Recipes Fruits and Vegetables Beans and Peas Black-Eyed Peas Hoppin' John 5.0 (9) 9 Reviews 5 Photos My grandma always made Hoppin' John on New Year's Day when I was growing up in Virginia. I now live in New Mexico and decided to put a spicy Southwestern spin on her recipe. It's simple and tasty, and has some heat. Submitted by Ashley B Updated on December 20, 2023 Save Rate Print Share Close Add Photo 5 5 5 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 40 mins Servings: 6 Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe This traditional Hoppin’ John recipe is full of bold Southern flavor. What Is Hoppin' John? Hoppin’ John is a Southern dish made with black-eyed peas, rice, and pork (usually bacon, but sometimes ham hock). It usually features an onion and other seasonings for flavor. Hoppin’ John can be eaten throughout the year, but it’s especially common on New Year’s Day. The dish is meant to bring good luck and fortune in the coming year, with the black-eyed peas symbolizing coins or pennies. It is traditionally served alongside collard greens (which symbolize paper money) and cornbread (which symbolizes gold). Hoppin' John Ingredients This Hoppin' John recipe is easy to make with these ingredients: Butter: This recipe starts with an onion and peppers cooked in butter. Fresh produce: From the produce section, you’ll need an onion, a bell pepper, and two jalapeños. Garlic: Fresh garlic lends a bold flavor. Rice: You’ll need white rice for this Hoppin' John recipe. Canned vegetables: From the canned goods aisle, you’ll need canned black-eyed peas and canned diced tomatoes with habaneros. Bacon: Cooked, chopped bacon gives the Hoppin' John a meaty flavor. Seasonings: Season the dish with salt and black pepper. How to Make Hoppin' John You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade Hoppin’ John: Cook the onion, bell pepper, jalapeños, and garlic in butter. Stir in the rice, peas, tomatoes, bacon, and seasonings and cook until the flavors meld. Cook's Notes I only added two jalapeños, but you could add more if you like it hotter.This dish could easily be made vegetarian by leaving out the bacon, but pork is a traditional ingredient in Hoppin' John.Greens are also a traditional ingredient, but I did not include them here. What to Serve With Hoppin' John Serve your Hoppin’ John with cornbread and collard greens or turnip greens for a perfect New Year’s feast. For more inspiration, explore our entire collection of New Year’s Recipes. How to Store Hoppin' John Store your leftover Hoppin’ John in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat on the stove for the best results. You can freeze your leftovers for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat on the stove or in the microwave. Editorial contributions by Corey Williams Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 tablespoons butter 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 2 small jalapeño peppers, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups cooked white rice 1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with habaneros (such as Rotel Hot), drained 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped salt and ground black pepper to taste Directions Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat; cook and stir onion, red bell pepper, jalapeño peppers, and garlic in hot butter until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir cooked rice, black-eyed peas, diced tomatoes with habanero peppers, bacon, salt, and black pepper into vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes to blend flavors, stirring frequently. I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 231 Calories 8g Fat 32g Carbs 9g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 231 % Daily Value * Total Fat 8g 10% Saturated Fat 4g 19% Cholesterol 19mg 6% Sodium 612mg 27% Total Carbohydrate 32g 11% Dietary Fiber 4g 15% Total Sugars 3g Protein 9g 18% Vitamin C 35mg 39% Calcium 43mg 3% Iron 2mg 10% Potassium 346mg 7% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.