Two Ways to Cook Frozen Peas

My two favourite ways to cook frozen peas are sautéing and microwaving. Get the how to and seasoning ideas right here!

frozen peas in bowl — Frozen peas are a quick, easy and affordable way to add veggies to any meal.

Also Read: How to Cook Frozen Vegetables, Sautéed Frozen Green Beans, Oven Roasted Frozen Cauliflower, Oven Roasted Frozen Broccoli,

In The Microwave

Use the microwave for small, tender frozen vegetables like peas. It’s the easiest and quickest way to cook frozen peas. It also saves on dishes, because you can prepare them in your serving dish.

Place frozen peas (do not thaw) in a microwaveable dish.
Cover, but don’t seal tight. You want some steam to escape. If you don’t have a microwave cover with holes, use a piece of paper towel or wax paper.
Do not add any water, frozen peas unless you’re making a large batch. For six cups or more add 2-3 tablespoons of water.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir and check doneness. Continue heating 30 seconds at a time until you reach your preferred texture. Stirring in between is important to ensure all peas get cooked evenly – don’t skip it!
Add a bit of oil or butter and your favourite seasoning (see below)before serving your peas.

peas with dill and butter in bowl — Peas with dill and butter prepared in the microwave. Done in under 3 minutes!

On the Stove

If you prefer cooking on the stove, I recommend sautéing your frozen peas. It’s quicker and easier than boiling or steaming and gives you ultimate control on how soft you want your peas.

Pour frozen peas (do not thaw) into a wide pan over medium-high heat.
Cook, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes, until heated through, stirring occasionally.
The frozen peas will release enough water to prevent them from scorching. When the water has evaporated, your peas should be done!
To finish, add a tablespoon of oil or butter to the pan and stir in your favourite seasoning as listed below.

frozen peas in the saute pan — Frozen peas in a shallow pan will cook quickly without any added oil or water.

Alternative: Before cooking your peas, sauté some onions, garlic or bacon in the pan – then add the peas.

peas and mint in bowl — Toss cooked peas with mint and a dash of salt and pepper for a bright flavour.

What Herbs and Spices Go with Peas?

Here are some of my favourite ways to dress up a bowl of peas.

Start by mixing a little butter or oil to your peas then top with:

mint
dill
tarragon
parsley
basil
Parmesan
lemon & pepper
Seasoning blends like: Italian seasoning, lemon herb seasoning, lemon pepper finishing salt

Also try:

sautéed garlic, leeks or onions
bacon, ham or proscuitto pieces
a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, lemon juice or your favourite dressing

cauliflower and peas — Cauliflower, peas and dill are a lovely combo.

How to Select the Best Frozen Peas

You can get frozen peas in just about every grocery store. You can get name brands, store brands or generic brands and pay anywhere from $.20/100g to $.50/100g. You can get them in 750g bags all the way to 3kg bags. And you’ll find that different companies have different names for them – sweet summer peas, green peas, garden peas, sweetlets, sweet peas or petite peas.

With all those variations, which ones should you get? It’s really a personal choice, but here are my recommendations:

Buy “sweetlets” or “petite peas”. These are often the small, young tender peas that are less starchy and more sweet. Personally, I avoid “assorted sizes”.
Buy two smaller bags instead of one giant one. Remember the more you open and close a bag of frozen veggies the more air and moisture builds up in the bag leading to more ice crystals and more risk of freezer burn. Unless you’re feeding a crowd, you’ll get better quality keeping smaller bags in your freezer.
Try different brands and pick the one you like best. Sometimes name brands are better, sometimes they’re not. As long as they’re Grade A they should be fine.
Wait for sales and stock up (one or two extra bags only!). Frozen veggies go on sale at least once a month.

Of course another option is to freeze your own! How to Freeze Garden Peas

Other Ways to Use Frozen Green Peas

Frozen peas are ideal for adding to other dishes. I add them to lots of dishes. When my kids were little, I’d often toss in frozen peas into their meal just before serving to bring down the temperature of soup, stews, chili or pasta – no cooking needed!

Add frozen peas to:

pasta
soups, curries & stews
casseroles and baked dishes like Mac and Cheese, chicken pot pie
fried rice, turmeric rice or risotto
cold salad – in a green leafy salad, potato salad or pasta salad
omelettes, scrambled egg hash, breakfast stratas or fritattas
hummus, pesto or cream of pea soup (thaw and puree frozen peas)
dehydrated meals (dehydrate frozen peas)

adding peas to ham and peas mac and cheese — Frozen peas are a healthy, easy addition to this Mac & Cheese.

There you have my two favourite ways to cook frozen peas. How do you like to cook your peas? How do you like to flavour your peas, I’m always looking for new seasonings to try, so let me know in the comments below or touch base with me via social media at #getgettys or Facebook @GettyStewart.HomeEconomist.

Select, store and serve seasonal food for everyday cooking with Getty. Getty is a food educator and Professional Home Economist,who loves sharing tips and recipes following the seasons from her Canadian kitchen. Sign up to get seasonal tips and recipes delivered to your inbox. Learn more about Getty or check out her books and pdf guides.