This Crockpot black eyed peas recipe is one of my favorites things to make around the New Year, and it’s so simple to do! Filled with sausage, tomatoes, jalapeños, and cajun seasoning, this dish packs a smokey punch that really warms things up.
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Black-eyed peas are a traditional Southern comfort food, often served to bring good luck in the New Year. Cooking black eyed peas in my slow cooker has proven to be the easiest method, and it gives them plenty of time to soak up all the flavors! This is such a cozy dish to serve in the cold months of winter!
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas
- Black Eyed Peas: Use 1 pound of dried black-eyed peas.
- Broth: Chicken broth acts as the main liquid to give this dish it’s slightly soupy/saucey quality.
- Tomatoes: Use a can of diced tomatoes to create the base of the sauce.
- Sausage: Use fully-cooked sausage, diced into small pieces. I like using a smoked sausage–pork, beef, or turkey all work fine. You can also use cooked bacon or diced ham instead.
- Onion, Celery, & Garlic: These add texture, aroma, and flavor.
- Jalapeño: Diced jalapeño peppers add a bit of heat. Feel free to omit it if you don’t want any spice.
- Herbs & Spices: Cajun seasoning is the flavor star here, plus bay leaf and thyme.
Tips for Success
- Make sure to sift through the dried beans before using them to remove any dirt or foreign objects.
- If using older beans (check the expiration date!), you may need to cook them for a bit longer.
- No need to soak the black eyed peas ahead of time; let the crockpot do the work for you!
- Don’t let the beans sit in the crockpot on warm for very long, or it will make them mushy.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover crockpot black eyed peas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a large saucepan set over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
If I want to make this a meal, I serve these Crockpot black eyed peas on a bed of rice, along with collard greens or another veggie, and some homemade cornbread. They also pair well with comfort food favorites, like hush puppies, baked Mac and cheese, or mashed potatoes.
Crockpot Black Eyed Peas Recipe
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
- 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth store-bought or homemade
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 1 cup fully-cooked diced smoked sausage beef, pork, turkey, or a blend
- 1 onion diced
- 1 rib celery diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- To a large crockpot, add all the ingredients except the salt. Stir to combine.1 pound dried black-eyed peas, 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 14 ounces diced tomatoes, 1 cup fully-cooked diced smoked sausage, 1 onion, 1 rib celery, 1 jalapeño pepper, 4 cloves garlic, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours.
- Remove the bay leaf, add salt to taste, and serve!Kosher salt
Video
Becky’s Tips
- For vegetarian black eyed peas, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth, omit the sausages, and add ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika (or use vegetarian sausages!).
- In place of the sausages, you can add 1 large or 2 small ham hocks. Simply remove the ham hocks, shred the meat, and return it to the crockpot at the end of cooking.
- You can also use bacon or ham instead of sausage.
- Try adding chopped bell peppers or collard greens!
- You can use creole seasoning in place of the cajun seasoning.
- For a less spicy version, omit the jalapeño.
- Make sure to sift through the beans before using them to remove any dirt or foreign objects.
- If using older beans (check the expiration date!), you may need to cook them for a bit longer.
- No need to soak the beans ahead of time; let the crockpot do the work for you!
- Easily double this recipe with no need to increase the cook time!
- Don’t let the beans sit in the crockpot on warm for very long, as it can turn them mushy.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Black Eyed Peas in a Crockpot Step by Step
Add Ingredients to the Crockpot: To a large crockpot, add 1 pound of dried black-eyed peas, 7 cups of low-sodium chicken broth, 14 ounces of diced tomatoes, 1 cup of fully-cooked diced smoked sausage, 1 diced onion, 1 rib of diced celery, 1 diced jalapeño pepper, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons of cajun seasoning, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
Cook: Cover and cook on HIGH for 5-6 hours.
Serve: Stir everything together, remove the bay leaf, add salt to taste, and serve! I find it’s best to remove the black eyed peas from the Crockpot and serve them from a dish, so they don’t get mushy.
