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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)
Video
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.
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I have never commented on a recipe I’ve tried before but I just had to with this one. BEST PEAS EVER!!! I can’t stop raving about them to my friends and family. Thank you for sharing!!
You are very very welcome! Thanks so much for the nice comment– and the 5-stars!
hi. i would love to try this recipe. Can I keep it vegan by using coconut butter instead?
You can but it will definitely give the peas a coconutty taste. You might be better off using avocado oil or any other kind of plant-based oil that doesn’t have a strong taste. Hope this helps!
It would be helpful to know how much fresh mint to put in and if the pan should be uncovered or covered after putting in the butter.
I just use 1-2 leaves of mint or it will be too overpowering. No need to cover the pan. Hope this helps!
Exactly what I was thinking when I saw that much butter for 1 lb peas.
I’d go one better and say never boil ANY vegetable. Boiling veggies just means you’re pouring half the nutrients and half the taste down the drain. Steam, roast, saute, microwave (if you just have to) but please don’t abuse our vegetable friends by boiling. The only time they should come in contact with a hot liquid is in a soup recipe, where nutrition and taste don’t go to waste.
Yes! I agree completely! Boiling vegetables also makes them taste so bland. Thank you for sharing!
This recipe looks good and I plan to make it. But don’t you want to sauté the garlic in the butter first? Otherwise you’re eating raw garlic and that doesn’t be sound appealing.
You can do either way. The garlic doesn’t taste raw in the peas. It still gets some cooking time and is able to infuse the peas with flavor. Hope this helps!
We prefer to bake our potatoes, skin on. Cool and shred! Much more flavorful than boiled potatoes and they make the best hash browns or American fries.
I’m going to try this recipe, but I have to say, add that much butter to anything and it’ll be tasty. No big secret there.
Lol yep.. it’s true! That’s a big part of why these are so tasty!
Best peas ever!
Thanks Susan!
This recipe ROCKS, and all other recipe’s are just average! Simply the best peas EVER!!
Thank you so much for the 5-star rating!! We are so glad you love this recipe!
I followed your recipe to a T. Best peas I ever ate in my life. And I’m in my forties and I love peas!
I am so glad you liked them!! Thanks for the 5-star rating!
I add vegetable or chicken bouillon to my peas and that’s all you need.
I bring water to a boil, add peas when water is boiling…the water will cool somewhat because of the cold pears. wait till the water boils again then shut off stove. Peas float to the top when hot…drain and stir in butter. They taste like they were just picked.
Hi there! Time to comment because I have used your recipe for a year now. My family never ate peas before, but now the veggie is requested weekly! ( “you’re making the good ones, right?”) thank you!
This comment just put a big smile on my face! Thank you so much for coming back to let us know how much your family has enjoyed this recipe!
Ummm. I’m not certain I did this right. I followed your instructions, and even cooked them for a bit longer, but my peas are still pretty hard and fibrous, not soft and supple like my kids and I are used to from boiling them. Is this normal? Was I supposed to defrost the peas first?
Hmm that is really weird! They should soften up just as much as boiling them. No defrosting needed. Did you just use typical frozen peas?
I think your peas are freezer burned. Right now my peas are only halfway cooked and they aren’t hard!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
My PEA LIFE will never be the same…I was not a big fan of peas until I tried cooking them this way. DELICIOUS!!
haha so glad we were able to take your “pea life” to a whole new level! This comment totally made my day. And I am going to start saying “pea life” now lol
The package tells you to boil them for 5-7 minutes to kill bacteria like Listeria, which has become a problem with frozen foods. They need to be fully heated to 165 degrees. Other than that, I’m going to try the mint & butter recipe. It sounds yummy. Thanks!
interesting! thanks.
Thank you! These were amazing!
I tried this and they are amazing, thank you.
So glad you liked them Rhonda! 😀
I am from the Boise area but have never heard of Epi’s. I’ll have to look it up now! Can’t wait to try these tips.
Oh my goodness! You will love Epi’s. I have never had anything there that I haven’t liked. Book in advance because they fill up fast!
Really tasty. I never boiled peas before, but the seasonings were a fresh idea!
So glad you liked them 😀
What about canned peas? Just kidding! Canned peas are super nasty ???? This really is the best way to make peas! Thanks for sharing!
I’m even too lazy to boil them–just stick them in a bowl with a little water and put it in the microwave. (Maybe this is why I don’t love peas!) I’m excited to try this! Have you tried it with other frozen veggies? (like corn or a mix?)
I’ve done the same thing with frozen “peaches and cream” corn. Tastes amazing and I feel like by not boiling it you’re not losing some of the nutrients in the water.
Mom has a similar recipe but adds quinoa and parsley. The buttery peas make the quinoa actually taste much better. We’ll have to try the no boil method. Oh, and don’t let the quinoa over cook. Mind your peas and Q’s.
LOL, love it! I am sure the peas with quinoa is delicious! I am guessing it almost tastes like a risotto (especially if you add a little cream…)? We will have to try that next time! Thanks for the suggestion!