When black-eyed peas are cooked right, I could literally eat a whole bowl as a meal! Slow-cooked peas and beans with smoked meat and a side of cornbread is a Southern staple. This Black-Eyed Peas recipe is made with sautéed veggies, smoked turkey wings, and one secret ingredient that was passed down from my grandmother. Then they’re slow cooked until the peas are tender and the turkey meat is falling off the bone. They’re perfect to celebrate on New Years, but definitely a favorite for Sunday dinners throughout the year!

Overhead view of cooked Black Eyed Peas in a dutch oven with cornbread on the side.

This came out perfect flavored just right probably the best black eyed peas I've ever made thank you this one's a keeper!
Mary

Recipe Ingredients

This black-eyed peas recipe is so flavorful, you’ll be dreaming about it all month long! And it’s made with simple ingredients. Here’s everything that you need:

Black Eyed Peas: You’ll need 1 lb. of uncooked dry black eyed peas. You can usually find these in the beans and rice aisle at your local store.
Smoked Turkey: I love using smoked turkey wings as they fit better in the pot and can be completely submerged with the broth. And of course ham hocks are always a great choice and will give you even more flavor. But if you’re trying to cut back on pork, smoked turkey is the next best thing!😉
Aromatics: Onion, bell pepper and garlic adds the perfect flavor base and is very common in slow-cooked peas and bean recipes. They’re definitely a must-have!
Chicken Broth - Chicken broth helps cook the peas and adds tons of extra flavor. Make sure to use a good quality chicken broth. I use Better Than Bouillon to make my broth.
Seasoning - A combination of salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder are used for added flavor. And the secret ingredient that my grandmother always used was a little bit of lemon pepper seasoning. This is what really makes these black-eyed peas stand out from the rest. Might seem odd at first, but babyyy it works!

How To Make Black-Eyed Peas

The full instructions are included in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview:

Step One: The night before, rinse the black eyed peas in a colander and remove any dirt, debris or bad peas that may have fallen into the bag. Place the peas in a large bowl and cover with 2-3 inches of water. Place a lid on the bowl and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours. The next day, drain the peas and give them another good rinse.

Step Two: Now prep the veggies. Dice the onion, bell pepper, and mince the garlic. In a large pot or dutch oven heat some olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Sauté the veggies for a couple of minutes until the onion is translucent. Now add the drained black-eyed peas and spices to the pot.

Peppers and Onions sauteed in a large dutch oven.

Black Eyed Peas and spices added to a large pot.

Step Three: Pour in the chicken broth and add the smoked turkey wings to the pot. Cover the pot with a lid and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the peas for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step Four: Now remove the turkey wings from the pot, peel the skin off, and pull the meat off the bone. Add the pulled turkey meat back to the pot. At this point I like to thicken the black-eyed peas a bit by smashing some of the peas on the inside of the pot with the back of a wooden spoon. Give the peas a few more stirs, remove from heat, and enjoy!

Chicken broth and smoked turkey wings added to large pot.

Cooked black-eyed peas in a large dutch oven pot.

Do Black-Eyed Peas Have To Be Soaked First?

Typically, yes, it’s better to soak black-eyed peas overnight or for at least 6-8 hours in the refrigerator. This helps soften the peas so they cook faster, are more tender, and makes them easier to digest. However, if you want to skip this step then I recommend making my Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas recipe. You don’t need to soak your peas if you are using the Instant Pot. But make sure to still give them a good rinse before so you can remove any dirt or debris.

Variations & Serving Suggestions

You can easily customize your black eyed peas by switching out the meat and/or spices. Here are a few ideas:

Instead of smoked turkey try adding a ham hock. Any type of smoked meat that has a bone in it is always preferred as the bone adds extra flavor as it cooks with the peas. If using bacon, chop the bacon up and cook it in the pot until crispy. Remove the cooked bacon and sauté the veggies in the bacon fat. Add the bacon back in at the end once the peas are done.
Wanna switch out the spices? Instead of lemon pepper seasoning try using your favorite Cajun or Creole seasoning like Tony Chachere's.
Enjoy black-eyed peas simply as a side dish, as a meal over white rice, or simply with a side of homemade cornbread and Southern-style collard greens! They are SO good!

Overhead view of black eyed peas in a white serving bowl with a slice of cornbread on top.

More Flavorful Side Dish Recipes

Sautéed Green Beans with Peppers and Onion
Southern Candied Yams
Crispy Parmesan Crusted Potatoes
Corn Pudding
Easy Roasted Broccoli

Overhead view of southern black eyed peas in a white serving bowl with cornbread on the side.

Southern Black-Eyed Peas Recipe

Author: Marsha McDougal

These slow-cooked Black-Eyed Peas made with smoked turkey are a Southern staple. A must have to celebrate New Year’s or for Sunday dinners.

5 from 15 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 50

Soak Time 8

Total Time 10

Servings

Video

Equipment

Dutch Oven

Ingredients

1 lb. dry black-eyed peas
1 small yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
3 garlic cloves
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
6 cups chicken broth
1 lb. smoked turkey wings*

Instructions

The night before, place the peas in a colander and rinse them over the sink. Remove any dirt or debris. Transfer the peas to a large bowl and cover with 2-3 inches of water. Cover the bowl with a lid and place it in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 6-8 hours.
The next day, begin prepping the vegetables. Dice the onion, dice the bell pepper, and mince the garlic cloves. Drain the water from the peas and rinse them again in a colander.
Heat a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Sauté the onion and bell pepper for 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
Add the drained black eyed peas to the pot along with the spices (salt, lemon pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika). Pour in the chicken broth and stir everything together.
Add the smoked turkey wings to the pot and submerge them in the chicken broth. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the pot up to a boil. Once the pot is boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the peas for 1 hour 30 minutes. Stir the peas occasionally and flip the turkey wings over 1-2 times while cooking. Replace the lid every time you stir.
After the black eyed peas have simmered for 90 minutes, remove the turkey wings from the pot and set them aside on a separate plate. Now begin to mash some of the peas with the back of a spoon against the side of the pot. This will help thicken the broth. Continue mashing some of the peas and letting the pot simmer without a lid for 10-15 minutes.
Now peel the skin off of the turkey wings and pull the meat off the bone. Add the pulled turkey meat back to the pot and stir everything together. Serve warm with homemade cornbread and enjoy!

Notes

I prefer smoked turkey wings, but feel free to use a smoked turkey leg or ham hock instead.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 241kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 15gFat: 4gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 966mgFiber: 7gSugar: 6g

Course Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine American

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Be sure to leave a RATING and COMMENT down below. Your review and feedback is greatly appreciated!