Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas are so quick and easy-to-make – and with no soaking required! Only 2 ingredients, dried beans and either water or broth, are pressure cooked to a perfect tender texture in less than 30 minutes. Enjoy as a side dish or use in your favorite recipes that call for cooked black eyed peas.

A spoon is used to dish black eyed peas.

In anticipation of the upcoming New Year’s Day celebrations, I realized I had to get my recipe game on.

Some Southern Collard Greens, a bit of Jalapeño Cornbread, and of course… black eyed peas for good luck.

But I didn’t want to wait around all day while they soaked for hours and then took FOREVER to cook on the stovetop.

Instead, why not plop them into my trusty Instant Pot along with a bit of water and let the pressure cooker work its magic!?

And what a magic act it was!

In less than 30 minutes the most tender and perfectly cooked black eyed peas were done.

We gobbled up a bunch of them with just a little salt and pepper, and then used up the rest to make this incredible Texas Caviar.

They’re a wonderful addition to your diet since they are filled with fiber and protein and are good for lowering cholesterol.

What you’ll find below is just a basic recipe for making very simple black eyed peas.

Sauté up some onions and cabbage to mix them with. Or use them up as you would a can of cooked beans and add them to your favorite recipes, too!

Water or broth, and black eye peas are the ingredients for this recipe.

Ingredients

The simple ingredients you need to make this black eyed peas recipe include:

  • Black Eyed Peas. One pound of the dried legumes is equal to about 2-½ cups. There is no need to rinse or soak before cooking, but you may want to sort them to ensure there are no clumps of dirt or stones.
  • Liquid. Either water to keep it vegan, or broth such as chicken or veggie to add flavor can be used. If you are using water, you will want to add a bit of salt to give the beans some flavor.

How to Cook Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas

The basic steps for making black eyed peas are simple to follow. Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts.

Sort the Dried Beans

Look through all of the black eyed peas and remove any clumps or dirt or stones.

Hands are holding dry black eyed peas in a bowl.

Cook in Instant Pot

Place the black eyed peas in a 4 or 6-quart pressure cooker and pour in the water or broth. Add in the ½ teaspoon of salt now if using.

Cover with the lid and move the pressure release valve to the sealing position.

Skip the presets and use the manual setting to adjust the pressure cooker to high pressure for 13-14 minutes, depending on your desired tenderness.

Wait for 10 minutes before moving the pressure release valve to the venting position.

Once all of the remaining pressure is released and the pressure valve goes down you can open the lid.

Serving

Stir in any additional salt and black pepper to taste and serve immediately.

You can also use in your favorite recipes like you would a can of beans!

Meal Prep and Storage

  • To Prep-Ahead: Cook up a big batch and keep on hand to enjoy anytime.
  • To Store: Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
  • To Freeze: Seal in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months.
  • To Reheat: Warm them up on the stovetop with a little water, or simply microwave until hot.
A slotted spoon is shown removing black eyed peas from the instant pot.

FAQs

How long does it take to cook dried black eyed peas?

They take about an hour to simmer on the stovetop, but less than 30 minutes in a pressure cooker.

What is the ratio of water to black eyed peas?

To properly pressure cook black eyed peas use a 2:3 ratio of beans to water.

Is it best to soak black eyed peas before cooking?

It is not necessary to soak black eyed peas before cooking them, although it will reduce the cooking time.

Expert Tips and Tricks

  • Add flavor. Use chicken broth instead of water to enhance the taste.
  • Skip the soak. Save time and effort and let the pressure cooker do the work straight from dried.
  • Ditch the dirt. Sift through the black eyed peas to make sure there are no foreign objects like rocks.
  • Play it safe. Use a wooden spoon or other long object to move the pressure release valve so you don’t get burned by the steam.
  • Make extra. Storing individual batches in the freezer is great for easy additions to recipes.
  • Mix it up. Try other seasonings like garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, or bay leaves in addition to the salt and pepper.
Pressure cooker black eyed peas are served in a bowl.

More Instant Pot Recipes

Make other basic recipes more quickly in your Instant Pot:

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

Instant Pot Rice

Instant Pot Quinoa

Instant Pot Basmati Rice

Instant Pot Applesauce

Tap stars to rate!

5 from 13 votes

Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas Recipe

Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas are surprisingly quick and easy-to-make, you don't even have to soak them. Simply add the dried beans and either water or broth to your trusty pressure cooker, then set it and forget it.
Yield 6 servings
Prep 1 minute
Cook 24 minutes
Total 30 minutes
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup black eyed peas dried
  • 1 ½ cups water chicken or vegetable broth
  • ½ tsp. salt optional

Instructions 

  • Sort through black eyed peas to ensure there are no clumps or dirt or stones remaining.
  • Add black eyed peas, water, or broth, and salt to a 4 or 6-quart pressure cooker.
    1 cup black eyed peas, 1 ½ cups water, ½ tsp. salt
  • Set the pressure to high and cook for 13-14 minutes, depending on your desired tenderness. Wait for a 10 minute natural pressure release.
  • Move the pressure release valve to the venting position to release all of the steam. Open the lid once the float valve goes down.
  • Serve immediately with additional salt and black pepper or use in your favorite recipes. Enjoy!
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

Tap stars to rate!

5 from 13 votes

Notes

Meal Prep and Storage

  • To Prep-Ahead: Cook up a big batch and keep on hand to enjoy anytime.
  • To Store: Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
  • To Freeze: Seal in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months.
  • To Reheat: Warm them up on the stovetop with a little water, or simply microwave until hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 33kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 163mg, Potassium: 80mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 4IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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  1. 5 stars
    OMG so glad I found this recipe. I did actually soak my beans from 2:00 p.m. until we started cooking which was around 6:30 p.m. and I added baking soda to my beans while they were soaking because it’s supposed to help absorb the flavors and help with flatulence… We did add sauteed onions, chicken bouillon cubes, and a ham bone along with a little bit of bacon grease. I quadrupled the recipe and it turned out perfect cooking it for 20 minutes in the pressure cooker with the 10-minute release!!!!

    1. Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Jammie! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!