Hoppin John – Immaculate Bites

What Is Hoppin John?

Southern soul-food goodness with an African heritage (South Carolina Gullah people) is pure satisfaction. This classic New Year’s Hoppin’ John recipe features cowpeas (black-eyed peas), onions, bacon, and spices. I love it with ham hock or fatback. Because black-eyed peas look similar to coins, Southerners enjoy eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s for good luck.

Recipe Ingredients

1. Black-Eyed Peas – Dried is the cheapest way to go, but canned will work too. Almost any close relative is just as delicious: pigeon peas, field peas, crowder peas, etc.
2. Meat – Bacon and smoked turkey or ham hocks deliver a rich, smokey, meaty flavor and up the protein.
3. Rice – Carolina Gold rice is the standard ingredient, but basmati or other long-grain rice provides a similar nutty flavor.
4. Flavor -Onion, garlic, celery, thyme, bay leaves, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper deliver minty, earthy, and herby flavors to ramp up the black-eyed peas’ goodness.
5. Chicken Broth – The black-eyed peas absorb that excellent flavor from the broth. Beef or vegetable broth makes a good substitute. Water works as well but is the least flavorful.
6. Green Onions – A gorgeous and tasty garnish.

How To Make Hoppin John

• Soak – Rinse dried black-eyed peas and pick out any pebbles and debris. Add them to a large pot and cover with 3-4 inches of cold water. Cover and let sit for 2-3 hours. (Photo 1)
• Saute – Saute the chopped bacon in a large, heavy sauté pan until brown and crispy, 5-6 minutes. Then add the smoked ham and saute for 2-3 more minutes. (Photos 2-4)
• Season – Throw in the onions, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until the onions wilt and become aromatic. (Photos 5-6)
• Liquid – Pour in the chicken broth or water.(Photo 7)
• Add Beans – Drain the soaked beans, rinse, and add the beans to the pot. (Photo 8)
• Season with Creole seasoning. Add salt to taste.
• Simmer – Give it a good stir and bring it to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes. The beans should be tender and slightly thickened. Add more stock or water if your beans dry out and get too thick. The peas should be thick and somewhat creamy but not watery. (Photos 9-10)
• Adjust Seasonings – Remove the bay leaves. Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and pepper if needed.
• Serve over cooked Carolina Gold rice (or whatever you have) and garnish with green onions.

Recipe Variations

1. Crockpot Hoppin’ John – Dump everything in your crockpot and let it do all the cooking. It should take 9-10 hours on Low and 5-6 hours on High.
2. Cheese – Top the peas and rice with grated Monterey Jack or Parmesan for more umami.
3. More Vegetables – Sneak more veggies in on your family with diced green bell pepper, grated carrots, or hot peppers for more spice.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Let it cool completely before transferring to a clean, airtight container or freezer-safe ziplock bag. You can refrigerate it for about four days or freeze it for 2-3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge.

Reheat Hoppin’ John in a covered saucepan on medium-low, occasionally stirring to prevent scorching. Or serve it in microwave-safe bowls and zap it in a microwave for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Stir at 30-second intervals for even heating.

Pro Tip: Add a splash of chicken broth or water if it becomes too thick when reheating.

What to Serve With Hoppin’ John

Easy Hoppin’ John traditionally pairs with collard greens and cornbread on New Year’s Day. While glazed ham is a classic, pork chops work just fine. They say the more pork, the better your luck for the new year.

More Traditional New Year’s Dishes to Try

1. Slow Cooker Black-Eyed Peas
2. Black-Eyed Pea Salad
3. Mustard Greens
4. Skillet Cornbread
5. Corned Beef and Cabbage

Watch How to Make It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”TK2hJyji” upload-date=”2020-11-12T05:27:18.000Z” name=”Hoppin John” description=”Hoppin John – Savory, smokey, a bit spicy and hearty black-eyed pea stew that is perfect any day of the year. A Southern classic recipe that is super easy to make and richly-flavored. Pair it with rice and cornbread for a much comforting cold-weather dinner!” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]

This blog post was originally published in July 2021 and has been updated with more tips, new photos, and a video.