Two Ways to Cook Frozen Peas – Quick, Easy and Tasty
My two favourite ways to cook frozen peas are sautéing and microwaving. Once they’re cooked, don’t forget about adding flavor and texture! Read below – how to and seasoning ideas right here!
Also Read: How to Cook Frozen Vegetables, Sautéed Frozen Green Beans, Oven Roasted Frozen Cauliflower, Oven Roasted Frozen Broccoli,
How to Cook Frozen Peas – 2 Ways
Two Ways to Cook Frozen Peas
Ingredients
- Frozen Peas
Instructions
Cook Peas in the Microwave
- 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.
Cook Peas on the Stove
- 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.
- Alternative: Before cooking your peas, sauté some onions, garlic or bacon in the pan – then add the peas.
Video
Notes
Seasoning Cooked Peas
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
Peas with Fried Prosciutto
Add fried prosciutto, coppa, salami or bacon to your peas for a boost of flavor. A tasty idea if you have leftover charcuterie meat.
How to Make Fried Prosciutto
- heat pan to medium high heat
- add single layer of cured meat to pan
- cook until it becomes golden and blistery – about 1-2 minutes
- flip and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes
- let cool briefly, then chop or crumble into small pieces
- store in airtight container in fridge for a couple of weeks
- use for veggies, soups, salads, pasta, etc.
Watch: How to Fry Charcuterie Meats
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…
The Best Peas – What to Pick
- 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)
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.
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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.
Love the idea of frying up charcuterie meats. Thanks for the wonderful ideas! I am using this spot to ask a question about adapting a lazy cabbage roll recipe to a slow cooker. I’m worried about the amount of liquid in the recipe as I realize the moisture won’t evaporate like it would in the oven.
Hi Gail,
Glad you enjoy the little tips on my blog! As for your slow cooker adaptation – you’re on the right track. A good rule of thumb is to reduce liquid by about 20% when adapting for a slow cooker. Hope that helps.