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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Hoppin' John Recipe

    Modified: Feb 22, 2025 · Published: Dec 31, 2019 by Sarah Jenkins. This post may contain affiliate links. See the Privacy Policy at the bottom of this page.

    Jump to Recipe

    Hoppin’ John is a traditional southern dish made with black-eyed peas, lots of veggies, and rice. We love making this on New Year’s Day, as the dish is said to bring good luck and prosperity to those who eat it. It’s also super comforting and delicious! Serve it with a side of collards and cornbread.

    Bowl of hoppin' john with black eyed peas and sausage.

    Happy New Year! (Well, almost.) If you’re anything like me, you’re welcoming 2020 with a vengeance. Don’t get me wrong, 2019 was great, but I love the start of a new year. It feels like a fresh beginning and a way to reset everything and start new.

    In This Post
    • What Is Hoppin' John
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Hoppin' John
    • Can I Use Canned Black Eyed Peas Instead Of Dried?
    • Looking for some sides to serve with this Hoppin' John? Check these out!
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    What Is Hoppin' John

    We have a tradition in our family of eating Hoppin’ John each year on New Years' day. Hoppin’ John is an old southern dish with a rich history that contains black-eyed peas, which are considered to bring luck and prosperity in the New Year. Are we from the south, you might ask? No! But this dish is a fun and tasty way to ring in the New Year, and I love making it as a way to bring my family together, share in a fun tradition, and talk about what the New Year might bring. And if it brings us a little extra luck, even better. 

    Ingredients

    The ingredients in Hoppin' John are so simple, healthy, and tasty. It's a great way to ring in the New Year and a good cleansing meal after all the heavy holiday food you've likely been consuming. It includes:

    • Veggies. This dish relies on red peppers, jalapenos, onions and garlic to add tons of spice and flavor.
    • Black-eyed peas. These are the stars of the show and are what makes this food so hearty and filling.
    • Pork. You can use different types of pork to alter the flavor slightly. Add a spicy sausage, chopped ham or even bacon to add a touch of smoky saltiness to the dish. Of course, you can also omit the meat altogether if you're looking to keep this vegetarian.
    • Toppings. The toppings really add to this dish so mix them up if you'd like but don't omit them. We love to top it with chopped scallions, parsley, white cheddar and hot sauce. Yum!

    How To Make Hoppin' John

    This is a simple dish to make, especially if you use canned black-eyed peas!

    1. We load this dish up with veggies, starting with sauteing onions and peppers.
    2. Once the peppers and onions have softened, add in the black-eyed peas, chicken broth, and sausage (or bacon or ham), if using. The pork isn't necessary, but it adds a lot of extra flavor!
    3. It’s then all served in a heap over cooked rice and garnished with hot sauce and cheese. (You can omit the cheese and meat if you’re trying to keep this vegan – it’s still delicious!)

    Can I Use Canned Black Eyed Peas Instead Of Dried?

    I usually make Hoppin' John with canned black-eyed peas to avoid having to soak them. But, if you find yourself with dried peas, no problem, it will just take a bit of extra time. Soak about 1 cup of the dried peas in water overnight, then drain and rinse in the morning. The peas will still be a bit tough even after an overnight soak, so just add a bit more broth, and cook them for longer until they’re tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.

    This Hoppin' John Recipe is comfort food at its best, and a great way to start out the New Year on a (mostly) healthy note. It’s also super customizable - throw in extra veggies, omit the meat to make it vegetarian, or even omit the cheese garnish to make it vegan.

    Bowl of hoppin' john with black eyed peas and sausage.

    For extra good luck, we usually serve Hoppin’ John with a side of wilted greens (collards, sautéed in a bit of oil and garlic, then sprinkled with a dash of salt and crushed red pepper are a favorite, although chard or spinach would also work) and a side of cornbread, both of which represent money (both paper and gold).

    Start your own tradition and make Hoppin’ John this New Year to bring you and your family good luck. We like to place a penny underneath each steaming bowl of Hoppin John for some extra fun, which is thought to boost good fortune even more in the New Year.

    If you make this Hoppin’ John recipe this year, let me know what you think by adding a comment below or tagging me on Instagram – I love love love to see your creations!!

    Looking for some sides to serve with this Hoppin' John? Check these out!

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    • Easy 20-Minute Yogurt Flatbread
    • Roasted Garlic
    • Chickpea Stew With Orzo And Greens

    Recipe

    hoppin john in bowl

    Hoppin' John

    Author: Sarah Jenkins
    Hoppin’ John is a traditional southern dish made with black-eyed peas, lots of veggies, and rice. We love making this on New Year’s Day, as the dish is said to bring good luck and prosperity to those who eat it. It’s also super comforting and delicious! Serve it with a side of collards and cornbread.
    5 from 22 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Servings 6
    Calories

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 medium onion
    • 1 red bell pepper, diced
    • 1 diced jalapeno (stemmed and seeded) Optional
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 15 oz cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
    • ¼ cup vegetable broth or water (plus more if needed)
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ tsp ground pepper
    • 3 green onions, sliced
    • ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, minced
    • 1 cup cooked and chopped sausage, bacon, or ham optional
    • cooked rice, shredded white cheddar, and hot sauce for serving

    Instructions
     

    • Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add yellow onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño pepper. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute more.
    • Stir in black-eyed peas, broth, salt and pepper. If using, add your cooked sausage, bacon, or ham. Reduce the heat to low and cook 10 minutes more.  (If your liquid becomes scarce, just add a little more as the peas are simmering). Remove from heat and add you green onions and parsley.
    • Pile bean mixture to the top of cooked rice and garnish with cheese, and hot sauce if desired.
    • Serve with greens and cornbread.
    Keyword black eyed peas, hoppin john, new years day, new years recipe, rice and beans
    Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

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    Comments

      5 from 22 votes (17 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Lily says

      December 28, 2023 at 6:50 pm

      5 stars
      This was so good! My first time trying it. Added some cheese and hot sauce, wow! Very satisfying and delicious.

      Reply
      • Sarah Jenkins says

        January 04, 2024 at 4:03 pm

        So glad you liked it Lily!

        Reply
    2. Gabby says

      December 28, 2023 at 4:32 pm

      5 stars
      Made this yesterday and it was delicious! Loved the addition of the jalapenos, gave it a nick kick!

      Reply
      • Sarah Jenkins says

        January 04, 2024 at 4:03 pm

        Thanks Gabby!

        Reply
    3. Eunice says

      December 28, 2023 at 11:18 am

      5 stars
      This is a nice recipe, tastes great! I so much like the rainbow of flavors the most, really awesome flavors! 🙂

      Reply
      • Sarah Jenkins says

        January 04, 2024 at 4:03 pm

        Thank you Eunice!

        Reply
    4. Sam says

      December 28, 2023 at 5:18 am

      5 stars
      I loved how easy this was to make! I added both smoked sausage and bacon, just so I wouldn't need to choose between them lol! I also added an extra jalapeno for added spice and it turned out amazing. Definitely making this again for dinner!

      Reply
      • Sarah Jenkins says

        January 04, 2024 at 4:03 pm

        Haha - good thinking! I love the extra jalapeno. Glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    5. jen fisher says

      December 27, 2023 at 11:35 pm

      5 stars
      This was so easy and delicious. I also used the canned black eyed peas for convenience, and it tasted still so yummy! Happy NEw YEar

      Reply
      • Sarah Jenkins says

        December 28, 2023 at 12:35 am

        Thank you Jen! So glad you liked it-its one of my favorites!

        Reply
    Sarah Jenkins

    Hi, I'm Sarah! I love creating dishes based on what's in season and using local ingredients as often as I can. I hope you'll find some new to you recipes here that will inspire you to make something delicious!

    More about me →

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