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Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas

Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas recipe for a prosperous New Year. Dried beans will now be one of your favorite Instant Pot recipes.

Cooking dried beans in the Instant Pot is so easy.

Forget about soaking dried beans and waiting hours to cook them.

Now you can enjoy all your favorite dried beans in mere minutes when you pressure cook them in the Instant Pot. 

These smokey flavored black-eyed peas are made with leftover ham from a holiday meal.

Serve them with southern style skillet cornbread and a side of greens.

Don’t have an Instant Pot yet?

You can also make Crock Pot Black-eyed Beans and ensure good luck all year long.

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Why Do We Eat Black Eyes Peas on New Years?

Black-eyed peas are a Lucky New Year food in the south.

Black-eyed peas have a very interesting historical story as to why the South eat them on New Years Day for good luck.

No one knows for sure how this Southern legend got started.

The popular belief is that during the Civil War when the North was pillaging the South they left black-eyed peas and salted pork untouched. 

They thought these two southern food items were animal food unfit for human consumption. 

When the war ended people of the South rejoiced in their luck.

The only food they had was black-eyed peas and salted pork.

The people of those ravished southern towns survived because they had black-eyed peas to eat.

Traditional Southern New Years Recipe

Black-eyed peas are a traditional southern recipe eaten on New Years Day.

This simple but delicious dried bean recipe is said to bring good luck in the new year to anyone who eats it on New Year’s day.

Traditionally served with collard greens and cornbread black-eyed beans are a staple in most Southern homes.

At least it is in Georgia where I first enjoyed black-eyed peas.

Head over to my Instant Pot Recipe page for more easy Instant Pot recipes

How To Make Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon diced garlic
• 2 large bay leaves
• 3 cups diced ham or a leftover ham bone
• 1 lb dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked through (cowpeas)
• 6 cups chicken stock

Directions

1. Melt the butter in the Instant Pot inert on the saute setting.
2. Add the diced onion, diced carrots, salt and ground pepper to the melted butter and saute for about 3 minutes to sweat the onions (link).
3. Add the minced garlic to the Instant Pot and saute for 1 minute.
4. Add the diced ham, black-eyed peas and bay leaves to the Instant Pot.
5. Add the chicken stock and stir with a large spoon to combine.
6. Place the lid on the Instant Pot making sure it has locked into place.
7. Check the pressure valve and make sure it is set to the sealing position.
8. Press the manual button on the Instant Pot and set the time to 30 minutes. Pressure cook for 30 minutes and then naturally release the steam for 15 minutes.
9. After 12 minutes carefully push the Instant Pot valve to the releasing setting allowing any steam to release.
10. Open the lid carefully, away from your face to prevent a steam burn.
11. Serve with white rice, crusty french bread or crackers.
12. Makes 8 servings.

Print the Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas recipe below

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