Black-Eyed Pea Fritters

Happy New Year! Yes, I’m a little late, but the New Year is actually what inspired these Black-Eyed Pea Fritters you see before your eyes!

In case you didn’t know, eating black-eyed peas are a must for the new year. That and collard greens! The two of them are supposed to bring you luck (black-eyed peas) and prosperity (collard greens). Growing up this wasn’t something that my family did every single year, but we did it often enough.

In 2020 I need aaaaaallllll the luck and prosperity I can get, so I knew I had to whip up something special. Most folks cook black eyed peas in a more traditional way. In a pot with vegetable broth, seasonings, etc. I wanted to do something a little different with mine though.

I’ve never made “fritters” so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. Y’all, I’m so glad I did! These Black-Eyed Pea Fritters are so good! I love that they’re easy to put together, plus they have a little kick. I’m a sucker for spicy food, but if you’re not omit or lessen the cayenne pepper to your taste.

Enjoying these Black-Eyed Pea Fritters

This is one of those meals I could eat every day! I paired these fritters with my Easy Vegan Collard Greens and Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes. I meal-prepped these for the week and every day my co-workers would ask me what I was eating because it smelled so good!

If you’re wondering if these reheat well, the answer is yes! To reheat them I toasted them in a microwave oven for about 6 minutes. If you’re using a traditional oven, try reheating them for 5-7 minutes on each side at 375 degrees. Reheating them in an oven will allow for them to regain their crispiness 🙂

To top these Black-Eyed Pea Fritters, I went with a homemade ranch. Don’t get me wrong, these fritters are super tasty on their own, but there’s nothing like a good dipping sauce to go along with them!

Frying vs. Air Frying

There are two ways to make these fritters. Which one is best? Honestly, I couldn’t really taste the difference so choose whichever is easiest for you!

The more traditional way to make these is on the stove in a cast iron skillet using a bit of oil. Note that these are not deep fried, but fried in a very shallow amount of oil just to give them a nice outer texture. I cooked them for about four minutes on each side, then transferred them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

To air fry them, I simply lined the bottom with parchment paper, placed them in my air fryer, then lightly sprayed them with olive oil. The parchment paper will help keep the fritters from sticking to the bottom of the basket. I cooked them on 380 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Then BAM! Ready to eat!

I know you’ll love these Black-Eyed Pea Fritters! They taste amazing, plus they’re so easy to make. Give them a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!

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5 from 24 votes

Black-Eyed Pea Fritters

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Black Eyed Peas, Fritters, Soul Food

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Resting Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cakes

Ingredients

• ½ medium-sized yellow onion diced (about ¾ cup)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• ½ red bell pepper diced
• 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp flaxseed meal + 4 tbsp water)
• 1 can 15 oz. black-eyed peas rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup cornmeal
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (omit or lessen if sensitive to spicy foods)
• 1½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1½ tsp cumin
• 2 tsp liquid smoke
• enough oil for shallow frying
• green onion for garnish optional

Ranch (optional)

• ½ cup vegan mayo
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

Instructions

• In a sauce pan, sauté diced onion, minced garlic and diced red pepper in 1-2 tsp of olive oil (or water) over a medium-low heat. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
• Combine flaxseed meal and water to make flax egg. Place in the fridge to thicken.
• While the peppers, onion and garlic are cooking, drain and rinse the black-eyed peas, then add them to a food processor and pulse until mostly ground (okay for a few whole beans to be left).
• Continue cooking peppers, onion and garlic until fragrant and onions are translucent. Remove from heat when done.
• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all of the fritter ingredients (including the flax eggs in the fridge) by mixing them together.
• Place the bowl in the freezer and let rest for 15 minutes.
• After about 10 minutes, begin heating a cast-iron skillet on the stove over medium heat. Fill with enough oil for shallow frying.
• Remove the mixture from the fridge and form patties using a 1/4 measuring cup. Press patties firmly together using the palms of your hands.
• Place patties in heated pan and cook on each side for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Once finished cooking transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease.
• Enjoy as is or top with a dollop of homemade ranch. Garnish with green onion.

Notes

This recipe can also be made using an air fryer. Set to 380 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.