We may earn a commission when you click on the affiliate links in this post.
There’s actually a correct way to cook frozen peas, and it isn’t boiling! You can have sweet, crisp, vibrant green peas in less than ten minutes. Never mushy, never bland. Try them tonight!
5-Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Omgosh! Best frozen peas I’ve ever had! Loved it! Ty, ty! Followed exactly! – Pam
My wife and I had this for dinner last night as a side along with our garlic butter chicken and loved it. Thanks so much for making boring peas something to look forward to! – Matthew
SO SO SO delicious and flavorful! My pea disliking husband even liked it! Thank you for the recipe! – Maria
The Best Way to Cook Frozen Peas
I hate to break it to you, but you have probably been cooking peas wrong your entire life. I admit, I am guilty of ripping open a bag of frozen peas and throwing them into a pot of boiling water 5 minutes before dinner. Sure, it gets a a vegetable on the table fast, but did you know you can have your peas and enjoy them too?
The secret? Don’t boil, sauté! I discovered this surprisingly easy secret by trying Epi’s famous Thursday peas, a dish so popular it draws crowds. I learned how to recreate their tender, flavorful magic at home, transforming my view on frozen peas forever. I know you’ll love them!
🩷 Erica
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Peas – Use frozen green peas for this recipe. They are firm and will soften in minutes.
- Butter – Salted, sweet cream butter is a rich and flavorful butter that gives you just enough deliciousness to the peas that is not overbearing.
- Sugar – I know it sounds weird, but it won’t make the peas too sweet, I promise!
- Garlic – Use fresh, crushed garlic for optimal aroma and flavor.
Step by Step Instructions
- First, empty a bag of frozen peas into a large skillet.
- Add butter, garlic, and sugar.
- Sauté on medium heat until the butter is melted and the peas are cooked through.
- Salt and pepper, then serve!
Flavor Tips and Easy Add-Ins
These simple tips and add-ins will take your frozen peas from good to great. They work with many frozen vegetables, not just peas. Try them when cooking green beans, carrots, corn, snap peas, asparagus, etc.
- Skip the boiling – sauté instead. I know the package tells you to, but don’t. A quick sauté keeps the peas crisp, bright, and flavorful.
- Add a little sugar. Just enough to enhance the natural sweetness of the peas. It’s ok, it won’t taste weird and it will bring out the natural sweetness.
- Wait to salt. Salting too early can dehydrate peas and dull their flavor. Season to taste after cooking.
If you want to add a little something to your frozen peas for extra flavor, try one of these additions:
- Fresh Mint – Coarsely tear up a few mint leaves and toss them in the pan with the peas while cooking.
- Cream– For a creamier texture, add a splash of heavy cream. If you want really creamy peas try our creamed peas recipe.
- Minced Onion – Sauté with the peas for a savory boost.
- Lemon – Add a squeeze of lemon to the finished dish to brighten the flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese / Parmigiano Reggiano – Sprinkle on a little fresh Parmigiano Reggiano over the top.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the frozen peas don’t need to be thawed. They go straight from the freezer to the skillet.
You can, but they won’t taste as fresh and good. They also want have the same bright color and crisp texture. However, preparing canned peas as outlined in the recipe below will taste much better than simply boiling them in water.
Petite peas are usually smaller, sweeter, and more delicate than regular peas. Regular peas are meatier, but the skin on them is a little tougher. Both petite peas and regular peas work great in this recipe.
Absolutely! Frozen carrots or frozen corn would taste great in this recipe. Add them to the skillet when you are adding the frozen peas and cook according to the recipe. They will be delicious!
Believe it or not, frozen peas taste better than fresh ones when cooking. Why? Frozen peas are flash-frozen at the peak of ripeness. You can depend on the sweetness and soft texture.
Store-bought fresh peas tend to become more firm and starchy from the time they are picked to the time they are purchased. Unless they are picked fresh from your garden, frozen peas are the way to go!
It’s not a good idea to refreeze cooked peas. They will lose their texture and become mushy. You can keep cooked peas in the refrigerator and reheat them with in a few days for best results. I recommend adding them to our Basil and Sweet Pea Soup in place of canned peas, or our Creamy Pea Salad with Bacon.
More Peas, Please!
Can’t get enough of those sweet little green gems? These pea-packed recipes are full of flavor, fun, and plenty of reasons to say “yes, peas!” to seconds.
Who knew frozen peas could be this tasty? If you give this easy method a try, drop us a comment and tell us how it went! Did you go classic, cheesy, or minty? And don’t forget to leave a star rating – it helps other readers find this recipe!
How to Cook Frozen Peas (the RIGHT way)
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen green peas
- 6 tablespoons butter salted, sweet cream
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3 cloves garlic fresh, crushed
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine peas, butter, sugar, and garlic in a medium-sized skillet.
- Cook at medium heat until butter is melted and peas are heated through about 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add salt and pepper. Serve.
Video
Notes
- Wait for it! Be sure to add salt at the end. Adding salt during the cooking process dehydrates the peas.
- Veggie add-ins: Frozen peas combine well with other frozen veggies like diced carrots, corn, and green beans. Try one or them all for a vegetable medley side dish.
- Flavor add-ins: Mix in fresh mint, a splash of cream, lemon juice, minced onion, or Parmesan for extra flavor.
I love peas fixed this way. It’s exactly how I make mine, except for the garlic.
Thank you for your comment! It really is the best way to make frozen peas.
This was so easy and so good. Definitely don’t skip on the fresh garlic. Will definitely make this again.
Thank you so much for your comment – I’m so happy you love the recipe!
Best peas ever…
Thanks! Glad you liked them!
This is my go-to recipe for peas now! I sometimes add the zest of one lemon and a sprinkle of lemon juice at the end if I want to switch it up a little.
So glad you liked them! I couldn’t agree more, it’s the only way to make peas!
Havn’t made this yet, getting ready to buy peas, but question —- should I use petite peas or regular peas? Recipe doesn’t specify, but there is a comment in the intro that says regular peas have a tougher skin. Thank you!
You can do either one! The recipe works great with either.
Very simple and very yummy! Made a double recipe of this to go with some Cornish pasties and it was a big hit with the entire crowd!
Thank you, Kelly! I’m glad this recipe was a hit. Your cornish pasties sound delicious! 😋
Wow! I’d been struggling for years to get my frozen peas to come out right. Now I’ve done this 3 times and they’re tender each time. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy this recipe has been a success for you!
I have tried this recipe twice and don’t know why people think it’s so good. My peas turned out hard and dry little mealy balls. Had to throw them out. I don’t get it.
This sounds like a problem with the type of peas you are using. They shouldn’t be dry and mealy. They should definitely be plump and buttery. Have you tried different brands?
When I was a kid and for most of my years, I hated peas. I’ve had them in cold salad and it wasn’t as bad as the canned peas I was given in my youth. This recipe was interesting AND turned out to be delicious. Thanks for sharing!
So glad you liked it!
I never thought much of frozen peas and never thought to make them solo as a side dish but wow definitely making this again and again, especially with how easy it was!! This might be my new pregnancy food fixation 😂
Not too blown away by this recipe….the peas were okay.
Love love love this super simple recipe! They are perfect every time! Thank you 😊
I have never liked little green peas until I made this recipe for my family who does like them. They were delicious and we are having them again today. I followed the recipe exactly and I did not let them boil!
I followed the directions and they were not good! They were hard; felt and tasted like they were made from dried peas that hadn’t cooked long enough. Terrible waste of my organic peas.
I am so sorry this didn’t work out for you. Were they frozen organic peas?
Delicious! Peas were super flavorful, without getting mushy! Easy recipe, with excellent results!
Who knew! I will never boil or microwave my peas again. I cut back on the butter some, but I loved them. Thank you!
Adding sugar to peas tastes very weird, I couldn’t eat them. Just salted is best.