Make Slow Cooker Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens for a soul food inspired dish with lots of flavor! With peas, fresh greens, and tender ham, this Southern classic is great to celebrate the new year but makes a great dish anytime.
You'll love the flavorful broth and melt in your mouth ingredients. Warm and hearty, this dish will bring comfort and good luck to any dinner table!
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🩵 About This Recipe
If you're looking for a delicious new main course or hearty and filling side dish, this crock pot collard greens with black eyed peas is a fantastic option! Inspired by Southern soul food, this recipe combines flavorful ingredients for a dish that's said to bring luck!
Any home chef can easily throw together this dish in just a few simple steps and put a classic dish on the table. The whole family will go back for seconds and thirds of this amazing comfort food.
And if you love cooking with beans, my Traditional Boston Baked Beans or my One Pot Rice and Beans are other amazing recipes to check out!
🧂 Gather Your Ingredients
- olive oil - for sautéing the aromatics and to help build the base flavor.
- garlic and onion - add savory depth, sweetness, and aromatic richness.
- fresh collard greens - this leafy green veggie is great to cook to tender perfection in your slow cooker.
- black-eyed peas - despite their name, these are actually a kind of bean that is often used in Southern cooking and is said to bring luck, especially around the new year!
- diced tomatoes - I like to use the kind with green chilies for some extra flavor.
- chicken broth - a flavorful cooking liquid that moistens the peas and greens and ties all the ingredients together.
- ham bone - you'll want a ham bone that still has some meat on it to infuse your dish with more savory goodness.
- seasonings - I used a blend of salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes for a little bit of heat.
- white rice - makes this dish even more filling and tasty.
🔪 Let's Make Black Eyed Peas and Collard Greens!
(Or click here to jump right to the recipe card with measurements!)
Sautee Onion
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the onion and garlic, cooking until softened and fragrant.
Combine Ingredients
Add collard greens, peas, tomatoes, broth, ham bone, and seasonings to the slow cooker. Stir in the cooked onion and garlic.
Slow Cooker
Cover and cook on low heat for 5 to 6 hours, or until greens are tender. Remove ham bone and return any meat to the slow cooker.
Add Rice
Stir in cooked rice, adding more broth if needed. Serve and enjoy!
💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Drain and rinse the black eyed peas to remove excess sodium from this dish.
- Sautéing the garlic and onion is technically an optional step and they can be stirred into the dish with the rest of the ingredients, but cooking them first offers a deeper and more complex flavor.
- Test the ham bone to check how salty it is before adding it to the slow cooker. You may want to use less salt if it's already on the salty side.
❔ FAQs
Similar to other leafy vegetables like kale, cabbage, and broccoli, collard greens are a hearty and dark variety of greens with a slightly earthy and bitter taste that can be cooked away into a milder flavor and tender texture. They're commonly used in Southern cooking.
Despite their name, black-eyed peas are actually a kind of bean. They're often used in cooking in similar ways to green peas, which is one of the reasons they're referred to as peas.
Any kind of smoked meat will pair well with this dish. Ham is a classic option, but smoked turkey legs or bacon also work well to provide that smoky, savory flavor.
📝 Substitutions and Variations
- If you don't have a ham bone handy, you can substitute diced ham, smoked turkey legs, or smoked turkey wings to achieve a similar flavor.
- This can be made vegetarian as well. Skip the meat, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and add a splash of liquid smoke.
- Kale or mustard greens can also be used instead of or alongside the collard greens.
Kristin's Kitchen Tip
Collard greens tend to have tough stems that aren't great to eat, so be sure to remove them before cooking!
🥡 Storage and Reheating
Leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. A day or two in the fridge can even deepen and improve the flavors as the ingredients sit and develop!
To reheat, return to a pot over medium heat and stir occasionally until heated through. More broth may be needed if your crock pot collard greens have thickened up in the fridge.
Keep It Handy
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🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
This dish is great to serve with some cornbread or any hearty and crusty bread. You can also serve it as a side dish with something like roasted chicken or pork!
😋 More Slow Cooker Recipes You'll Love
- Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole - Topped with delicious tater tots, this is a hearty and savory family favorite!
- Crockpot Enchilada Casserole - An easy shortcut when you're craving enchiladas but want a meal that will cook in the background throughout the day.
- Slow Cooker Chorizo with Quinoa - This all-in-one meal includes filling chorizo and quinoa paired with delicious veggies.
- Crockpot Breakfast Casserole - Make this amazing casserole from Iowa Girl Eats for a special morning meal or a fantastic breakfast for dinner option!
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Crock Pot Black-Eyed Peas
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📋 Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens
Equipment
- 1 Slow cooker
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chopped fresh collard greens, stems removed
- 45 ounces black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 ham bone with some meat attached
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 cups cooked long-grain white rice
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.½ tablespoon olive oil, 1 small onion, chopped, 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Place the collard greens, black-eyed peas, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, ham bone, smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes to the slow cooker. Add the onion and garlic to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.4 cups chopped fresh collard greens, stems removed, 45 ounces black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed, 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies, 3 cups chicken broth, 1 ham bone with some meat attached, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, until the collards are tender.
- Remove the ham bone, shred any remaining meat, and return the meat to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the cooked rice, mixing well to coat and warm through. Add a splash of broth to thin the mixture, if desired.3 cups cooked long-grain white rice
- Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Notes
Prep Tips:
- Make sure to remove the tough stems from the collard greens before chopping.
- Draining and rinsing the black-eyed peas helps remove excess sodium and gives you a cleaner flavor.
- Sauteing the onion and garlic first adds extra depth, but if you're in a hurry you can skip that step.
- If your ham bone is very salty, go light on the added salt at first and adjust after cooking.
Variations:
- No ham bone? You can substitute diced ham, smoked turkey wings, or smoked turkey legs for a similar smoky flavor.
- If you would like to keep this meatless, skip the ham bone and use vegetable broth, and add a dash of liquid smoke.
- Swap the collard greens for kale or mustard greens if you prefer.
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve with a slice of cornbread or crusty bread on the side.
- This dish works well as a hearty main or as a comforting side alongside roasted chicken or pork.
Storage Info for Leftovers:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding some additional broth if it is too thick.
- The flavors deepen as it sits, making leftovers especially good the next day!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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