Hoppin’ John Recipe
Updated Dec 27, 2025
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Hoppin’ John is a traditional Southern New Year’s Day dish made with black-eyed peas and rice. My recipe includes savory canned tomatoes and juicy chunks of leftover ham, and it comes together in about 30 minutes.
If you love this Southern dish, also try my Louisiana red beans and rice, chicken and sausage gumbo, and slow cooker jambalaya.
An Easy Hoppin’ John Recipe For Good Luck
The days between Christmas and New Year’s always feel sort of like a fever dream in my house. Everyone is wearing pajamas and thriving on leftover turkey salad sandwiches. No one knows (or cares) what day it is. Then New Year’s Day rolls around, and with it, this Hoppin’ John skillet.
This Southern rice and beans dish is traditionally served on New Year’s Day to bring luck, prosperity, and good fortune in the year ahead. It’s a cozy mix of black-eyed peas and rice, and I like to add diced leftover Christmas ham, a can of tomatoes, onion, and simple spices.
Everything cooks together in one skillet, for minimal cleanup. I don’t know about you, but that already has me feeling lucky!
Why Is It Called Hoppin’ John?
The name “Hoppin’ John” most likely comes from the French Creole term for pigeon peas, pois pigeons (pronounced “pwah pee-zhon”). Saying it fast with an English accent changed the name to Hoppin’ John over time!
You’ll find loads of different Hoppin’ John recipes. Some call it Carolina peas and rice; others resemble Louisiana dirty rice, but they all feature black-eyed peas as the key ingredient. In some cultures, beans represent prosperity and growth because of their coin-like shape, so the recipe became a symbol of luck for the New Year.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Hoppin’ John recipe. See the recipe card for the full measurements.
- Olive Oil – Or any cooking oil you use for sautéeing.
- Onion and Garlic – Yellow or white onion and freshly minced garlic. If you’re using jarred garlic, replace each clove with 1 tablespoon.
- Cooked Ham – This is a great way to use up leftover holiday spiral ham, or any cooked ham in the fridge. Cooked bacon or pulled pork is a good alternative.
- Rice – I use Minute Rice to keep the cooking time quick. If you’re using long-grain rice or similar, note that it will need to cook for longer to become tender.
- Seasonings – I keep it simple with paprika, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Add cayenne pepper or Cajun seasoning if you’d prefer some kick.
- Vegetable Broth – You could also use chicken stock.
- Black-eyed Peas – Even though they’re called peas, black-eyed peas are actually a type of bean. They’re small and curved with a black dot, and have a flavor similar to chickpeas. You’ll also find them in my black-eyed pea soup. If you don’t have black-eyed peas, you can still make this recipe with another type of bean, like cannellini or navy beans.
- Canned Tomatoes – Regular diced tomatoes, drained. Try canned fire-roasted tomatoes for a different flavor profile.
How to Make Hoppin’ John
I’ll tell you right now: It doesn’t get better than a warm bowl of Hoppin’ John after a NYE celebration. The flavors are rich and comforting, and one skillet brings it all together quickly.
- Drain and rinse the beans. First, empty the can of black-eyed peas into a colander and rinse them under cold water to remove the brine.
- Sauté the aromatics and ham. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet and cook the diced onion until softened. Stir in the garlic and diced ham and cook until everything is heated through and lightly browned.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Stir in the quick-cooking rice and seasonings, then add the vegetable broth, black-eyed peas, and the tomatoes. Stir to combine.
- Simmer until tender. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Taste and finish. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed, then remove from heat. Spoon into bowls and serve as-is or with your favorite New Year’s sides and dinner rolls.
What to Eat With Hoppin’ John
Classic side dishes for Hoppin’ John include collard greens and cornbread, but there are so many delicious ways to serve this Southern dish.
- Pork: Pair with extra pork dishes, like country-style ribs, ranch pork chops, or juicy tomahawk pork chops.
- Breakfast: Try these cornbread pancakes and slow cooker shrimp and grits.
- More mains and sides: Serve a post-New Year’s feast with smothered steak or blackened mahi-mahi, with fried cabbage on the side.
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Hoppin’ John Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- pinch of salt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups cooked diced ham
- 1 cup quick cooking rice, (Minute Rice)
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 15.5 ounces can of black-eyed peas, well rinsed and drained
- 14.5 ounces can of diced tomatoes, drained
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ham and continue to cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add rice, seasonings, and remaining ingredients. Stir in the rice, seasoned salt, paprika, and pepper. Add the vegetable broth and mix in the black-eyed peas, then stir in the tomatoes. Set the heat on high and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to a simmer; continue to cook for 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Finish and serve. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the parsley before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Store Leftovers
- Fridge. Store completely cooled leftovers in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- Reheat. Warm up Hoppin’ John leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring often, until the rice and beans are hot throughout.
I substituted garbanzo beans for black eyed peas, since I grew up with them in California!!
Can the rice be replaced with another veggie? My daughter will be on a liver reduction diet soon and will not be able to eat rice, quinoa, pasta or potatoes,
This looks delicious…and I love that it’s supposed to bring good fortune!
I just had a hopin’ john recipe last week but I did mine in a slow cooker. This skillet recipe sounds great! Would love to try this soon! 🙂
I’d like to try it with ground beef. Not a fan of ham and tomatoes together.
Wow, nothing better, great comfort food.
What a lovely black eyed pea recipe! I hadn’t heard of this before, but we definitely get our fill of black eyed peas for good luck each year!
This type of 1-skillet dinner is exactly my style. Jan. 1 here I come!
This looks filling and delightful!
I like the idea of starting the new year with new things!! I get to do that anyway, because it is my birthday, but still a great idea!
And this skillet – love it!!
I need this in my life! It looks like it’s filling, yum!