Easy Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas and Ham

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Whether you are ready for a little LUCK in the New Year or just want a simple, hearty meal for your family, this Easy Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas and Ham will totally hit the spot. The smokey flavor of the ham and bacon is infused into the beans and the whole dish is packed with flavor.

My Dad grew up in Southern Georgia and it is a tradition to eat black-eyed peas and ham, greens, and cornbread on New Year’s Day. The black-eyed peas are said to represent coins and will bring wealth and prosperity. The greens, whether they be collard, turnip, spinach, kale, or cabbage, represent American currency. Our favorite green to eat with this dish is our Bacon & Mustard Fried Cabbage.

Cornbread is the color of gold and represents wealth and prosperity as well. If you love these Instant Pot Black-eyed Peas and Ham you will also love our Instant Pot Hoppin’ John.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Black-eyed Peas and Ham:

• 1 lb. dry black-eyed peas
• 1 lb. ham hock or shank
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 sliced thick-cut smoked bacon, chopped
• 5 cups broth
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 bay leaves

That’s it! This is a simple recipe that is loaded with flavor, is quick to throw together, and is very filling. The ham shank we used this time was over 2 pounds so we cut it in half and used half for this recipe and the other half for something else. You can totally just use a 2-pound shank, you will just have more ham which is never a bad thing.

LET’S MAKE SOME:

Start by pressing the saute button on your Instant Pot or another pressure cooker. Some pressure cookers say SEAR instead of SAUTE but do the same thing.

Add the bacon to the pot once it is HOT. We like to use kitchen shears to snip the bacon right into the pot. Once the bacon is brown and crispy, remove it with a slotted spoon into a glass bowl. There will be bits of bacon on the bottom of the pot which is totally fine, we’ll take care of it.

ONION:

With the saute function still on, add the diced onion to the bacon drippings and cook for several minutes until the onions are translucent. The onions will steam and deglaze the pot. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape off any bits that are stuck. Once the onion is translucent add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute.

LIQUID:

Whether you use broth or water in the recipe it will have a lot of flavor. We love to use Better Than Bouillon chicken flavor because it lasts a long time in the fridge, is delicious, and is convenient. Add the broth to the pot with the saute function still on and scrape any remaining bacon bits from the pot.

PRESSURE:

Pour in the rinsed and sorted black-eyed peas, ham hock, and pepper and stir it together. Place the bay leaves on top and close and lock the lid. Make sure the steam valve is set to seal. Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes then allow it to naturally release for 15 minutes. Basically, don’t touch it for 15 minutes after it’s done pressurizing.

EAT UP:

Release any remaining pressure and open the lid. Carefully remove the ham to a cutting board and pull the ham from the bone. Discard the bone and any fat and skin, chop up the ham and return it to the pot and give everything a stir. Taste it and add any needed salt. If you used plain water you will most likely need some salt. The broth, ham, and bacon can add lots of sodium so it may not need any salt.

Top your black-eyed peas with some crispy bacon and dig in!

Serve this up with some greens and yummy cornbread for a hearty and healthy meal. You can also add the greens right to the pot, but we keep them separated because….kids.

Let us know if you try these on New Year’s Day or just on a regular Tuesday. We hope you love them either way! They really are comfort in a bowl.

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Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas and Ham

Black-eyed peas, ham, bacon, and onion are pressure cooked until the beans are soft and creamy and the whole dish is infused with that smokey flavor. This is a dinner winner!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Pressurizing/depressurizing 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Servings 8

Equipment

• 1 Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb black-eyed peas dry, rinsed and sorted
• 4 slices smoked bacon thick cut, chopped
• 1 large onion diced
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 5 cups broth chicken, vegetable, or ham base
• 1 lb ham hock or shank
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

 

• Press saute on the Instant Pot and add chopped bacon once HOT.
• Cook bacon until brown and crispy then remove with a slotted spoon into a glass bowl.
• Add the diced onion and cook several minutes until translucent.
• Scoot the onion to the side of the pot and add the garlic to the center and cook for one more minute.
• Add the broth and deglaze the pot. Make sure to scrape any bacon bits from the bottom.
• Pour in the black-eyed peas, add the black pepper and ham hock and stir together.
• Top with the bay leaves and close the lid.
• Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes and allow to naturally release for 15 minutes.
• Release any remaining pressure.
• Carefully remove the ham hock to a cutting board and pull the ham from the bone.
• Discard any fat or skin, chop the ham and return to the pot and stir together.
• Serve topped with crispy bacon and a side of greens and cornbread.

Keyword bacon, beans, black-eyed peas, ham, Instant Pot