Hoppin’ John, also known as Hopping John, is a scrumptious Southern black-eyed pea dish with bacon, onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic served over white rice. This dish’s name is rumored to have come from a man named Hoppin’ John, who sold peas and rice on the streets of Charleston, South Carolina.
We love to eat it year-round, but I also love to serve it every New Year’s Day. Southern tradition is that the first meal of the New Year should be a dish with black-eyed peas to bring good luck for a happy New Year. You are supposed to eat 365 of those black-eyed peas for good health and prosperity. One for every day of the new year. This is one of my and hubby’s favorite recipes, so we never have trouble meeting that quota. I love to serve this dish with homemade corn muffins and a side of collard greens.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Black-eyed peas: fresh or frozen. You can substitute lima beans, navy beans, or pinto beans for the black-eyed peas.
- Ham: For the best flavor Use ham shanks and ham hocks. Trim the meat and add it to the beans.
- Chicken broth: preferably low-sodium.
- Rice: Use long-grain white rice like jasmine or basmati. In a hurry? Use minute rice or boil in a bag rice. It is easy, and it comes out perfect every time.
- Bell pepper: Any colored bell pepper will work however, I like the sweetness of the red ones, and yellow ones add a nice pop of color.
How to make Hoppin’ John
This is the summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.
The night before, you cook the beans, rinse them, and sort through them, removing any pebbles. Add the beans to a large pot, cover them by 2 inches with cold water, cover the pot with the lid, and soak overnight in the refrigerator. Drain the beans in a colander in the sink and rinse.
Combine the beans, chicken broth, ham shank, thyme leaves, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves in a large pot. Cover and cook on the stove over medium heat for about 45-60 minutes or until the beans are cooked to your desired tenderness. Meanwhile, cook about 1 1/2 cups of rice according to the package instructions.
When the beans are almost done, brown the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. About halfway through the browning process add the onion, celery, and bell peppers to the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Discard the ham shank or ham hock, and using a large slotted spoon, add the black-eyed peas to the vegetable mixture. You will want to get a little bit of liquid in there but not too much. For best results, serve over the cooked rice promptly.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Do not overcook the black-eyed peas. You want to cook them just until they are soft, so start checking after about 40 minutes.
- If using frozen black-eyed peas start with step 2 in the directions.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a little bit of chicken broth or in the microwave at reduced power.
- To freeze, cool completely, place it in a sturdy freezer container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop over low heat or the microwave at reduced power.
Serving Suggestions
For an over-the-top meal, serve with glazed ham steak, sweet potato cornbread, and turnip greens. Other delicious suggestions are easy skillet cornbread, beer bread, hoe cakes, sauteed spinach, pulled pork, and country-style ribs.
More Southern Recipes
Southern Hoppin’ John Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried black-eyed peas or frozen
- Water
- 1 ham hock or ham shank
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth vegetable stock or chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ½ cups long-grain rice uncooked
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- ½ red bell pepper chopped
- ½ yellow bell pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion optional
Instructions
- The night before, you cook the beans, rinse them, and sort through them, removing any pebbles. Add the beans to a large pot, cover them by 2 inches with cold water, cover the pot with the lid, and soak overnight in the refrigerator. Drain the beans in a colander in the sink and rinse.
- In a large pot over medium-low heat, combine the beans, ham shank, chicken broth, thyme leaves, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until the beans are soft.
- Cook the rice according to the package directions.
- When the beans are almost done, brown the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. When the bacon is halfway through the browning process, add the onions, celery, and bell peppers. Stir several times. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove the ham shank or ham hock from the beans and cut any meat from the bones. Remove the bay leaves from the beans. Using a large slotted spoon so most of the liquid is left behind, add the black-eyed peas to the skillet with the vegetable mixture and heat through.
- Spoon the black-eyed bean and vegetable mixture over the rice. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. If desired, sprinkle with chopped green onions. Serve promptly.
Notes
- Do not overcook the black-eyed peas. You want to cook them just until they are soft, so start checking after about 40 minutes.
- If using frozen black-eyed peas start with step 2 in the directions.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a little bit of chicken broth or in the microwave at reduced power.
- To freeze, cool completely, place it in a sturdy freezer container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop over low heat or the microwave at reduced power.
Nutrition
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Lisa
This was so good! I served it with greens and cornbread just like you suggested. It was delicious and filing. Thank you, Beth!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Lisa!
Sally Ann
This Southern Hoppin’ John was so good. I’d heard of it before but never knew it was good luck—love that! It was such a great combination. I will be having leftovers tomorrow for lunch. I can’t wait.
Beth Pierce
So glad that you liked it!
Rose
This is my kind of dish right here. I haven’t cooked with black eyed peas in a long time. You’ve got me wanting to go shopping for ingredients.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Rose! Enjoy!
Jenny
I’ve never heard of this, let alone had it! But oh my goodness, it looks SO good! I’m gonna bookmark this, this will make a great dish for our summer grilling.
Kristine
YUM! I have never heard about this dish. Thank you for the recipe as another fantastic idea for dinner.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Kristine! Enjoy!
Molly
What a great recipe with a fun name. It is packed with protein and fiber and so delicious. My husband even liked it and he is so picky!
Stacie
Looking absolutely lovely. I can’t believe you posted this meal almost 5 years ago and I didn’t see it. I just can’t wait to try this out!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Stacie! Enjoy!
Katie
So flavorful and delicious! We all love this one.
Lisalia
I’ve had this at my Southern neighbor’s home on New Years! It’s so yummy but it looked so complicated to make. Wow this recipe is simple enough to truly enjoy year round, as you mentioned. Thanks for such a great recipe. Anything with bacon is a winner in my books!
Betsy
This New Years was the first time I, a Midwesterner, had ever heard of eating black eyed peas on New Year’s Eve. I guess it’s because 2020 was such an awful year we all needed a little luck going into 2021. Perfect, deliciuos recipe to bring on that luck! Love the sweetness of the red peppers and the lovely, complex flavors of the seasonings.
Kevin
I have to grab a few things from the store to make this! I cannot wait to dig in!
Jen
My aunt used to make this all the time. Can’t wait to try this and see if is similar.
Allyson Zea
I’ve never heard of this, but it sounds really interesting! I’m going to try it!
Beti | easyweeknightrecipes
I love this tradition! This Southern Hoppin John is SO delicious!!
katerina @ diethood.com
I love this! It looks incredibly delicious!