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These Black-Eyed Pea Fritters are creamy, flavorful, and served with a spicy tomato dipping sauce. They're a perfect snack or appetizer for a dinner party.
Here are some more flavor-packed dipping sauces: Ranch Dressing, Creole Sauce, Sweet Chili Sauce, Remoulade Sauce, Honey Sriracha Sauce, and Hot Honey Sauce.
Recipe Video:
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This is a great way to use black-eyed peas because they produce a creamy, crunchy, and flavor-bomb that you can enjoy as a snack or appetizer.
Black-eyed peas are a staple ingredient in West Africa. You can find various versions of the Akara recipe, from patties to rounded, some with canned peas or frozen black-eyed peas. The options are unlimited, but instead of going traditional, I wanted to put my New Orleans touch on this West African staple.
I added the Creole-Cajun trinity, onions, celery, and bell pepper to my black-eyed peas, along with garlic, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and more seasoning to ensure that the flavor was singing with every bite.
After pureeing the peas in a food processor, I put them in the fridge for a little bit so the flavors could marry, then fried them until golden brown in a cast iron skillet.
I also decided to make a spicy tomato called Kannianni. I keep scotch bonnets on hand and use them for their spicy-sweetness. I knew they would pair well with the acidic tomatoes without being too spicy, like a habanero pepper. Don't let the heat scare you; the lime juice added to the dipping sauce tames the heat.
Key Black Eyed Pea Fritters Ingredients
Before you start whipping up these black-eyed pea fritters, look at this list of ingredients to make sure you have everything you need.
Black Eyed Peas
I like to use pre-soaked black-eyed peas instead of cooked black-eyed peas. This makes them soft enough to puree but not turn into mush after running them through the food processor. Sometimes, you can find them in the grocery store already pre-soaked. If not, it only takes a few hours to soak dried black-eyed peas to make them tender.
Aromatics
You'll need onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to make sure they have that special New Orleans touch and savory flavor.
Avocado Oil
You'll need some to make the batter and fry the fritters. I like to use avocado oil because it's a healthy oil great for eating and frying.
Herbs & Spices
Kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, and fresh thyme make these fritters sing deliciousness. You'll also need some garlic powder for the spicy tomato sauce.
Whole Peeled Tomatoes
Using whole tomatoes gives you the closest product to fresh tomatoes without the few extra steps required to peel them.
Lime Juice
Any time you have a hot pepper or hot pepper sauce in a dish, you're sure to have someone who can't handle the heat. The acidity of lime juice cuts the heat the way folks think milk, water, or bread does when they eat something spicy.
Scotch Bonnet Peppers
This hot pepper is one of my favorites because it's spicy, but its sweet flavor keeps it from burning your mouth.
How To Make Black-Eyed Pea Fritters
Black-eyed peas fritters are a great way to use leftover dried black-eyed peas. It's an easy recipe with a few steps, but the end results are something amazing, creamy, crunchy, and memorable.
Black Eyed Pea Fritters
Add the black-eyed peas and water to a large bowl. Rub the black-eyed peas with your hands to release any loose shells. The shells will rise to the top. With a slotted spoon, remove the shells and drain the black-eyed peas.
Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to a blender or food processor and blitz on high for 1 minute until chopped small.
Add the black-eyed peas, kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne, cumin, thyme leaves and oil blitz on high for 2 minutes.
Black-eyed pea batter should be smooth with small chunky pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Spicy Tomato Sauce
While the batters in the refrigerator, heat a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat, add oil, squeeze whole tomatoes with hands and add to the pot, cook for 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and scotch bonnet, stir a few times, and add the lime juice, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add to a food blender or processor and pulse 3-5 times until the sauce is smooth.
Taste and adjust seasoning and stir in chopped cilantro.
Frying the Akara
Preheat oven to 200°F/93°C. Heat oil to 375°F/ 190°C in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the fritter batter from the refrigerator. Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop fritters into hot oil and fry for 3 minutes, 1 minute and 30 seconds on each side or until golden brown.
Transfer the fritters to a parchment paper or paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until you finish frying the remaining fritters.
Serve hot black-eyed pea fritters on a platter with spicy tomato sauce.
How To Store Leftovers
After the black-eyed pea fritters cool, place them in a freezer storage bag. Keep them in the freezer for three months. Thaw in the fridge for 1 hour before reheating. The tomato sauce can be kept in an airtight container for three months; thaw 24 hours before using.
After the fritters cool completely, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for seven days. The tomato sauce can be kept in an airtight container or mason jar for 14 days.
Reheat fritters in a 350°F/ 176°C oven or air fryer for 10-15 minutes or until hot. For the tomato sauce, add to a small pan over medium heat and cook until the mixture starts to boil. It takes about 10 minutes or less, depending on how much you're reheating.
Pro Recipe Substitutions, Tips & Tricks
Here are the best practices, techniques, substitutes, and flavor builders you'll need to make these delicious black-eyed pea fritters.
- Dried beans double in size when they soak overnight.
- If you cannot find pre-soaked black-eyed peas overnight soak 12 oz. of dried black eyed peas or do a quick soak by adding ¾ teaspoon of baking soda to every 1 ½ cup of dried black-eyed peas. Soak for 1 hour, then rinse the beans and proceed with the recipe.
- When you place the fritters in the frying oil, scoop them into the oil; do not drop them in the hot oil; you can cause serious injury. You can use grape seed or vegetable oil instead of avocado oil.
- Use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme if fresh thyme is not available.
- You can use drained canned black-eyed peas if you're in a hurry.
- You can use tomato sauce or diced tomatoes instead of whole peeled tomatoes.
- Use 1 tablespoon of scotch bonnet sauce if you cannot find a scotch bonnet. If you cannot find fresh scotch bonnets, use a jalapeno, or serrano or completely omit adding a spicy pepper if you do not like spicy foods.
- Due to the texture, this recipe is best pan-fried and will not work in an air fryer. However, you can reheat them in an air fryer.
- You don't have to make the spicy tomato sauce. You can easily serve them with Cajun ranch dressing or your favorite hot sauce.
- Here are some of my favorite black-eyed pea recipes: Hoppin John and Instant Pot Southern Black Eyed Peas.
FAQ
What is akara?
Akara, also known as black-eyed pea fritters, is a popular West African dish. Akara is typically enjoyed as a snack or breakfast item. It consists of ground black-eyed peas mixed with onions, spices, and sometimes hot peppers, then deep-fried until golden brown.
Can I use canned black-eyed peas?
Yes, you can use canned black-eyed peas to make fritters. Rinse and drain them thoroughly before blending to ensure the best texture.
What does baking soda do for black-eyed peas?
Adding baking soda to black-eyed peas helps to soften them more quickly during cooking. This can reduce the overall cooking or soaking time and result in a tender texture, which is ideal for making fritters.
More Fritter and Appetizer Recipes
If you're looking for more BOMB fritters or appetizers, check these out.
- Hot Honey Wings
- Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Spinach and Artichoke Dip
- French Onion Dip
- Southern Hushpuppies
- Buttermilk Chicken Tenders
- Yellow Squash Fritters
- Calas (New Orleans Sweet Rice Fritters)
- Crawfish Fritters
- Apple Fritters
Before You Begin
To begin, here are the steps I follow to get organized.
Step 1: Read the recipe once before starting; if needed, this would be a good time to soak the black-eyed peas.
Step 2: Measure everything out into individual bowls.
Step 3: Follow the recipe and get ready for the best black-eyed pea fritters you've ever had.
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📖 Recipe
Black-Eyed Pea Fritters
Equipment
- Chef knife
- Cutting board
- Liquid measuring cup
- Medium bowl
- Dry measuring spoons
- 4 quart pot
Ingredients
Black Eye Pea Fritters:
- 24 oz. presoaked black eyed peas 12 oz raw black-eyed peas (1 ½ cups)
- 6 cups water
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 2 celery stalk chopped
- 4 garlic cloves smashed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- oil for frying
Spicy Tomato Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil
- 28 oz. whole peeled tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves chopped fine
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper stem removed
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ bunch cilantro chopped small
Instructions
Black Eyed Pea Fritters
- In a large bowl add the black eye peas and water. Rub the black eye peas in between your hands to release any loose shells, shells will rise to the top, with a slotted spoon remove shells and drain black eye peas.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic, to a food processor and blitz on high for 1 minute until chopped small.
- Add black-eyed peas, kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne, cumin, thyme leaves and oil.
- Blitz on high for 2-3 minutes, until smooth lightly chunky paste forms. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Spicy Tomato Sauce
- Heat a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat, add oil, squeeze whole tomatoes with hands and into a medium pot, cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, scotch bonnet, lime juice, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add to a food blender or processor and pulse 3-5 times until the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning and stir in chopped cilantro.
Fry Fritters
- Preheat oven to 200°F/93°C. Heat oil to 375°F/ 190°C in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop fritters into hot oil and fry for 3 minutes, 1 minute and 30 seconds on each side or until golden brown.
- Transfer the fritters to a parchment paper or paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until you finish frying the remaining fritters.
- Serve hot black-eyed pea fritters on a platter with spicy tomato sauce.
Video
Notes
- Omit or reduce the cayenne pepper from the fritters if you don't like spicy food.
- Use 1 tablespoon of scotch bonnet sauce in the tomato sauce if you cannot find a scotch bonnet. If you cannot find fresh scotch bonnets, use a jalapeno, or serrano or completely omit adding a spicy pepper if you do not like spicy foods.
- Dried beans double in size when they soak overnight.
- If you cannot find pre-soaked black-eyed peas overnight soak 12 oz. of dried black eyed peas or do a quick soak by adding ¾ teaspoon of baking soda to every 1 ½ cup of dried black-eyed peas. Soak for 1 hour, then rinse the beans and proceed with the recipe.
- When you place the fritters in the frying oil, scoop them into the oil; do not drop them in the hot oil; you can cause serious injury. You can use grape seed or vegetable oil instead of avocado oil.
- Use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme if fresh thyme is not available.
- You can use drained canned black-eyed peas if you're in a hurry.
- You can use tomato sauce or diced tomatoes instead of whole peeled tomatoes.
- Due to the texture, this recipe is best pan-fried and will not work in an air fryer. However, you can reheat them in an air fryer.
- You don't have to make the spicy tomato sauce. You can easily serve them with Cajun ranch dressing or your favorite hot sauce.
- Here are some of my favorite black-eyed pea recipes: Hoppin John and Instant Pot Southern Black Eyed Peas.
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