Description
This ultimate hoppin john recipe brings authentic Southern comfort to your table with smoky bacon, tender black-eyed peas, and fluffy rice — a traditional dish symbolizing prosperity and good fortune.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup dried black-eyed peas (soaked overnight)
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon or 1 smoked ham hock (about ½ pound)
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional Substitutions:
- Vegetarian: Replace bacon with 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and use vegetable broth
- Quick version: Use 2 cans black-eyed peas instead of dried
- Extra protein: Add ½ pound andouille sausage
Instructions
- Drain and rinse soaked black-eyed peas. Boil for 20–30 minutes until just tender, then drain and set aside.
- In a Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp or simmer ham hock in 2 cups broth for 20 minutes. Remove and crumble bacon, reserving rendered fat.
- Add diced onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic to the pot. Sauté 5–7 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Return black-eyed peas and meat to the pot. Add rice, thyme, bay leaf, cayenne, and broth. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20–25 minutes until rice is tender and liquid absorbed. Rest covered for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork before serving.
Notes
Serve with collard greens and cornbread for a traditional New Year’s meal. For a vegetarian version, use smoked paprika and liquid smoke. Leftovers taste even better the next day!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Southern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: hoppin john recipe, black-eyed peas, southern comfort food, New Year tradition, rice and beans