potatoes the other night. A little too much tony chaserie’s for me but my husband and I ate every bite. Yum.
Thanks Judy! I’m hoping you liked the hoppin john!!
It was delicious. Had a friend iver and she took some home. 💜
I love making black eyed peas in the instant pot. I just made a batch today and used chorizo instead of any of the meats suggested in this recipe. It turned out great. I sautéed it first, then deglazed the pot, added remaining ingredients (I actually used five cups of chicken stock). Made rice in another pot and served them together. I like to make this as a hot salad for New Year’s. I stir fry sliced cabbage and onions and then serve the rice and peas over that. Delicious with hot sauce sprinkled on as desired! A tradition in our home for many years now. Happy New Year everyone!
I really love all those ideas! The chorizo sounds wonderful.
I have bunch of yellow split peas also. What cooking time so they are done but not dissolved into mush?
Split peas only take 5-7 minutes in Instant Pot. So I would cook for 5 minutes, quick release, add in the peas and then cook for 5 more minutes.
Thank you so much. Different sites say 10 up to 25 minutes. I trust your answer as your recipes are always spot on! I will thaw some sausage right away !
I have a TON of green and yellow peas…could I use them instead? They wouldn’t change the cook time, would they? Thanks so much for the recipe!! I was JUST looking for the exact one!!! 🥰🥰🥰
Like split peas? They only take 5-7 minutes pressure cooking time
Awesome! Thanks so much for your help! Looks like I found my New Years recipe! ‘Lickity split’, too! 😋😋
Sue
I grew up on a small farm in eastern SC, so I use smoked neck bones same as my aunt’s, mom, and granny. Better flavor. 69 yo man who loves to cook.
★★★★
Good idea! I believe you!