Texas Black-Eyed Peas (Printable)

Hearty Texan-style black-eyed peas with smoky bacon, jalapeños, and aromatic spices.

# What You'll Need:

→ Legumes

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

→ Meats

02 - 8 ounces thick-cut bacon, diced

→ Vegetables & 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 & Seasonings

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

→ Garnishes

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

# Directions:

01 - Cook diced bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, preserving rendered fat in the pot.
02 - Add chopped onion and jalapeños to the pot with bacon fat. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
04 - Add 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 thoroughly to combine all components.
05 - Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
06 - After 1 hour, assess peas for tenderness. Continue simmering uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes until peas are creamy and liquid thickens to desired consistency.
07 - Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt and spices as needed. Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro and green onions.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The bacon fat becomes your foundation, making everything taste like it took twice as long as it actually did.
  • It feeds a crowd without fussing, which means you can spend time talking instead of cooking.
  • Leftovers get better each day, transforming into something even more comforting than the first bowl.
02 -
  • Don't skip the sorting step on dried peas—I learned this the hard way when I crunched down on a pebble in my bowl and realized why my grandmother always made such a fuss about it.
  • The uncovered finish is what transforms this from soup into something thick enough to cling to a spoon, so don't rush that last 20 minutes.
03 -
  • If you want to go vegetarian, smoked paprika or a dash of liquid smoke can replace the bacon, and vegetable broth works just fine in place of chicken broth.
  • For extra heat that creeps up on you, leave some seeds in the jalapeños or add a pinch of cayenne toward the end so you can taste before you fully commit.
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