Texas Black-Eyed Peas (Printer-Friendly)

Hearty Texan classic with smoky bacon, jalapeños, and robust flavors perfect for gatherings

# What You Need:

→ Legumes

01 - 1 pound dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and sorted

→ Meats

02 - 8 ounces thick-cut bacon, diced

→ Vegetables and Aromatics

03 - 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
06 - 2 cans (10 ounces each) Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

→ Liquids

07 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
08 - 2 cups water

→ Spices and Seasonings

09 - 2 teaspoons chili powder
10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1 teaspoon cumin
12 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
13 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
14 - 2 bay leaves

→ Optional Garnishes

15 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
16 - Sliced green onions

# How to Cook:

01 - In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
02 - Add the chopped onion and jalapeños to the pot. Sauté in the bacon fat for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
03 - Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add the rinsed black-eyed peas, cooked bacon, Rotel tomatoes with juice, chicken broth, water, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper, salt, and bay leaves. Stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
05 - After 1 hour, check the peas for tenderness. Simmer uncovered for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until the peas are creamy and the liquid has thickened to your liking.
06 - Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot, garnished with cilantro and green onions if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One pot means one cleanup, and honestly that matters when you're feeding eight people and exhausted.
  • The bacon fat does the heavy lifting—every ingredient that hits that pot gets infused with flavor before the broth even arrives.
  • Tastes even better the next day, so you're really getting two meals' worth of effort from one afternoon of cooking.
02 -
  • If you skip rinsing the dried peas, you'll get grit in every spoonful—a lesson I learned the hard way and never repeated.
  • The pot gets thicker as it sits, so if you're making it ahead, you might need to add a splash of broth when you reheat it.
  • Don't rush the first hour of simmering—the peas need time to actually soften, and you can't speed that up without ruining the texture.
03 -
  • If you want more heat, add an extra jalapeño or a pinch of cayenne toward the end so you can taste what you're adding instead of guessing.
  • For vegetarian versions, use vegetable broth and swap the bacon fat for olive oil heated with smoked paprika, or add a splash of liquid smoke to keep that depth.
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