This hoppin' John recipe layers black-eyed peas over rice then tops them with cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and green onions.
The result is perfection. This will be the BEST Southern hoppin' John you will ever make!
What is Hoppin' John?
Black-eyed Peas is a food staple in many Southern homes.
Cook them all day in a little ham hock or bacon grease and you got yourself a delicious treat.
Take your Black-eyed Peas up a notch by layering it over rice, hence the Hoppin' John.
What makes my hoppin' John recipe the best? I add in freshly shredded cheese, sun ripened tomatoes, green onions, and a little jalapeño.
Canned Peas
Now for this particular dish, I used canned Black-eyed peas. To some that is blasphemy….
And I would agree if they were served solo. But after simmering them in bacon fat or a vegetable boullion (for the vegetarians), and adding the toppings; no one will know they aren't homemade…. I promise.
So keep it simple. Make them easy. This is an opportunity to cut corners.
They are going to be soooooo good. You will thank me!
How to make it
- Simmer black-eyed peas in bacon fat or vegetable boullion
- layer black-eye peas with all their flavorful liquid over cooked rice
- layer fresh cheddar cheese over the peas
- Top with freshly cut sun ripened tomatoes and chopped green onions
Note: Freshly shred the cheese. This is NOT a corner to cut. That pre-shredded cheese is NOT as moist and tasty as freshly shredded cheese. It takes 5 minutes.
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Note: I use my Panasonic SR-DF101 5-Cup (Uncooked) One-Touch "Fuzzy Logic" Rice Cooker to cook all of my rice. It is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. My rice comes out perfect every time.
Tip
I like to add freshly diced jalapeno on topof the hoppin' John. If you have those that can't take the heat, have some diced jalapeño set to the side.
If you want, you could eat this all by itself… I wish you could taste this Hoppin' John Dish right now…. I would share if I could!
Would you like to try some more Southern recipes? Try some of these:
- Easy Southern Banana Pudding
- How to Cook Field Peas
- Carolina Barbecue Sauce
- How to Cook Collard Greens
- Slow Cooker Green Beans and Potatoes
The Best Southern Hoppin' John Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups uncooked rice
- (3) 15.5 oz black-eyed canned peas
- 1 tbs bacon fat or 1 vegetable bouillon
- 1 ½ cup chopped tomato
- 1 cup chopped green onions
- 8 oz freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook 1 ½ cups rice according to directions.
- Meanwhile, cook three 15.5 oz canned black-eyed peas in their liquid with either 1 tbs bacon fat or 1 vegetable bouillon for 20 minutes on a low simmer.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Layer black-eyed peas with the liquid over cooked rice.
- Layer 8 oz freshly shredded cheese over black-eyed peas.
- Layer 1 ½ cups of chopped tomatoes over cheese.
- Layer 1 cup chopped green onions over tomatoes. Serve.
Jenni LeBaron
I love black-eyed peas. This dish is not served often enough for my liking. Can't wait to try your recipe!
Beth
That is the most colorful bowl of Hoppin John that I have ever seen. I find nothing wrong with using canned beans for lots of applications! They are so much quicker than dried!
Angelica Berrios
I am really enjoying this recipe! So many colors, it looks so fresh, I would eat it on its own!
Ramona
This recipe looks soo divine - vibrant and soo inviting - such a versatile side dish or a meal on its own. Perfect! Thank you soo much for sharing this absolutely cheering recipe - love the combo and all the ingredients in this - a must make as soon as.
Michelle
I can't wait to try this recipe out. It looks so delicious. And it's a perfect side dish for so many different meals.
Melanie
Katie, I made this tonight for friends and it was a huge hit! Since I cooked bacon for the hoppin John, we had BLTs as well. It was super easy and really tasty! I will definitely make it again!
Hanady
I'm a big proponent of shredding my own cheese too! I have a T-Fal electric shredder. It's amazing! Good recip! Just need to find blackeyed peas in China!
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food
I've never had southern hoppin john, but this looks awesome....definitely something I would love. I'm a huge fan of beans and then add all that cheese, bacon and green onion? Yum! Pinning for making soon 🙂 Thanks for sharing, girl!
Crafty Cooking Mama
This looks so bright, colorful and delicious! Totally a must make summer time dish 🙂 Love the name, too! I'm right with you on canned beans - total time saver and I use them more often than not.
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
This does look good! I've never had Hoppin John, but it looks like all the stuff that I love! An I with you on the cheese....always hand shredded as needed and it always makes food taste extra delicious!
Kathryn @ Family Food on the Table
Such a Southern classic! I love this dish and I love your take on it! I totally agree with you that a. canned beans can absolutely be substituted here and b. cheese should always be shredded by hand and not bought that way in the bag. Love your layers and I would definitely be happy to tuck into a big bowl of this all by itself!
Tez @ Chile and Salt
Oh Katie, this looks fantastic!! Great timing too because we don`t get black eyed peas down here very often but I found some last week & they`re begging to get used. Having a Bbq this weekend & your recipe is just perfect!