Instant Pot Southern Hoppin’ John

Instant Pot Southern Hoppin’ John is a hearty & flavorful recipe that uses simple, affordable ingredients. Black-eyed peas star in this comforting Southern meal that’s perfect for New Year’s.  

Ingredients For Hoppin’ John

• Black-Eyed Peas
• Ham Hocks
• Seasonings: Cajun seasonings, dried thyme, salt & pepper
• Celery, Onion, Garlic
• Chicken Broth
• Bay Leaf

How To Make Hoppin’ John In The Instant Pot

The best part of using an Instant Pot for this recipe is that there’s no presoaking the beans! No need to start this recipe 24 hours ahead of time with a presoak. 

1. Rinse the black-eyed peas. No need to pre-soak.
2. Turn on the pressure cooker and select sauté. Once hot add the oil & the onion and cook a few minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Turn off the pressure cooker.
3. Add black-eyed peas, broth, water, bay leaf,  Cajun seasoning, thyme, salt & pepper. Stir to mix well. Add the ham hock.
4. Close lid and seal valve. Cook high pressure for 35 minutes. Natural release pressure for 10 minutes then quick release any remaining pressure.
5. Using tongs, carefully remove the ham hock. Shred the meat and stir the shredded meat back to into the Instant Pot.
6. Remove bay leaf before serving.

What’s Hoppin’ John?

While it’s popular throughout the South, Hoppin’ John is usually associated with the Carolinas. What I love about a Hoppin John is that it’s one of those recipes where everyone has their own version. There are many variations of Hoppin’ Johns out there & I encourage you to make tweaks to this recipe as needed. In addition to black-eyed peas, ham hock or another pork like bacon, and onion are also commonly used. This version uses celery. A lot of people like to add bell pepper.

What Are Black Eyed-Peas

Black-eyed peas (aka cow peas) are the main ingredient in a Hoppin’ John.  They are legumes and as-is, they are healthy. Black-eyed peas are a great source of fiber, protein, and complex carbs which provides energy and can aid weight loss.

What Type Of Black-Eyed Peas To Use

Dry black-eyed peas. After you rinse the black-eyed peas, add them directly to the Instant Pot. No pre-soak! You can use canned peas.  If you choose to use canned peas, be sure to buy enough. 15-ounces of canned black-eyed peas is not the same as 16 ounces of dry black-eyed peas. I suggest at least 4 15-ounce cans of black-eyed peas and a cooking time of 12 minutes. Also, if you use canned black eyed peas be sure to drain & rinse them before you add them to the Instant Pot. Personally I think dry black-eyed peas work best with this recipe. 

Black-Eyed Peas Recipes

• Slow Cooker Black-Eyed Peas
• Black-Eyed Peas Salad
• Southern Black-Eyed Peas
• Black-Eyed Pea Soup
• Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas

Eating Black-Eyed Peas For New Year’s

A popular southern tradition is to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s day. There a variations to the reasoning behind it but the essence is that since they look like coins, they symbolize prosperity and good luck. Eating black-eyed peas along with greens means for a financially prosperous New Year.

What Type Of Meat To Use

I like ham hock for the recipe so it’s written for 1 pound of ham hock. Substitute another smoked meat for the ham hock like smoked turkey. Or use bacon. If you use bacon, you can cook it directly in the pressure cooker before you saute the onion. Add the bacon and cook until it’s done to your liking. Remove the bacon and add the onion and celery. From there, follow the steps in the recipe box. To make this a vegan/vegetarian, simply omit the meat all together.  

How To Serve This

Hoppin’ John is usually served over rice. In this case, the rice is cooked separately. Some people like to stir the rice directly into the pot. Personally, I like to serve the Hoppin-John on top of the rice. You can also serve it on the side. 

FAQs & Tips

• The peas will thicken as it cools.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for to 3 months. 
• I used a 6-quart Instant Pot. If you have a smaller pressure cooker, you will need to cut the recipe in half.
• Feel free to add more ingredients in this recipe. Some people like use add bell pepper, I’ve also seen some versions made with smoked sausage.

New Year’s Recipes

• Greens
• Cornbread
• Black-Eyed Peas
• Collard Greens Soup W/Black-Eyed Peas
• Soul Food Soup