Black Eyed Pea Chili in the Slow Cooker

Black Eyed Pea Chili in the Slow Cooker -- this delicious chili will bring luck and prosperity in the New Year!



2012 is practically over which means it's been nearly 5 years since I had my first bowl of Black Eyed Peas. I wasn't impressed.

I've grown a lot since then. 

We've eaten black eyed peas every single New Year ever since, and I can't imagine ringing in another January 1st without them. This year's edition has a twist, though, since I continue to get emails from people complaining that black eyed peas taste like dirt.

I know what they mean --- there's definitely an "earthy" flavor, and while soaking helps, there's really no denying that these beans taste rather BEAN-Y.

So, I've tried my hardest to mask that earthy component by turning these lucky little guys into a chili. And it's a pretty darn good chili, if I do say so myself. 
While I type, I've got 2/3 of my kids eating bowlfuls and they are making yummy noises. Adam's not home yet, but I'm pretty sure he'll eat not only his bowl but the unattended serving.

Have an absolutely wonderful (and SAFE!) New Year.

Need party drinks? My friend Jen, the cocktail lady, has got you covered!!

The Ingredients.
serves 8


1 pound dry black eyed peas, soaked overnight and drained
1 pound lean ground meat, browned and drained
1 onion, peeled, chopped, and browned
4 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped, and browned
28 ounces diced tomatoes (and juice!)
1 (15-ounce) can corn (and juice!)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (and maybe more at the table to taste)
2 cups beef broth

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. In a large skillet on the stovetop (I used the Ninja) brown the meat, onion, and garlic. Drain any accumulated fat, and put the meat mixture into your slow cooker. Add soaked and drained beans.  [note: if you don't have time to presoak the beans, bring them to a boil on the stovetop for 10 minutes, then turn of heat and cover. Let sit for one hour, then drain.]

Add the entire cans of tomato and corn. Stir in dried spices and the beef broth. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until beans are bite tender and flavors have melded. Serve with your favorite chili toppings. We used shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and some avocado slices.

The Verdict.

I really really liked this, and think you will, too. The chili flavor is mild, and there isn't any heat. If you like heat, I'd suggest tweaking at the table with some Tabasco, because the tang from the Tabasco is awesome with black eyed peas. My kids did well, and liked that I included corn, because it reminded them of Taco Soup.

other stuff:
--Organize Your Life (your whole entire life! ;-)  ) in 30 Days
-- PROM Your Way to a Decluttered House
--Hoppin' John Recipe
--Black Eyed Pea Soup


Have a wonderful New Year!!



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Posted by: Stephanie O'Dea | A Year of Slow Cooking at December 27, 2012

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What they say about this article

  1. I am going to put this on my menu for NY day. We aren't big Black Eye Pea fans, but we love chili and they are good luck!

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  2. My family likes chili but no one but me likes black eyed peas. Do you think everything else masks the black eyed pea flavor enough they would enjoy it anyway?

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  3. Hi Amber, what do you think about easing into the black eyed peas by using half regular white beans or small red beans?
    (p.s, if using red beans, boil rapidly for 10 minutes).

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  4. That's a good idea! I planned to use canned only because I have it on hand. I read 4 cans is about the same as 1 lb soaked beans, so I think I will try 2 cans black eyes and 2 cans white beans. Thanks again! Hoping I can get my family to like it. I love black eyed peas myself. :-) I've also heard frozen are very good.

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  5. One more question, do you think using a can of beef broth vs the full 2 cups would be fine? Thanks!

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  6. Hi Amber, yes, the 15-ounce can of beef broth will be plenty since the canned beans are already soft. Enjoy, and have a wonderful New Year!

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  7. Hi Steph! I want to make a vegetarian version of this. I will use vegetable broth instead of beef. What should I substitute for the ground meat?

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  8. Hi Jane, good call on the veggie broth --- and you can either just omit the meat completely or use a vegetarian meat substitute. If you are gluten free, be wary of seitan, tsp, and tempeh, and use crumbled tofu instead.

    enjoy!!

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  9. Jane, We are not vegetarians but I always make my chili vegetarian using TVP (textured vegetable protein). No one misses the meat at all. I'm not sure they know!

    This time, I did follow the recipe including the (grassfed) hamburger and woke up to an amazing aroma filling our home! I had to sneak down to the kitchen and there it was, bubbling happily along. Mmmm! After taste-testing, I added a bit more salt ( a three-finger pinch), about 1/3 cup of pure maple syrup and approximately 1 teaspoon of hungarian paprika. I can NOT wait to have this for lunch today! This is the first time I've used dried black-eyed peas and it is Good! Thank you, Steph, for this recipe! Happy New Year! I look forward to learning more from you, especially crock pot cooking!

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  10. Anonymous1/01/2013

    Made this today and eating it for dinner now. My wife said she’d like to have a little more meat in the chili but otherwise it was delicious.

    I tried to post a picture of the final result but it wouldn’t let me. :( I put it on my Facebook page if you want to see it.

    Thanks for the recipe...

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  11. I made this last night for dinner, and everyone liked it!! :-) I was so happy since I'm the only one who normally eats black eyed peas. I did take your suggestion and used half black eyed peas (2 cans drained) and half cannellini beans (2 cans drained). I used lean ground turkey, and I didn't brown anything ahead of time, just threw everything in the crockpot. It was yummy! Thank you so much! I am counting calories, and if anyone is interested, using lean ground turkey (170 calories per 4oz), and all black eyed peas, I got 237 calories a cup. Using half cannellini beans makes it 226 calories a cup. Makes about 12 cups total.

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