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. In less than 30 minutes, you’ll have the perfect and most tender side dish ready for New Year’s Eve–or any night of the year!

A spoon is used to dish black eyed peas.
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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!?

Why These Beans are the Best

In less than 30 minutes the most tender and perfectly cooked black-eyed peas were done. It was so quick and easy, I almost forgot I was cooking.

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.

Ingredients

For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, you can jump to the recipe.

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

Jump to the recipe for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.

  • Sort the dried beans. Look through all of the peas and remove any clumps or dirt or stones.
  • Add to 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.
  • Cook beans in Instant Pot. 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.
  • Serve. 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!
A slotted spoon is shown removing black eyed peas from the instant pot.

Meal Prep and Storage

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

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 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 peas before cooking them, although it will reduce the cooking time.

Recipe Tips

  • 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 or dirt clods.
  • 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.

Other Bean Side Dishes

If you’re looking for more bean side dishes, you’re in luck.

This Black Bean and Corn Salsa is the perfect appetizer for a group.

Both Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos and Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers are delicious.

And if you prefer a classic dish, you can’t go wrong with these Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice.

More Instant Pot Recipes

Make other basic recipes more quickly in your Instant Pot!

You might be surprised how easy it is to make Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs and Instant Pot Applesauce.

And an easy grain side, like Instant Pot Rice, Instant Pot Quinoa, and Instant Pot Basmati Rice make dinner a breeze.

Tap stars to rate!

5 from 15 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.
A white bowl is full of black eyed peas.
Yield 6 servings
Prep 1 minute
Cook 24 minutes
Total 30 minutes
An image of an envelope sealed shut with the Evolving Table logo.

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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup black eyed peas dried
  • 1 ½ cups water chicken or vegetable broth
  • ½ teaspoon 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 teaspoon 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 15 votes

Notes

  • Prep-Ahead: Cook up a big batch and keep on hand to enjoy anytime.
  • Storage: Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
  • Freezing: Seal in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months.
  • Reheating: 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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Comments

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

  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!