Southern Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas & Ham

Name: Southern Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas & Ham
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 300 min
Ingredients: 16 oz dried black eyed peas; 4 C water; 2 C chicken broth; 8 oz cubed ham; 1/2 medium yellow or white onion, (quartered); 1 jalapeno, (sliced); 1 1/2 tsp salt

by Stacey Updated: Dec 7, 2025

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No time to tend a pot? No problem! This easy, no-soak, crock pot black eyed pea recipe delivers THE BEST Southern Black Eyed Peas & Ham with a deliciously subtle jalapeno kick. Simple, effortless and oh-so tasty. Your vegetable side dish game is about to change!

slow cooker black eyed peas and ham with peppers create easy flavor

Growing up, when fresh beans or peas weren’t in season or when we had eaten all the fresh peas that had been frozen for that year, we ate dried ones. So I learned early on how to tend a pot of peas.

They would simmer on the stove all day, filling the house with warm smells of home cooking, while the “extra water” that had to be added regularly simmered right along with them. It was a back and forth dance of adding water, keeping those pots boiling and not letting the peas cook too far down.

crock pot black eyed peas and ham with peppers as an easy side dish

But all that tending keeps us tied to the stove. And let’s be honest, that’s not always practical or possible. Thank goodness for slow cookers! They are lifesavers when we want to put good, home cooked food on the table even if we have to spend our days at ball games, music practice, working in the yard or putting in hours at the office. And they are perfect for cooking dried black eyed peas to a delicious, creamy side dish perfection!

5 simple ingredients for easy crock pot black eyed peas and ham

Ingredients for Southern Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas & Ham

dried black eyed peas
water
chicken broth
cubed ham
yellow or white onion
jalapeno pepper
salt

Southern Black Eyed Peas in a slow cooker.

Do Black Eyed Peas Need To Be Soaked?

No, only rinsed and then a quick sort to remove any any discolored ones. Chalk it up to the length time the peas spend in the crock pot bathed in all that broth and ham and peppered goodness. They just don’t need it. A quick 5 minutes in the morning yields beautifully tender peas just as if someone stood all day at the stove and cooked them!

Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas in white bowl with forks

How To Make Black Eyed Peas in the Crock Pot

Quick Prep. Rinse & sort the dried peas, removing and discarding any discolored ones. Put it all in the Crock Pot. Add all ingredients to crock pot and give it a quick stir.

How Long Do Peas Take in the Slow Cooker?

Cook this black eyed peas recipe on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours without opening the lid. Having a homecooked vegetable side dish any night of the week is as easy as that!

An easy crock pot black eyed peas recipe with ham and jalapenos

What to serve with Southern Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas

While black eyed peas & ham go with almost any dish, and they are perfect for satisfying all your New Year’s Day traditions! Here are a few proteins, or main dishes, that they pair up with really well!

These peas make a great meal all by themselves too! Whip up a quick pan of Easy Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Muffins, and you’re set.

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