Crockpot Black Eye Peas

Ring in a lucky year.

My Yankee readers might not know this, but black eye peas aren’t just a traditional food in the South – they’re actually a good luck charm.

Eating them on New Year’s Day is supposed to bring good fortune in the coming year. Because the peas swell when you cook them, they’re a sign that your purse will grow fatter in the year to come.

Now, I can’t guarantee that these Crockpot Black Eye Peas will actually bring you wealth, but they are a very economical meal. Adding a pound of dry black eye peas lets you stretch out one ham hock into a meal that can feed a whole family. (You can add extra ham for a meatier dish, but the beans have plenty of flavor and substance without it.)

I can also promise that you won’t have to put a lot of work into this good-luck meal. The Crockpot makes it easy. Soak the peas overnight right in the crock, then drain them and rinse them in the morning and add the ham hock, along with diced onion, broth, and seasoning. Turn the Crockpot on low and let it simmer all day, and by dinnertime you’ve got tender, smoky beans, ready to enjoy.

They might not fill your wallet. But they will fill your belly just fine.

Crockpot Black Eye Peas

1. Soak your peas overnight. Fill the bowl with about two inches of water on top of the peas since they will expand. If any float to the top you can discard them.
2. The next day, drain and rinse your peas.
3. Place your diced onions, peas, diced ham and ham hock into your crockpot.
4. Add your chicken broth, water, Worcestershire, vinegar, Tabasco, salt and pepper, and stir.
5. Place the lid on your crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
6. Serve and enjoy!

My store doesn’t have dry black eye peas. Can I use another kind of dry beans?

• Other white beans, cranberry beans, or butter beans will all taste good in this dish. But of course, they’re not as traditional and might not bring you the same good luck!

Is there a way to make these peas vegetarian?

• You could just substitute veggie broth for chicken broth and leave out the ham hock, but the flavor would leave something to be desired. To give it the same smoky flavor as the original, add a generous dash of Liquid Smoke to the pot. It’s not as traditional, but it will let your vegetarian friends in on the treat.

What should I serve with these?

• If you want to round out a traditional Southern feast, serve them with collard greens and skillet corn bread.  (Both of these, by the way, are also considered lucky for New Year’s. The greens symbolize green money, and the corn bread is for gold. But I’d say just getting to enjoy these three Southern favorites at one meal is lucky enough all by itself.)

Other recipes you will love!

• Honey Glazed Carrots
• Famous Corn Pudding
• Crockpot Red Beans and Rice

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5 from 3 votes

Crockpot Black Eye Peas

These Crockpot Black Eye Peas are packed with a smokey, savory flavor thanks to the ham hock that simmers for hours with the peas.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours hours

Serves:8

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Calories:281

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Ingredients

• 1 pound of dry black eye peas
• 1 ham hock
• 1 ½ cup diced ham optional
• 1 onion diced
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1 cup of water
• 1 ½ TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• ½ TBSP of apple cider vinegar
• 3-5 dashes of Tobasco hot sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Soak your peas overnight. Fill the bowl with about two inches of water on top of the peas since they will expand. If any float to the top you can discard them.
• The next day, drain and rinse your peas.
• Place your diced onions, peas, diced ham and ham hock into your crockpot.
• Add your chicken broth, water, Worcestershire, vinegar, Tobasco, salt and pepper, and stir.
• Place the lid on your crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

Prep times does not include the overnight soaking time.

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Nutrition Information:

Calories: 281kcal (14%)Carbohydrates: 37g (12%)Protein: 22g (44%)Fat: 6g (9%)Saturated Fat: 2g (10%)Cholesterol: 29mg (10%)Sodium: 792mg (33%)Potassium: 830mg (24%)Fiber: 6g (24%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 28IU (1%)Vitamin C: 11mg (13%)Calcium: 79mg (8%)Iron: 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Disclaimer

Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Course:Side Dish

Cuisine:Crockpot, Slow cooker

Keyword:beans, new years

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