Learn the best way to cook frozen peas so they come out perfectly every time with lots of flavor. In less than 10 minutes, you can have sweet and buttery green peas with this delicious and irresistible side dish.
The best part is how easy this recipe is to make. It is amazing how much flavor you can get from one bag of frozen peas. I love stocking up on frozen vegetables when they are on sale at the grocery store. Here is one delicious method for making a vegetable side dish that is super easy and scrumptious.
Give this easy recipe a try for your next weeknight family meal.
Quick and Easy Side Dish Recipe
We love using frozen sweet peas for this simple recipe. Why? They have already been blanched before freezing, which makes them easy to heat up and serve. This delicious side dish pairs so well with a wide variety of main dishes, from homemade meatloaf, Salisbury steak with gravy, grilled pork chops, or Swedish meatballs.
Pro Tips for The Best Peas Side Dish
Do not boil. Yes, the package will have directions on how long to boil them. However, if you make them in the skillet and give them a try, bet you will never go back to just boiling peas again.
Sauté just long enough to thaw and brighten the flavor. Don’t overcook them or they will become mushy.
Add a bit of sugar. Adding just a little sugar helps bring out the natural sweet flavor in the peas. We do this when we make our sweet corn too.
Use real butter. Adding the butter to the mixture makes the peas richer and gives it amazing flavor. You could use unsalted or salted, depending on your taste preferences.
Add Thyme or Mint. Fresh herbs will add a depth of flavor to the dish.
Add Onion. A sauteed green onion or shallot will add another layer of sweetness to this pea recipe.
Recipe Variations
Add a bit of fresh lemon juice.
Swap out the shallot for a green onion, pearl onion or a diced red onion.
Swap out the butter for olive oil. We love out butter flavor though.
Four Ways to Cook Peas
These cooking methods for will work for any type of pea. Whether they are fresh peas, frozen peas, petite peas, English peas, or even snow peas. These methods will give you great results with little effort.
Skillet Cooking Method.
This is by far my favorite as it provides the best flavor. I only use one skillet and within minutes, these little green gems are full of flavor. I could eat a big bowl of peas all by themselves.
Add butter, a minced shallot, and a minced clove of garlic to a skillet. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, and the shallot has softened, approximately 2 minutes.
Add the peas, sugar, and minced fresh thyme or mint. Cook just until the peas are heated through, approximately 4 minutes.
Serve
Microwave Cooking Method.
Add the peas to a microwave-safe dish. Add a few tablespoons of water.
Cook on high 3 minutes. Stir the peas and cook for another 3 minutes and stir again. They should be hot and ready to drain and serve. However, depending on your microwave, cooking time will vary. It may take a few minutes longer to get the peas as hot as you would like them.
Add salt, sugar, and butter before serving.
Boiling Method.
This is a tried-and-true cooking method for peas. Just add peas to a saucepan with 1 cup of water.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until they are tender, approximately 4 minutes.
Use a strainer to drain off the excess liquid and serve.
We like to add salt, pepper, and butter when serving.
Steaming Method.
Restaurants often steam their vegetables when serving. This method is especially nice for fresh garden peas.
You can use a saucepan and a steamer basket to steam your vegetables right at home.
Just add about 1 inch of water in the bottom of a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil.
Add the peas to a steamer basket and place it in the saucepan. Cover and let the water continue boiling, which will create a steam to cook the vegetables.
Cook for 3-4 minutes until the peas are tender and heated through.
Carefully lift the steamer basket out of the saucepan and transfer the peas to a serving dish. Top with your favorite seasonings such as salt, pepper, butter, and a bit of sugar for added sweetness.
Easy Sweet Pea Recipe
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Peas Frozen or Fresh
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Shallot or Green Onion Minced
- 1 Clove Garlic Minced
- 2 Teaspoons Granulated Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme or Mint Minced
- Salt and Black Pepper toTaste
Instructions
- In a 12-inch large skillet add butter, a minced shallot, and a minced clove of garlic to a skillet. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, and the shallot has softened, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add the peas, sugar, and minced fresh thyme or mint. Cook just until the peas are heated through, approximately 4 minutes.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste and serve.
