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Smoked Fish Head Rice with Black-eyed Peas

Prep 25 min Cook 40 min Difficulty 3/5

One-pot smoked fish head rice with black-eyed peas — easy, savory West African-style recipe for 4.

Why this recipe works

A hearty one-pot rice made with smoked fish heads and black-eyed peas, common in West African home cooking. Suits cooks who want a flavorful, modestly spiced main with minimal fuss.

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Key takeaways

Soak and parboil black-eyed peas before adding to rice.
Use 2 cups rice to 3 cups water (adjust for your rice).
Flake smoked fish gently to keep texture intact.

Recipe guide

A hearty one-pot rice made with smoked fish heads and black-eyed peas, common in West African home cooking. Suits cooks who want a flavorful, modestly spiced main with minimal fuss.

A simple, flavorful one-pot rice using smoked fish heads and parboiled black-eyed peas.

  • Soak and parboil black-eyed peas before adding to rice.
  • Use 2 cups rice to 3 cups water (adjust for your rice).
  • Flake smoked fish gently to keep texture intact.

Ingredients

Ingredients (serves 4): 2 smoked/dried fish heads (cleaned, flaked), 1 cup dried black-eyed peas (soaked 30 min, parboiled), 2 cups long-grain rice (rinsed), 3 medium tomatoes (diced), 2 medium red onions (sliced), 3–4 scotch bonnet peppers (adjust to heat; diced), 1 small green bell pepper (diced), 4 tbsp cooking oil, salt to taste, 3 cups water (adjust to rice package).

Method

Step-by-step: 1) Soak black-eyed peas 30 minutes, then parboil until nearly tender; drain. 2) Rinse rice until water runs clear and set aside. 3) Heat oil over medium; sauté sliced onions until translucent. Add half the tomatoes and peppers; cook until soft. 4) Flake smoked fish meat into pot, stir gently. Add remaining tomato/pepper mix and simmer 3 minutes; season with salt. 5) Stir in parboiled peas, then add rice and 3 cups water. Bring to boil, reduce to low, cover tightly and cook 18–20 minutes. 6) Remove from heat, rest 10 minutes, then fluff and adjust seasoning.

Tips & Variations

Tips & variations: • If using fresh fish, sear first and reduce simmer time. • For milder dish, omit scotch bonnet or remove seeds. • Adjust water to your rice: many packages require 1.5–2× water. • Add chopped greens (spinach or ugu) in last 5 minutes for color and nutrition. • Store leftovers refrigerated up to 3 days; reheat with splash of water.

Ingredients

  • 2 pieces smoked/dried fish head
  • 3 medium tomatoes
  • 2 medium red onions
  • 2 scotch bonnet hot peppers (yellow)
  • 1 scotch bonnet hot pepper (green)
  • 1 small green pepper (bell)
  • 1 cup dried black-eyed peas
  • 2 cups rice (from bag)
  • 4 tbsp cooking oil (bottle)

Instructions

  1. Rinse black-eyed peas and soak 30 minutes, then parboil until nearly tender; drain.
  2. Rinse rice until water runs clear and set aside.
  3. Scale and clean smoked/dried fish heads; rinse under cold water.
  4. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
  5. Add sliced red onions and sauté until translucent.
  6. Dice tomatoes and peppers; add half to the pot and cook until softened.
  7. Flake smoked fish meat from the heads and add to the pot, stirring gently to combine.
  8. Return reserved tomato and pepper mixture in and season with salt to taste; simmer 3 minutes.
  9. Add parboiled black-eyed peas to the pot and stir to distribute.
  10. Add rice and 3 cups water (adjust to rice package if different); stir once to level.
  11. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly and cook until rice is done and liquid absorbed (~18–20 minutes).
  12. Turn off heat and let rest covered 10 minutes.
  13. Fluff rice gently with a fork, taste and adjust seasoning, then serve warm.

FAQs

Can I use fresh fish instead of smoked/dried fish heads? Yes—use fillets or whole smoked fish; reduce cooking time slightly and flake in the same way.
How do I make this less spicy? Use fewer scotch bonnet peppers or remove seeds; swap for milder peppers or paprika and add a dash of cayenne if needed.
Can I use canned or pre-cooked black-eyed peas instead of dried? Yes. Use 2 cups cooked/canned beans (drained) in place of 1 cup dried parboiled black-eyed peas; reduce initial water by about ¼ cup.