Grilling season is here and summer is just around the corner. These smoky, savory, and complex Easy Smoky Black-Eyed Peas are the perfect side you’ll be serving next to all of your favorite grilled meats. With an easy process and just a handful of ingredients, this southern staple is sure to become a new favorite.

Whether you’re looking for the perfect side to serve alongside your Texas Style Smoked Brisket or even just weekday grilled chicken, these smoky and tender black-eyed peas are it. Filled with savory vegetables and warm spices, these protein packed legumes won’t last long.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Meal Prep – These black-eyed peas are great to make on the weekend and then enjoy all week long. Not only do they last refrigerated but you can also freeze them.
Easy Process – Soaking the beans first makes it both faster and easier to cook these. There’s just a little sauteing of the aromatics and then the rest is allowing the beans to simmer.
Accessible Ingredients – Using dried black eyed peas not only makes this dish easy to shop for, but also completely budget friendly.
Customizable – Lov pork in your beans? Add smoky bacon. Want to keep these vegetarian? Use vegetable broth. These beans are completely customizable to what you like.

Ingredients

Easy Smoky Black-Eyed Peas combines dried black-eyed peas with pantry staples like spices and a few aromatics. You probably already have most of the ingredients making this dish perfect to pull together for any occasion.

Dried Black-Eyed Peas – Rich in nutrients such as fiber, zinc, magnesium, and folate, these buttery legumes have an earthy flavor and a dense yet creamy texture.
Celery – Adds freshness to the braising liquid as well as texture.
Carrots – Gives a natural sweetness to balance the savory flavors.
Liquid Smoke – Gives these beans that all day cooked flavor with an easy kiss of smoke.
Kosher Salt – Enhances all of the natural flavors of the ingredients.
Yellow Curry – Mild, aromatic, and earthy, this takes these beans over the top and pairs with the naturally earthy flavor of the black-eyed peas.
Smoked Paprika – Echoes the smokiness of the liquid smoke.
Black Pepper – Adds an earthy hint of spice without overpowering anything.
Chicken Stock
Onion
Garlic – Gives a savory, pungent pop to the braising liquid.
Butter – Adds richness while helping to break down the vegetables.

I get all of my spices from Spiceoloy. You can get 10% off your order of these chef created spices with the code SALTY.

How to Make Easy Smoky Black-Eyed Peas

This is truly a one pot dish that anyone can make. Serve it atop rice for an easy main or next to your favorite barbecue.

Earthy black-eyed peas are simmered with aromatics, warm spices, and smoky flavors for an easy side or vegetable forward main.

Pregame
Soak your black-eyed peas according to the package directions. You can either soak them overnight or do the quick soak and bring them to a rapid boil. Rinse and drain once done.
Sauté
Heat a large pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and allow them to cook for 5-8 minutes until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are becoming tender.
Simmer
Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover. Stir occasionally until the beans are tender, about an hour.

Variations

Vegetarian – Swap the chicken stock in this recipe for your favorite vegetable broth. You can also use plant based butter to make this vegan.
Dairy Free – Use Dairy Free butter to make this recipe completely dairy free.
Pork – Bacon, ham, and salt pork would all be delicious in these beans. Sauté in the beginning and then cook your vegetables in some of the reserved fat. Sausage would also be delicious and make this a complete meal.
Spicy – Like things spicy? Try adding a pinch of cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes or even chopped chiles such as a jalapeno or serrano pepper.

How to Serve Easy Smoky Black-Eyed Peas

Over Rice
With a side of cornbread
Next to collard greens

Storage

These black-eyed peas are perfect for meal prep as they are even better the next day. Allow them to cool completely and then transfer them to airtight storage containers. They will keep up to a week refrigerated. To reheat them simply add them to a pot over medium-low heat and heat them through.

These can also be frozen. Once cooled transfer them to freezer safe bags. They will keep for up to three months in the freezer. You can either allow them to defrost overnight in the refrigerator or add the frozen beans to a pot over medium heat, stirring until defrosted and warm.

Top Tip for Easy Smoky Black-Eyed Peas

Always make sure that you pick through your dried beans, whether they’re black-eyed peas, pintos, or kidney beans. You’ll want to remove any stones, beans that are discolored, or irregularly shaped.

Soaking beans helps not only ensure the finished beans are tender, but also helps speed up the cooking process. Both the overnight soaking method and the quick soak where you briefly boil the beans work for black-eyed peas.