Instant Pot Hoppin’ John

Name: Instant Pot Hoppin’ John
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon Olive oil; 1 cup Onion (small dice); 1 Green pepper (small dice); 1 Red pepper (small dice); 1 pound Black eyed peas (dried); ½ pound Bacon (uncooked and cut into bite-sized pieces); 5.5 cups Chicken broth; 2 Bay leaves; 2 cloves Garlic; ½ teaspoon Salt; 4 cups Cooked rice

published December 28, 2020 — last updated December 21, 2021

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Instant Pot Hoppin’ John recipe is a quick and easy way to get all of the flavors of this classic southern recipe in less than an hour!

Instant Pot Hoppin' John in a black bowl

Whether you got your first Instant Pot for Christmas or you are an old pro looking for a New Year’s Day recipe this Instant Pot Hoppin’ John is the perfect easy pressure cooker recipe to start the New Year.

This classic southern recipe for black-eyed peas is a family tradition on New Year’s Eve and cooking black-eyes peas in an Instant Pot gives me all of that amazing flavor without spending hours preparing it.

Serve it with some Instant Pot Collard Greens for a little extra luck in the new year! 😉

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Instant Pot Hoppin' John in a bowl with wooden spoon

Hoppin’ John is one of my family’s New Year’s Eve traditions, but it can take more than a day to make because you have to soak the beans and then cook them low and slow all day.

No soak bean recipes like my Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup, Instant Pot Boston Baked Beans, Instant Pot Black Beans, and Instant Pot Pinto Beans mean it takes less time to get the same great flavor. I’m able to make this hoppin’ john recipe from start to finish, in less than an hour!

What is Hoppin’ John?

It is a classic one-pot southern dish made with black-eyed peas and bacon that are slowly cooked together for a rich, smoky flavor. Hoppin’ John is said to bring good luck and wealth in the new year with the black-eyed peas representing coins. Tradition says that if you leave three peas on your plate on New Year’s Eve that your year will be filled with luck and money!

ingredients for Instant Pot Hoppin' John

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Black eyed peas (dried) – Dried beans, and peas, always give you the best flavor and texture in a recipe but usually they take so much work to make. Using a pressure cooker these dried peas go from tough to tender in under an hour!
Bacon – The bacon is cooked along with the beans to give them a rich, smoky flavor. Some versions of Hoppin’ John substitute ham hock for bacon. So if you have ham for your holiday dinner you can use the leftovers for your Hoppin’ John!
Chicken broth – I use chicken instead of water because it adds a little extra flavor to the black-eyed peas as they cook.
Bay leaves & Garlic – Bay leaves and garlic are cooked with the black-eyed peas and removed before serving. They add a delicious flavor to the dish.
Onion and Peppers – Diced onion, and green and red pepper, are cooked separately and stirred into the dish before serving. They add a little color, flavor, and texture to the dish.
Rice – Hoppin’ John is traditionally served with white rice. You can stir it right into the Hoppin’ John but I prefer to served mine over rice. The rice cooks separately while the black-eyed peas are in the pressure cooker.

New to using an Instant Pot? Make sure you read our beginner’s guide on “How to Use an Instant Pot” to get started!

Instructions:

Step 1 – Saute. Turn your pressure cooker to SAUTE. Add the olive oil and, once heated, add the onions and bell peppers. Cook until softened and set aside.

Step – 2 Add everything to your Instant Pot. Place dried black-eyed peas, bacon, chicken broth, bay leaves, garlic, and salt in the pressure cooker pot and stir together.

Step 3 – Cook. Place lid on pressure cooker and lock in place. Turn pressure release valve to seal it. Set pressure cooker to cook on HIGH for 20 minutes.

When the cooking time has ended let it do a natural release for 15 minutes. Then vent the remaining steam before opening the pot.

Stir the cooked onions and bell peppers into the beans and serve over cooked rice.

Looking for More Easy Instant Pot Recipes?

Instant Pot Hoppin' John in a bowl over white rice

That’s it, one more quick and easy way to make amazing food during the holidays without missing out on all of the family fun! I hope this Instant Pot Hoppin’ John brings you good luck and prosperity in the coming year!

Can You Use Canned or Frozen Black-eyed Peas Instead of Dry?

You can but I don’t recommend it. Canned and frozen black-eyed peas have already been cooked so with the cooking time I’ve listed in the instructions you’ll end up with mushy beans.

Cooking with dried beans allows them to cook with the other ingredients for a little longer which adds so much flavor to the final results.

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Servings: 8

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 50