Southern Soul Food Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Hoppin' John
A traditional New Year's dish of slow-simmered peas and rice.
Contains common allergens
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Good to know
- One-pot
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Sauté the Aromatics: In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add a tablespoon of oil (or render the bacon if using). Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté for 8 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- 2
Build the Pot: Add the rinsed black-eyed peas, the smoked ham hock, chicken broth, water, thyme, cayenne, and bay leaf to the pot. Stir to combine.
- 3
Simmer the Peas: Bring the liquid to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and let it simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours. Stir occasionally. The peas should be completely tender but hold their shape.
- 4
Shred the Meat: Remove the ham hock from the pot. Pull the meat from the bone, shred it, and return it to the peas. Discard the bone, fat, and bay leaf. Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper.
- 5
Cook the Rice Separately: While the peas finish cooking, cook the 1.5 cups of white rice according to package directions in a separate saucepan until fluffy.
- 6
Serve: You can either stir the cooked rice directly into the pot of peas (the traditional way) or ladle the savory, brothy peas over individual mounds of rice. Serve with a dash of hot sauce.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
69/100
Works for many families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving425
Calories
18 g
Protein
85 g
Carbs
2 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Hoppin' John is a Lowcountry rice-and-black-eyed-pea dish carried from West Africa through the rice plantations of South Carolina, where it became a staple of the Gullah Geechee table. Eaten on New Year's Day, the peas are said to bring luck and the dish anchors the Southern good-fortune tradition.
Listahan note
This version simmers the peas slowly with a whole ham hock and cooks the rice separately, so the peas stay intact in their smoky broth instead of going mushy in the starch.
Technique cues
- The ham hock needs the full 1.5 to 2 hours to surrender its smoke and collagen into the broth, which is what gives the peas their richness.
- Cooking the rice in a separate pot keeps the peas brothy and their texture clean, rather than letting the rice absorb all the liquid into a porridge.
- Shredding the hock meat back into the pot at the end returns every bit of flavor and turns a seasoning bone into part of the dish.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Cook the rice in the last 20 minutes while the peas finish so both are ready at the same time.
- Make-ahead
- The peas deepen overnight, so simmer them a day ahead and cook fresh rice when you serve.
- Leftover move
- Fry leftover peas-and-rice together in a skillet the next day to make the related dish skillet hoppin' John.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Strip and discard the hock bone right after shredding so it does not crowd the cleanup later.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
dried black-eyed peas
Main legume
Purpose: They are the heart of the dish and hold their shape through the long simmer when not overcooked.
Handling: Rinse and sort for stones, then simmer gently so they stay whole rather than splitting.
Adaptation: Canned black-eyed peas work in a pinch; add them in the last 20 minutes so they do not break down.
smoked ham hock
Smoke and body
Purpose: Its collagen and smoke flavor the entire pot and give the broth its silky depth.
Handling: Add whole and pull the meat off the bone after the long simmer, then return it shredded.
Adaptation: A half pound of chopped thick bacon or a smoked turkey wing gives similar smoke.
long-grain white rice
Starch base
Purpose: Cooked separately it stays fluffy and serves as the bed for the brothy peas.
Handling: Cook to package directions in its own pot until tender and fluffy.
Adaptation: Brown rice works for more fiber but needs a longer cook started earlier.
onion, bell pepper, and celery
Aromatic trinity
Purpose: This Southern base builds the savory foundation the peas simmer in.
Handling: Dice and saute until softened before the liquid and peas go in.
Adaptation: Leave out celery for a celery-free version; lean on extra onion and pepper.
cayenne pepper and bay leaf
Seasoning accents
Purpose: Cayenne adds gentle heat and the bay leaf perfumes the long simmer.
Handling: Add both at the start so their flavor infuses the broth over the cook.
Adaptation: A splash of hot sauce at the table replaces the cayenne for adjustable heat.
Technique notes
- Do not salt heavily until the hock has done its work, since smoked pork releases plenty of salt into the broth.
- Keep the simmer low and lazy; a hard boil splits the peas before they soften through.
- Fish out the bay leaf along with the bone so no one bites it at the table.
Ingredient swaps
- Pork-free direction
- Use a smoked turkey wing in place of the ham hock for the same smoke without pork.
- Celery-free direction
- Drop the celery and double the onion and bell pepper to keep the aromatic base full.
- Lower-sodium direction
- Use unsalted broth and a fresh ham hock, then season at the end after the meat has flavored the pot.
Serve alongside
- Stewed collard greens
- Buttermilk cornbread
- Fried catfish
- Pepper vinegar for splashing
- Sweet iced tea
- Lemonade
- Cold amber ale
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate the peas and rice separately in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
- Reheat the peas in a covered pot with a splash of broth, and steam the rice or microwave it with a sprinkle of water.
- Freeze the cooked peas for up to 3 months; thaw overnight and cook fresh rice to serve.
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven for the slow simmer
- Separate saucepan for the rice
- Tongs for lifting the hock
- Two forks for shredding the meat
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