Easy Hoppin’ John Recipe

I hope you all had an amazing New Years Eve and are ready to take on 2024!

I know I’m a little late in sharing this post, as it’s a recipe traditionally served on New Years Day… but I know you’ll forgive me, because it’s that delicious!

Hoppin’ John is sometimes called Carolina peas and rice, but no matter what you call it, it’s a really versatile dish.

Savory black-eyed peas are the star here, combined with sauteed onions, celery, bell pepper, crispy bacon, savory spices, and the whole dish is bulked up by adding white rice.

I think it’s great as a main dish, as you get plenty of protein from the black-eyed peas and bacon, but it’s also perfect as a hearty side dish!

How to make hoppin’ john?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Cook bacon. Cooking the bacon first means you’ll have the bacon grease to cook the veggies in.
2. Cook veggies. This won’t take long; a few minutes, until they’re softened and tender.
3. Combine. To the skillet, add the cooked bacon, black-eyed peas, rice, and seasonings.
4. Warm. Cook a few minutes, until the mixture is warmed through and well combined.
5. Serve. Garnish and serve hot.

Variations of this recipe

• Bacon – we like to use thick-cut bacon, but if you would prefer to use a different kind of bacon, you can use any type you’d like.
• Other pork – another alternative to use instead of bacon is salt pork, or a ham hock.
• Peppers – if you’d like to use a different color bell pepper, you certainly can. You can also use a jalapeno or poblano pepper if you want a little heat.
• Bacon grease – the extra flavor of using the bacon grease to saute the veggies is incredible, but if you’d prefer not to use it, you can use a couple tablespoons of butter or oil.
• Rice – this is usually made with long-grain white rice, but if you’d prefer to use a different kind of rice, just make sure you’re using an equal amount. Wild rice and brown rice are great alternatives.
• Peas – if you don’t want to use canned black-eyed peas, you can use frozen ones (just make sure to thaw them first). You can also use dried black-eyed peas, but you’ll need to prepare them according to the package directions first.
• Spices – please feel free to increase the amount of spices, or switch it up to the spices you’d like best. A cajun seasoning blend is a nice alternative!

Making hoppin’ john ahead of time

This dish is great to make ahead of time, that way dinner can be ready super quickly!

Once you’ve made the recipe, cool it completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

To reheat, I like to gently heat it through on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Storage

Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 5 days.