Seasoned beans • Rice bowl • Optional sausage
Easy Black-Eyed Peas and Rice with Seasoned Blackeye Peas
To make black-eyed peas and rice, rinse one package of Ragin' Cajun Seasoned Blackeye Peas, stir in the enclosed seasoning packet and 10 cups water, then low-boil uncovered for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until tender, adding water as needed. Cook rice during the final 25 minutes and serve the peas over it; add browned fully cooked sausage if desired.
- Prep
- 15 minutes
- Cook
- 150 minutes
- Total
- 165 minutes
- Yield
- About 6 servings
Ragin' Cajun Seasoned Blackeye Peas 16 oz turns a bag of dry peas into a well-seasoned pot with one enclosed packet. Cook the rice while the peas finish, then let everyone build a bowl with as much broth, rice, and optional browned sausage as they like.
Choose your black-eyed peas and rice dinner
The bean method stays the same. Decide whether you want a simple pantry bowl or the fuller, smoky finish shown here.
Simple pantry bowl
Seasoned peas over rice
Add: rice, green onion, and hot sauce at the table.
Good for: a meatless main or an easy side.
Heartier supper
Finish with browned sausage
Add: 8 ounces fully cooked smoked sausage.
Good for: a one-bowl dinner with savory, crisp edges.
Brown the sausage separately and fold it in near the end. The peas keep their own seasoned flavor, and the sausage stays juicy instead of simmering for the full two hours.
Make black-eyed peas and rice
Ingredients
- 1 package Ragin' Cajun Seasoned Blackeye Peas 16 oz
- 10 cups water, plus more as needed
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cups water, or the amount called for on the rice package
- 8 ounces fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced, optional
- Sliced green onion or chopped parsley, optional
- Hot sauce, for serving, optional
Ingredient notes
Keep the seasoning packet. Remove it before rinsing the peas, then stir the full packet into the cooking water.
Use water for the clearest flavor. The product directions also allow beef or chicken stock, but stock and sausage can both bring extra salt. If you substitute stock, choose one you already know and taste only after the peas are tender.
Use fully cooked sausage. Andouille or another smoked sausage works. Brown it in a separate skillet so the cut sides develop color before it goes into the bowl.
Cook the peas
- Remove the seasoning packet from the bag. Rinse and drain the blackeye peas.
- Put the peas in a 4-quart or larger heavy pot. Add 10 cups water and the seasoning packet; stir well.
- Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to maintain a low boil and uncover the pot. Cook for 2 to 2½ hours, stirring every 20 to 30 minutes.
- Keep a kettle of hot water nearby. If the liquid drops below the peas before they are tender, add ½ cup at a time.
- Begin tasting after 2 hours. The peas should be tender and creamy inside, with no chalky center.
Cook the rice and finish
- During the final 25 minutes, cook the rice with 2 cups water or according to its package directions. Rest it covered for 5 minutes, then fluff.
- If using sausage, brown the slices in a skillet over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, turning once. Stir them into the tender peas or keep them separate for serving.
- Spoon rice into bowls and ladle the peas and broth over it. Finish with green onion, parsley, or hot sauce if desired.
Control the broth without overcooking the peas
For a brothier bowl
Keep the pot loose
Add hot water in small amounts whenever the liquid falls below the peas. Once they are tender, stop cooking and ladle the seasoned broth directly over the rice.
For a creamier spoonful
Thicken at the finish
Mash about ½ cup of the tender peas against the side of the pot and stir them back in. Simmer uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat.
Rice continues to absorb broth in the bowl. Keep the pot a little looser than you think you need if you plan to serve the peas over rice or save leftovers.
How much rice should go under the peas?
Start with about ½ cup cooked rice and ¾ to 1 cup peas and broth per bowl. That gives the seasoned peas the lead while the rice catches the broth. Put extra rice on the table instead of mixing the whole batch into the pot; the peas stay easier to reheat and everyone can choose their own ratio.
Fix the four most common black-eyed pea problems
The peas are still firm
Keep them at a steady low boil and add hot water if needed. Older dry peas can take longer. Judge doneness by a creamy center rather than the clock alone.
The pot is getting dry
The heat is too high or the pot is losing water quickly. Add ½ cup hot water, lower the burner slightly, and stir more often around the bottom edge.
The broth is too thin
Wait until the peas are tender, then mash a small scoop and simmer uncovered for a few minutes. Thickening before the peas soften can make the bottom catch.
The rice is gummy
Use the amount of liquid on the rice package, keep the lid on during cooking, and let the pot rest off the heat before fluffing with a fork.
What goes with black-eyed peas and rice?
- Add a crisp cabbage slaw or a simple green salad for contrast.
- Serve cornbread alongside the bowl when you want something to catch the last of the broth.
- Pair the pantry version with Cajun Roasted Potatoes for a larger meatless spread.
- Compare this long-simmered bowl with Red Beans and Rice Weeknight Dinner or Easy Jambalaya.
- For another bag-to-pot bean dinner, make Ten Bean Soup with Sausage.
Common questions
Do black-eyed peas need to be soaked for this recipe?
No separate soak is listed in the current product directions. Remove the seasoning packet, rinse and drain the peas, then begin the 2- to 2½-hour stovetop method.
Can I cook the rice in the same pot as the peas?
Cook it separately for this recipe. The peas need a much longer cooking time, and separate rice lets you control both textures and keep leftovers from absorbing all the broth.
Can I add sausage or ham?
Yes. The product directions allow meat if desired. This version uses 8 ounces of fully cooked smoked sausage, browned separately and added after the peas are tender. Ham can also work; taste before adding any extra salt.
How do I know when black-eyed peas are done?
Taste several peas. They should be tender and creamy from edge to center, with no chalky or firm middle. If they are still firm, keep the pot at a low boil and add hot water as needed.
How should I store black-eyed peas and rice?
Refrigerate the peas, rice, and sausage within 2 hours, preferably in separate shallow containers. Use them within 3 to 4 days and reheat leftovers to 165°F.
Keep cooking
