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Cooked black-eyed peas in bowl.
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5 from 5 votes

How to Cook Black-Eyed Peas

Learn how to cook dried black-eyed peas on the stove and in the Instant Pot, and use them in your favorite black-eyed peas recipes instead of canned or frozen black-eyed peas.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: How-to, Meal prep
Cuisine: Global cuisine
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 3 cups cooked beans (approx)
Calories: 187kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried black-eyed peas (also called cowpeas or black-eyed beans)
  • 1 bay leaf (optional)
  • 3-4 cups water

Instructions

Stovetop method

  • Soak the beans overnight or for 6-8 hours by placing in a bowl and adding enough water to cover the beans by two inches. By the end of soaking the beans would have absorbed quite a bit of the water.
  • Rinse the beans and place them in a saucepan with the bay leaf, if using, and 3 cups water or enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches.
  • Bring to a boil over medium heat. As soon as the liquid starts to bubble, turn the heat to low and cover with a tight lid. Cook 20-25 minutes or until the beans are tender but not falling apart. Check occasionally during cooking and stir to make sure there's enough liquid in the pot. Add more hot water if the beans dry up.

Instant Pot method

  • Rinse the dried beans and place them in the Instant Pot liner with the bay leaf, if using, and 4 cups water.
  • Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 25 minutes. Force-release 15 minutes after cooking has ended, or wait for the pressure to release naturally.

Notes

Cooking beans in slow cooker
  • To cook the beans in a crockpot, soak them first overnight or for 6-8 hours. Drain out the soaking water, add six cups of fresh water, cover and cook on the low setting of the crockpot for 6 hours or until tender, or on the high setting for 3-4 hours. Check occasionally to see if the water has dried out and add more hot water as needed.
Helpful tip
  • Don't drain out the cooking stock or broth after cooking the black-eyed peas. It's full of flavor and nutrition. If you're making a curry or stew use the broth instead of vegetable stock or water.
Storage instructions
  • Refrigerate: Store cooked black-eyed peas in the fridge for up to three days.
  • Freeze: Strain out the cooking liquid and place the beans in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. Freeze up to six months.
  • Use: You can add the beans directly from the freezer to hot soups and stews, or thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup cooked beans | Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 619mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 5mg