Instant Pot Black-eyed Peas are a fantastic side dish for any southern meal. The Instant Pot makes them unbelievably tender and flavorful. Just top them with a sprinkle of paprika and serve.
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Black-eyed Peas are one of the vegetables that we eat on repeat.
When you were a kid, did your mother make you a “bird’s nest” by pressing the back of a spoon into the top of a pile of mashed potatoes to make the nest and then fill it up with peas for eggs?
My mother did this for me and I used to do this for my kids when they were younger. Ahhh, the memories.
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🔑 Key to Success #1 – Soak the Black-eyed Peas
To soak or not to soak. That is the question.
But if you’ve ever seen the water after you soaked dry black-eyed peas, you’ll know that the answer is to soak.
Soak and then rinse the black-eyed peas well. Do not cook the peas in the soaking water.
You can technically skip the soaking if you’re short on time. The cook time in the Instant Pot will be the same.
The soaking helps remove some of the indigestible parts of the black-eyed peas that can cause gas and belly pain for some people.
Whether or not you soak the peas, do not skip the rinse. And remove the floaters after soaking.
🔑 Key to Success #2 – Add Some Fat
One of the secrets to nice, soft black-eyed peas is to add a little bit of fat while they’re cooking.
I often use shortening, also known as Crisco. You can also use bacon grease instead of the shortening if you have some on hand.
I keep Crisco shortening in my pantry at all times. I prefer the Crisco sticks if I can find them at the grocery store. They are easy to measure and I like the convenience of them.
If you don’t have any other fat, you can put in a little bit of vegetable oil. The solid shortening is preferred in black-eyed peas however.
🔑 Key to Success #3 – Sprinkle with Paprika
Maybe this is a southern thing but I really love to sprinkle my black-eyed peas with a little paprika.
Have you ever tried this? It just adds that little special touch to peas.
My favorite way to eat black-eyed peas is with buttermilk cornbread. I crumble the cornbread over the top of the peas. Yum yum.
📌 Get the Printable Recipe for Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas
Save this Instant Pot Black-eyed Peas recipe to your favorite Instant Pot board or your Vegetables and Side Dishes board.
Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry black-eyed peas
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp shortening
- 1 Tbsp salt
- additional water for soaking peas
Instructions
- Soak black-eyed peas in water overnight or “quick soak” them by putting black-eyed peas in a pot and covering with water. Then heat (covered) over high heat until boiling. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and leave lid on the pot for 1 hour while peas soak. Drain well then rinse with cool water.
- Place black-eyed peas in inner pot of Instant Pot and add chicken broth, water, shortening, and salt.
- Cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes with pressure release valve set to Sealing. Allow pressure to natural release for at least 10 minutes then quick release.