Slow cooker black eyed peas are a wonderful thing. I grew up surrounded by them, it seemed. Canned black eyed peas in the cupboard. Dried black eyed peas in the pantry. Black eyed peas in the garden. They made an appearance at almost every dinner, and my dad still has them very, very often. And by very often I mean every single day. He has never burned out on them, and I can understand why.
A Great Side Dish. And A Great Main Dish.
This is my favorite way to prepare black eyed peas. For a little smokiness I add a smoked pork shank. And for a little spiciness I add a little jalapeno. To make it a main dish I add chopped smoked ham. For a side dish, I’d leave out the ham. Probably.
I avoid cooking dried beans in water if possible. I prefer chicken broth. It adds so much more flavor to the beans. I seem to always have gallons of chicken broth on hand. I save my vegetable and chicken trimmings, freezing them, and once I have enough I make a huge pot of broth. Slow cooker black eyed peas cooked in broth is a magical thing.
For something totally different try my pickled black-eyed peas. They’re magical.
Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups dried black eyed peas
- 2 cups sweet onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 medium jalapeno stemmed, seeded, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ham hock smoked. I used a smoked pork shank
- 1 bay leaf
- hot sauce to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Note: If you wish to add smoked ham, do so 6 hours into cooking.
- Remove ham hock and let cool slightly. Cut meat from the bone, chop, and return to the slow cooker.
- Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
