Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas, a simple 7-minute recipe for cooking dried black eyed peas in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Super tasty, super easy!
Love black eyed peas but not sure how to cook them from dried? Use your Instant Pot! Cooking dried beans and peas like black eyed peas is super simple in the pressure cooker and only takes 7 minutes for plump and perfect peas for your next soup or stew.
👉 Ready to learn how to make dried black eyed peas in the pressure cooker? Let’s do it!
🌿 Ingredients
- Dried black eyed peas: The base of this recipe, dried black eyed peas can be found in most bulk sections of grocery stores
- Water: Use 3 parts water for every 1 part dried beans (so for 1 cup, use 3 cups of water)
- Salt: A touch of salt in the water before pressure cooking helps the beans cook faster, and adds flavor
- Herbs: Optional, but fresh or dried herbs like sage or thyme (pictured here) add a punch of flavor
- Oil: Optional, but a bit of oil in the cooking water helps soften beans and adds a deeper flavor
- Recommended tools: medium bowl, Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, colander for straining
🥣 How to make (step-by-step photos)
1️⃣ Step One: Rinse black eyed peas (optional step)
If you’d like peas to cook slightly faster and to potentially make them easier to digest, give the peas a quick rinse and soak for 5-10 minutes before cooking.
To do this, simply add the dried black eyed peas to a bowl and cover with water for 5-10 minutes. Then drain them before cooking in the pressure cooker.
👉 Why should you rinse your beans before cooking? Sometimes certain beans, peas, and pulses may have indigestible fibers that may cause bloating in some people. Giving your dried black eyed peas a quick rise and soak will help to remove some of these compounds before cooking, which makes them easier to digest later. However, if you don’t rinse them they are still perfectly fine to eat.
2️⃣ Step Two: Cook black eyed peas in the pressure cook
Add black eyed peas, water (see below for the correct ratio), salt, any dried herbs you’d like, and a drizzle of olive oil to the Instant Pot.
Close the lid on securely, then pressure cook the beans on the high pressure or “beans” setting for 7 minutes. When time is up, release the pressure immediately.
👉 What is the correct ratio of beans to water in the pressure cooker? Generally we do 1 part beans and 3 parts water for a 1:3 ratio in the Instant Pot. So for this recipe we’re doing 2 cups of beans and 6 cups of water for 6 servings of beans (about 1/3 cup per serving). If you’d like more or less servings, use the servings adjuster in this recipe card or use the ratio of 1:3 for 1 cup of dried beans to give 3 servings.
3️⃣ Step Three: Serve or store beans
When the beans are done, remove them from the Instant Pot with a straining ladle or remove the pressure cooker pan from the pot and drain the beans in a colander.
Use the beans immediately if adding to soups, stews, salads, or serving as a side dish.
🧊 How to store
- Refrigerator storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- Freezer storage: We do not recommend freezing dried black eyed peas after cooking because they will not retain their texture after freezing and thawing.
❓ Recipe questions + quick tips
If stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container, dried black eyed peas will be stay shelf-stable for at least a year, and up to 2-3 years if stored properly.
Dried black eyed peas will stay shelf-stable for year if store properly, but throw them out if they have visible mold, have a stale or offputting smell, or if there are signs of pantry bug infestation.
🍛 How to serve
- As a side dish: Serve immediately after cooking for a simple side dish, or add them to a pan with garlic and oil to add more flavor.
- Combine with rice: Spice it up with rice for a twist on traditional beans and rice
- Make a plant-based Hoppin’ John: put a plant-based twist on traditional New Year’s Eve dish Hoppin’ John by serving stewed black eyed peas over rice
- Add to a simple salad: Add a serving of black eyed peas to a salad with sturdy greens like chard or kale for a punch of protein and fiber
♻️ Sustainable kitchen tips
We’re all about running an eco-friendly kitchen at Fork in the Road! Here are some tips for making this recipe sustainably:
Store dried peas safely. To keep dried black eyed peas shelf-stable when dried before cooking, store them in an airtight jar or container in the pantry in a cool, dry place and they will keep for a minimum of 1 year.
Reuse pea cooking water. Don’t throw out the cooking water for these peas! Instead use it in your garden to add extra nutrients to plants.
👉 More recipes using black eyed peas
Want more black eyed pea recipes? We’ve got you covered:
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Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse black eyed peas (optional): Add dried black eyed peas to a bowl and cover with water for 5-10 minutes, the drain and set aside.
- Cook black eyed peas: Add black eyed peas, water, salt, herbs, and oil (if using) to an Instant Pot or pressure cooker and close the lid securely. Cook on on high pressure, or on the “Beans” setting, for 7 minutes. When done, release the pressure immediately.
- Drain and serve (or store): When the beans are done, remove them from the pressure cooker and drain. Serve immediately by mixing into salads, soups, or as a side dish, or store for later use (see storing instructions in notes).
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker or Instant Pot
Recipe Notes
- Tools needed: medium bowl, Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, colander for straining
- Ratio of beans to water: Generally we do 1 part beans and 3 parts water for a 1:3 ratio in the Instant Pot. So for this recipe we’re doing 2 cups of beans and 6 cups of water for 6 servings of beans (about 1/3 cup per serving). If you’d like more or less servings, use the servings adjuster in this recipe card or use the ratio of 1:3 for 1 cup of dried beans to give 3 servings.
- How to store: Store black eyed peas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. We don’t recommend freezing after cooking as the peas will lose their texture after thawing.
- Nutrition notes: Nutrition information is for all ingredients in this recipe (salt, herbs, and oil included), so if you omit any ingredients the nutrition information may change. This simply cooked peas recipe is a good source of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium.
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