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These Southern Black-Eyed Peas are smoky, hearty, and full of real Southern flavor! This pot is built on smoked meat, slow simmering, and seasoning you can control from start to finish.
This version is doubled to feed a crowd and uses smoked sausage with smoked turkey or a ham hock for deep, rich flavor without bacon. Simple ingredients, straight steps, and results that only get better the next day. Serve it alongside classic Southern comfort dishes like Southern Comfort on Your Table: Green Beans, Cornbread & Candied Yams, hearty Easy One-Pot Jambalaya, or soulful Southern Butter Beans for a full Southern spread.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
🍽️ Recipe Name: Southern Black-Eyed Peas
⏱️ Ready In: About 2 hours (plus soak time)
👨👩👧👦 Serves: 10–12
🥣 Key Ingredients: Black-eyed peas, smoked sausage, smoked turkey or ham hock, Creole Kick
📖 Dietary Info: Not vegetarian, gluten-free friendly
🔥 Why You’ll Love It: Big Southern flavor with smoky depth and simple prep
Key Ingredients
Dried Black-Eyed Peas
Soaking helps them cook evenly and keeps the texture tender, not mushy.
Smoked Sausage
Adds richness and seasoning to the pot. Use your favorite smoked variety.
Smoked Turkey or Ham Hock
This is the backbone of the flavor — slow-cooked smoke that seasons the peas from the inside out.
Onions, Celery & Garlic
Classic Southern aromatics that build a strong flavor base.
Jalapeños or Cayenne
Optional heat that you can easily adjust up or down.
Instructions
Step 1: Soak the Peas
Soak the dried black-eyed peas overnight in plenty of water. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
Quick soak option:
Boil peas for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse.
Step 2: Brown the Sausage
In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the diced smoked sausage over medium heat. Cook until lightly browned and the fat renders.
Remove sausage and set aside. Leave the drippings in the pot.
Step 3: Build the Flavor Base
Add diced onions and celery to the pot. Sauté in the sausage drippings until softened and translucent, about 8–10 minutes.
Stir in minced garlic and optional jalapeños (or cayenne). Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Step 4: Simmer
Return the sausage to the pot. Add the drained black-eyed peas, smoked turkey or ham hock, chicken broth, bay leaves, and Creole kick.
Stir well, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, or until peas are tender.
Step 5: Finish & Serve
Remove the smoked turkey or ham hock. Shred any meat and return it to the pot, discarding bones if needed.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve hot.ot.
Variations
Extra Spicy: Add more jalapeños or an extra pinch of cayenne
Smokier Flavor: Use all smoked sausage instead of turkey
Thicker Broth: Mash a small scoop of peas and stir back in
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with cornbread or hot water cornbread
- Pair with fried chicken or smothered pork chops
- Spoon over rice for a full meal
If you tried these Black Eyed Peas or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes!
Summarize and Save
Southern Black-Eyed Peas
Ingredients
- 2 pounds dried black-eyed peas
- 2 pounds smoked sausage diced
- 1 –2 pounds smoked turkey or 1 large ham hock
- 2 large onions diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 4 –6 teaspoons garlic minced
- 2 jalapeños minced (optional) or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 –4 teaspoons Creole Kick to taste
- 14 –16 cups chicken broth
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak peas overnight in plenty of water. Drain and rinse well.
- Quick soak: Boil peas 2 minutes, cover, let stand 1 hour, then drain and rinse.
- Brown sausage in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove and set aside, leaving drippings in the pot.
- Sauté aromatics by adding onions and celery to the pot. Cook 8–10 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and jalapeños (or cayenne) and cook 1 minute.
- Simmer by returning sausage to the pot. Add peas, smoked turkey or ham hock, broth, bay leaves, and Creole kick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1–1½ hours until peas are tender.
- Finish by removing turkey or ham hock, shredding meat, and returning it to the pot. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Notes
- Season near the end — smoked meats vary in salt
- For thicker peas, mash a small scoop and stir back in
- Reheat gently with a splash of broth or stock
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment below!
Very delicious but I’ve followed this recipe (using a pot, not a dutch oven) twice and even though I’ve simmered my peas for 3.5 hours they are still firm. Is it because of the sodium from the meats and the chicken broth? I’d like soft, not firm, peas. However, it is very flavorful and still oh so good!
Did you soak you peas over night or use the hot flash technique?
Very flavorful and delicious
I did add carrot out habit; next time will add spinach or collards.
Ty and Happy New Year
Thank you and Happy New Year!
I had to cut the recipe in half for my husband and myself. It was the first time I cooked black eyed peas that didn’t come out of the can. I was conservative with the jalapeño and now know that I could have used the full pepper. My husband doesn’t like bland food, especially peas or beans. We both cleaned our bowl. It paired nicely with honey cornbread. Thank you making an easy to follow recipe.
AB, You Da Man. I didn’t have smoked meat so I went a bit untraditional with Italian Sausage and Venison. “Leveled it up” with some Chipotle Garlic Salt and added Collard Greens. I won’t ever make my Black Eyed Peas any other way. Keep up the great work AB. I fell like I’ve known you for years. Your camera presence is very inviting and smoove.
Thank you John. Both of your substitutions sound good to me. I just know it was FIRE! Happy New Year fam 🙂
OMG!!! My sister made the recipe for New Year’s Day dinner! It was the bomb! We have a new love and respect for Blackeye Peas because we did not like them growing up. Thank you for a great recipe that will now be a staple item for dinner!!!!!
Amazing, now having again for breakfast! Y’all Happy New Year!
Hey, A.B. I just watched your video on YouTube, and it was so helpful. I generally prepare my black-eyed peas nearly the same way you do, so I was happy to see someone else doing it the same way (only better.) I just have one question: if I’m using frozen black-eyed peas, is it still a good idea to soak them overnight?
I will be cooking my Blackeyed Peas a little different this year. This recipe I will be making them this way! I can’t wait until my family tries them.
Haven’t cooked them yet will have them on new years with some collard greens and corn muffins. Your look delish. In fact anything you cook looks deish. Keep the recipes coming.
Thanks so much for your knowledge and expertise