With an Instant Pot and about 30 minutes, you can make perfectly cooked black eyed peas every time! Let us show you how.
About Black Eyed Peas
Black eyed peas (also called cowpeas) are native to West Africa and have been grown in China and India since pre-historic times. By 1674, they were introduced in the US by enslaved individuals from Africa and became an important staple in the South. Since then, eating black eyed peas and greens on New Year’s Day has become a cultural tradition that symbolizes good luck. (source)
Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas
The Instant Pot is our preferred method for cooking black eyed peas because it’s quick, easy, and yields perfectly tender beans!
Here’s what you need to know:
- Ratio = 1 part black eyed peas : 3 parts water
- Cook Time = 8-10 minutes
- Release = 15 minute natural release, then release any remaining pressure
Black eyed peas are delicious in soups and stews, and also go well alongside greens, rice, mashed potatoes, and/or roasted squash.
Did you find this helpful? If so, be sure to check out our Instant Pot Cooking Times Guide for perfectly cooked grains and beans every time!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
*Note: recipe updated 1/28/22 to address reader issues with black eyed peas being too soft. If using older beans, note that they may take longer than 8-10 minutes to cook.
Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas (Fast, Perfect, No Soaking!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup black eyed peas
- 3 cups water (or vegetable broth for more flavor)
Instructions
- Add black eyed peas and water (or vegetable broth) to the Instant Pot and stir to prevent sticking. Pressure cook on high for 8-10 minutes* (8 minutes for more firm, 10 for more tender // it will take about 8 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize before cooking begins).
- Once the timer goes off, allow to naturally release for 15 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. The beans should be tender and perfectly cooked, but if they're not that's usually caused by having old beans or hard water – you can seal the lid again and pressure cook on high for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until they're tender.
- Carefully remove lid once steam has fully escaped and drain any excess cooking liquid.
- Enjoy immediately in soups or stews, with greens, rice, mashed potatoes, and/or roasted squash. Store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop, adding a little water as needed to prevent sticking.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*Total time includes active cook time, release time, and the time it takes for the Instant Pot to heat up (~8 minutes).
NC says
Tried this recipe with chicken broth and added ham hocks and it was very good! I am impressed!
We’re so glad you enjoyed! Thanks so much for sharing!
Cat says
So easy! I cooked in vegetable broth -used to make vegan gumbo! Directions worked perfectly -I cooked for 11 minutes on high.
Yum! Thank you for sharing your experience, Cat! xo
Nellie says
Great recipe. Easy to follow. I made 1/2 recipe as I am feeding 3 and trying to cut down on leftovers.
My beans were old but I was going to be making hopping’ john. There would be additional cooking time with that.
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Nellie. Thank you for sharing! xo
Nette says
Hi, I’m reading this after already having soaked my beans overnight. How much additional liquid, if any, would you recommend?
Hi Nette, you won’t need as much liquid if they are already soaked. We’d recommend reducing the amount of liquid by 1/2 cup. You also won’t need to cook them as long. Maybe half the amount of time? Hope that helps!
Connie says
Can I double the recipe?
Yes! Double the amounts, but keep the timing the same.
Audrey says
Spot on perfect black eye peas and so easy! Which is saying a lot coming from a southern mama cook. We take black eye peas seriously down here. Lol
Whoop! We’re honored. Thank you for the lovely review, Audrey! xo
Frederick Jackson says
1st off,this isa minimalist recipe.plain and simple works.i gave up salt pork add on for smoked turkey. Also add my favorite greens. Yum!
We’re glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing, Frederick!
Nancy says
I just made these with black eyed peas that I bought several years ago. I added 1 minute, cooking for 11 minutes since my beans had been around so long. I will try 10 minutes next time and will add some salt to the water.
Thanks so much for sharing, Nancy!
Manoli says
I did a number ro things differently. I sautéed many vegetables – onion, red pepper, celery – and two kinds of sausage, sliced into coins. I did only use a 2 to 1 ratio of liquid to peas. I also included cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. It was still quite watery so I was inspired to make everything soup. I then included thinly sliced greens, Kale and turnip, and included some elbow macaroni. It came out grand! It is the perfect weather for comfort food soup. YMMV.
Sounds like a great recipe, Manoli! Thanks for sharing!
Leclercq Jennifer says
Is this recipe using dried beans? We always buy fresh black eyed peas in the produce section. How would that work in the Instant Pot? Package on the fresh peas says boil for 2 hrs (!) which seems excessive.
Hi, yes, this recipe is with dried beans. You wouldn’t need to cook as long with fresh beans (probably only a couple minutes!).
Leclercq Jennifer says
I figured out that the so called ‘fresh’ did just fine with your recipe! I sautéed onion and bacon, and added to the peas in the IP, followed your same recipe above the timing was great! At the end I boiled off some extra liquid but it was so good. 😊😊
Amazing! Thank you for letting us know!
Nikita says
Happy New Year black eyed peas 2024!
Soaked 6 hrs.
1 cup peas to 2 cups water and 1 cup stock.
Pressure 10 minutes.
Perfect 👌 Cheers
Lovely! Thanks for the tips, Nikita!
Betty says
Black Eyed Peas are also native to West Africa, and they were transported to the United States via the Middle Passage of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
Ed says
Every time I have made beans in the Instant pot and follow the directions to the letter, there’s always lots of liquid/water left in the pot. It happened when I followed this recipe also. The beans were fine.
Hi Ed, that’s because with the Instant Pot, you’re not stirring while it’s cooking. So if you use only enough water that it all gets absorbed, the beans at the top won’t get fully cooked by the time the ones at the bottom are tender. It’s best to drain off the liquid at the end instead. Hope that clarifies!
Yevette C. says
When I have excess liquid I put the setting on sauté to boil off some of the liquid or to thicken the liquid. It will also continue to cook the beans so I will shorten the initial cooking time.
KRISTEN MCGREGER says
Awesome idea! Ty
Jewel Burgess says
I love that I can make the black eyed peas so quickly. My question is: Can I add neck bones to the beans, will the meat cook throughly or would I need to add additional cooking time?
Hi Jewel, we haven’t ever tried it that way so we’re not sure! Maybe another reader will be able to chime in?
Chantal says
Yes you can. I add about 2 pounds of neck bones to a pound of black eyed peas. I cook on the beans settings for 90 mins. I hope this helps.
Jess says
Yes! You would Sautee your seasoning meat first and then follow this recipe the same way. I personally use diced ham.
Erykah says
I put oxtails in mines and I cook mine for 45 minutes and I only use enough liquid to cover the beans. I use broth instead of water also.
SRBirdie says
Perfect results every time! Water does make a difference. If you got hard water, it is a pain in the tuchis. Go with filtered or soft water and save yourself the aggravation.
Thanks for sharing!
Julie Greenfield says
Thanks to Steve for his suggestion on 3 min. I used a 1lb, Publix store brand, bag that I purchased yesterday. I put the beans in and filled the water to 6 cup mark. I used high pressure setting for 3 min, manually released the steam & opened after 2-3 min. The top beans were more al dente than the bottom. I was going for firm to make cold salads. I am going to play around to get the right consistency. I usually soak overnight & steam using a pasta pot, so this was faster & easier.
Alicia says
Having seen the comments about variations on cooking times, I was a little nervous but had a bag of older, dried black eyed peas I wanted to prepare. I have an instant hot water tap (water comes out at 210 degrees) so because I started with almost-boiling water, I set my IP for 6 minutes, then did a quick release. The black eyed peas were perfect; not mushy, not hard. Thanks!
Thanks so much for sharing, Alicia!
Steve says
They were normal packaged dry beans, not soaked. To be honest, 3 minutes on high with quick release was enough for my second attempt. They were slightly al dente, but they were perfect after simmering in the soup for 20 minutes or so. Using 8 minutes, they came out of the Instant Pot with the consistency that I try for when cooking black beans that are going to be made into refried.
Hi Steve, can you share with us what brand of black eyed peas you’re using? We’re a little stumped on how they are cooking that fast because in our experience they’re rock hard after 3 minutes!
Steve says
8-10 minutes makes mush.
Hi Steve, sorry to hear that! We’ve retested this recipe several times and haven’t been able to replicate that issue. Were you using shelf stable DRY beans? Or were they fresh from the produce section and/or already soaked? If soaked, they will cook a lot faster.
jane says
dont use ones from a can, theyre already cooked!
Shannon Oswald says
I followed your recipe with a bag of dried black eyed peas (about 2 1/2 cups) and 8 cups of broth and water. I added about half a cup of chopped smoked ham. I used my instapot high pressure setting for 10 minutes and except for needing a touch of salt, they were perfect. The beans were firm enough to be handled with a spoon or fork but yielded to the bite with a lovely creamy texture.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Shannon! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Elle Michelle says
I think you need to revisit your instructions yet again. I’m a good cook and not new to the Instant Pot. I just made a one pound bag of blackeyes (purchased two days ago). After reading the comments I set the cook time for 7 minutes. I followed the directions for natural and then quick release. I still ended up with a pot full of mush. This was disappointing and a waste of perfectly good peas. Try again, folks.
Hi Elle, sorry to hear you experienced issues with this recipe. Were your black eyed peas “fresh” from the produce section, or fully dried?
Shirley says
None of the recipes I have seen call for salt. Is that because you are maybe adding something salty like bacon or ham? Otherwise, there should be added salt in my opinion
Hi Shirley, this recipe is for unseasoned black eyed peas. If you’d prefer a seasoned version, we have that here.
Alex says
How come your recipe says cooking time of 8-10 minutes, but the guide you recommend downloading says 15-17 minutes cooking time? That is quite a big difference.
Hi Alex, thanks for pointing that out and sorry for any confusion. We updated the recipe on 1/28/22, but forgot to update the chart. We’ll get it fixed!
Tee says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing this. I am going to try it over the weekend. However, what do you mean by naturally releasing the pressure?
Hi Tee! Naturally releasing the pressure just means you let the instant pot sit, not touching any buttons or valves, and “depressurize” on its own for the required time. Eventually it would depressurize on its own, but we like to release remaining pressure manually to speed up the process. Hope this helps!
Katy says
I made these and cooked in the instant pot for 9 minutes ( a compromise between 8 and 10 minutes).I did the release just as you suggested.. My black eyed peas turned out too soft, so next time I’ll try 8 minutes. I plan on freezing them in individual servings to throw in salads, smoothies, and eat with rice, etc.
Sergeant Granny says
My toddler grandson loves all types of beans. His favorite is black-eyed peas. I saw your recipe and thought I’d give it a shot. Very pleased that I did. He can’t get enough of these beans. Thank you for the recipe.
Aw, love that! Thank you so much for sharing! xo
Pamela says
Excellent!! A few things I did different was sauté 4 strips of bacon in a drizzle of olive oil till cooked…then used chicken broth instead of water for more flavor. Could add onion or jalapeño as an option.
I did use a whole pound of peas so I added 6.5 cups of liquid. Added 5 more min to cooking time It was perfectly tender and delish! Will make again!!
Lovely! Thank you for sharing, Pamela!
Debbie says
I cooked a pound in 6.5 cups of water for only 5 minutes and they were just right. I think that 15 minutes would be way to long.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Debbie!
Liz says
I used chicken broth instead of water. I also added chopped ham, onion, pepper and parsley. It was amazing – sooo delish!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Liz! Thank you for sharing!
Eric says
I recently noticed that the ‘cook time’ for the beans is very similar to instant pot recipes for brown rice. I followed this recipe and added a 1:1 ratio of brown rice & stock and let it totally release naturally. The result was a perfect mix of beans and rice that I will definitely be making again.
Ooo, love that idea! Thanks so much for sharing, Eric!
Katie says
Oh this is fantastic idea will try this next time
Kristie says
I just made this with BEPs that have been in my cabinet for literally YEARS… was reading the comments section while they were in the IP so I quickly reduced the cook time to 7 minutes, and let them natural release for 10 before I opened the pot, and they seem just about perfect!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Kristie. We have it on our list to retest!
Hi Kristie, we’ve retested the recipe with new beans and updated the cook time. Hope that’s helpful if you decide to give it another try!
Red says
I used dry beans and put in in for high for 15 minutes and it was perfect. First I sautéd an onion and bell pepper and celery. then i put the beans and water in along with some left over honey baked ham. Then garlic powder, cumin, coriander and allspice. And a bay leaf.
I can’t rate the recipe itself since mine was different but i found your pressure cook time to be close to what i needed.
Yumm – sounds so delish! So glad the cook time was helpful. Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
Heather says
Sorry to say but this did not work for me. I did a pound of dried beans in 7 cups water, unrinsed for 15 minutes and they are falling apart. I will make it work for the final recipe I am doing, but just wanted to give feedback so that others know they might have issues with this method if you are looking to just get them to a cooked/out of the can kind of texture. I wasn’t expecting them to be this mushy :(
Hi Heather, thank you for sharing your experience and so sorry to hear the black eyed peas were mushy. We have it on our list to do some troubleshooting on this recipe to figure out why some readers are having this issue.
Hi Heather, thanks again for your feedback! Just wanted to let you know that we’ve retested with new beans and updated the recipe. Hope that’s helpful if you decide to try it again!
Tracey says
I cooked mine in the Ninja pressure cooker for 7 mins and they were perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Tracey!
Caroline Fry says
Followed instructions to a t and they turned to mush. Should have read the comments first, as it seems like many people are having this problem. Next time would try 5 minutes cook max.
Hi Caroline, we’re so sorry that was your experience! Were you using dry beans or fresh/soaked?
Dan says
Pressure cook on high for 7 minutes… this recipe will make mush.
Hi Dan, sorry to hear that was your experience. Were you using dry beans or fresh? We’ll give the recipe another look and see if we can figure out the issue.
Christopher says
12/10 worked perfect. Cooked 1/2 lb of beans and 3 c of chicken stock. Onions, peppers, jalapeño, celery, and green pepper. Paprika, Cumin, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Perfect
Thank you for sharing, Christopher!
AbbyDove says
I tried 7 minutes with my dried black eyed peas, turned my instant pot off (so it wouldn’t try to keep them at temp) and used the recommended 15 min natural release. They were completely mushy, really a bummer. I think the 5 minute person is right, but release the pressure immediately. I think it would be a good idea to change the recipe to reflect this.
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re not sure what’s causing them to cook in less time for some people. We did several retests recently and updated the recipe. We found that any less than 8 minutes and the beans weren’t fully cooked. It’s a little puzzling!
Christopher says
Tried 15 and 15 with half lb of dries peas, sausage, and veg’s. Used 3 cups chicken stock instead of water. Delish but way too soft. Trying today with 10 and 10 to take to a friends house for dinner. Hope they are better this time.
Uh oh! Sorry these didn’t work out for you, Christopher. Thanks so much for your honest feedback! Let us know how round two goes!
Anna says
I read your directions a few times and watched the video a few times and noticed that your written instructions say 15-17 minutes on high, whereas your video shows your instant pot on low.
Could that be the possible reason some people are saying theirs turned to mush???
Hi Anna, thank you for your question! High pressure is correct here. But it does look like some readers are having issues with the cook time. Some reasons that legumes can cook faster would be if they are soaked, or perhaps if the ones we were using were older. We’ll give it another test and see if we can troubleshoot.
Miss Leslie says
Also, I used 3 x water to beans and ended up with too much water.
Miss Leslie says
I too cooked beans (no soaking) for 15 minutes and they are mush! Fortunately I bought two bags of beans. I’ll try again tomorrow at 12 minutes, in the hope that I can make Texas Caviar with them. These will never do.
Oh no! So sorry to hear these didn’t work for you, Leslie. Did you happen to make any modifications to the recipe? Did you use the natural release setting on the instant pot? Thanks so much for your honest feedback!
Miss Leslie says
Even 12 minutes was too long — and I immediately released the steam. Glad to hear you are going to re-test your recipe. Sounds like 7 minutes is the way to go.
Cindy says
I just made these for New Year’s Day tomorrow. They are perfect! I sautéed bacon first and then added half chicken stock, half water. Seasoned with salt, pepper, a bit of oregano and a tablespoon of Cholula hot sauce before cooking. Set instapot for 13 minutes and let it vent naturally for about 15 minutes before quick venting. Could have eaten them all now. Not mushy at all. Just right. Cooking our collards tomorrow in the insta. They always are perfect.
Yumm! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Cindy! So glad you enjoyed!
Erika says
I have a recipe called Black-Eyed Peas with Salsa that I have made off and on for many many years. The process for cooking the peas is over many hours. It has us cook 1 # of peas with 4 cloves of garlic, one bay leaf and lots of salt. Can that be incorporated into the Instapot process?
Hi Erika! If you use 6-7 cups of water in the instant pot it should be just right for a pound of beans (~double this recipe). You can include all your usual herbs and spices with the beans and water, and follow the recipe instructions as written. Let us know how it goes!
Jodi says
Is this recipe for fresh or dried black eyed peas? Thanks
Dried!
Dale Parkinson says
You saved my Black Eyed Peas!
I invited some friends over from church who are from Mississippi for Black Eyed Peas and cornbread. I am a SoCal boy relocated to Alaska and a 40+ year stovetop pressure cooker user. I am new to the InstantPot. I looked up a recipe and it said 8 cups of liquid and 90 minutes for unsoaked BEPs!
I thought that can’t be right. I found your recipe and besides having way too much cooking liquid (from the other recipe) and taking forever to come up to pressure, your recipe saved my ham hocks and Black Eyed Peas. THANK YOU!
We’re so glad the recipe was helpful and you enjoyed it, Dale! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Rob W. says
I made this today and it came out perfect! If I wanted to double the beans to 2 cups and double the liquid, is it safe to assume to double to time from 17 minutes to 34 minutes?
The cook time should be the same! It will just take a bit longer to pressurize. Thanks, Rob!
Elizabeth says
I pressure cooked for 10 min and natural released for 15. They were In my pantry a good 6 months or more. They are all broken and overly soft… not unsalvagable but next time I will do just 5 minutes cooking. I’m in Florida, sea level… maybe local atmospheric pressure makes a difference?
Sorry to hear that, Elizabeth! Is it possible you soaked the black eyed peas first?
Tisha says
From a southerner (south Georgia) who has been eating black-eyed peas her entire life, NEVER drain peas! That’s where cornbread comes in handy. Just crumble up a piece of southern-style cornbread (not the sweet yellow stuff) and let it soak up those delicious juices!!!
Yum! Sounds delish. Thanks for sharing your experience, Tisha!
Tammy Van Cleve says
This recipe was a total fail for us. If you use the advised water to pea ratio, there is way too much liquid and the peas are complete mush. I questioned the amount of water when I put it in the pot but went ahead and did what the recipe called for. Next time I’ll go with my gut.
Hi Tammy, so sorry to hear that was your experience! Were you using dry or fresh/soaked black eyed peas? There will be excess liquid with this recipe, but you can simply strain it off. We find that if you use less than the specified amount of liquid with dry beans, the ones at the top don’t cook fully.
Paige Patterson says
I added jalapeño rings and beef bouillon. So good!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing, Paige!
Miss Lillian says
Tried this insta pot recipe
They were delicious 😋😋
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Randi says
I followed directions exactly and did for 15 minutes. They came out too soft. :(
Will try again using less time.
Sorry to hear that, Randi! Were the beans soaked or unsoaked?
Randi says
Thanks for the response. I did not soak them. I did a quick rinse under water. Will try again.
Let us know how it goes! It’s possible your beans were fresher than ours or maybe you prefer them more firm than we do?
Suzi says
Sorry to be a pain, I prefer to soak the beans, what would you say is the difference in cooking time please ?
Hi Suzi, we haven’t tried that way, but perhaps 5 minutes? Let us know how it goes!
Stacy Cason says
Does the cook time change if I double the recipe?
It doesn’t! It will just take longer to come to pressure and de-pressurize. Hope that helps!
Tara says
In my instant pot on low for 15 minutes the BEP turned to mush! I’ll have to try again!
Oh no! Sorry that happened, Tara! Depending on the freshness of the beans, hard/soft water, etc. there can be variation. Let us know how it goes next time.
Petchie Hawkins says
Could you use this same formula for any dried beans? Black, kidney, garbanzo?
The cook time and method will vary by bean. We’d suggest checking out our full guide here!