Learn how to cook frozen peas so you can have a tasty vegetable side dish on the table in less than 10 minutes! The combination of peas, butter, and garlic is absolutely delicious! The ingredient list may be small, but this dish is packed with flavor!
Best Way To Cook Frozen Peas
Peas are a great kid-friendly vegetable that makes a yummy side dish with barely any effort! Of course, you can whip up some canned peas (take a look at my post on how to cook canned peas), but I find that frozen peas just taste so much fresher!
In this guide, I'm going to show you the best way to cook some frozen peas and make them taste amazing with minimal ingredients! Not only are they easy to prepare, but frozen peas are incredibly cheap so this is a great budget-friendly side!
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🥘 Ingredients For Cooking Frozen Peas
You'll only need a few staple ingredients to make these peas extra delicious! The sugar is optional, but I recommend trying it out!
- Frozen Peas - 12 ounces of frozen peas. There's no need to defrost these; go ahead and use them straight out of the freezer!
- Butter - 4 tablespoons of salted butter. You could use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) if you like, but I find that the butter adds so much flavor!
- Sugar (optional) - 1 tablespoon of sugar, if desired. Adding sugar will bring out the natural sweetness of the peas and won't taste weird at all!
- Garlic - 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (or 2 cloves).
- Salt & Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper, to taste.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Cook Frozen Peas
Don't bother with defrosting your peas, as you can easily cook them straight from frozen! All you will need is a medium-sized skillet and a wooden spoon.
12 ounces of frozen peas are good for about 3 standard-sized servings.
- Heat. Add 12 ounces of frozen peas, 4 tablespoons of butter, 2 teaspoons of garlic, and the optional 1 tablespoon of sugar to a medium-sized skillet and place it over medium heat.
- Cook. Once hot, cook, stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes or until the peas are tender.
- Drain and season. Remove the skillet from the heat and drain off any excess liquid. Return the peas to the skillet and season with ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper. Stir well to distribute the seasoning.
- Serve. Portion and serve immediately.
This tasty side dish is super universal! Serve them alongside a baked ribeye steak, juicy pan-seared pork chops, or slow cooker brisket! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Add a tablespoon of sugar if you would like to enhance the sweetness of your peas!
- Many packages of peas have instructions for boiling them. Trust me, cooking them in a skillet is a much better choice!
- Adding salt to your peas too early can cause them to dehydrate. Wait until after they're done cooking to season them.
- There's no need to defrost your peas before cooking, just go ahead and toss them into the skillet straight out of the freezer!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Keep any leftover peas stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a few days.
Reheating Peas
Reheat your peas in small bursts in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Frozen peas are actually flash-steamed before they are frozen, so they are completely ready to eat! You essentially just need to warm them up and add some extra flavor!
Nope! These peas can be cooked straight from frozen. This is what makes them such a fantastic staple to keep in your freezer all the time!
I think peas are naturally tasty and benefit from basic seasonings such as salt and pepper. However, sometimes I like to add some garlic powder for extra flavor!
🥗 Tasty Vegetable Side Dishes
- Pan Fried Asparagus - Asparagus is tossed in butter, oil, salt, and pepper, and then pan-fried until tender.
- Sauteed Sweet Potatoes - Fork-tender chunks of sweet potatoes are a perfect addition to any dish!
- Instant Pot Artichokes - Pair these flavorful whole artichokes with your favorite dipping sauces!
- Baked Cauliflower With Cheese - Cauliflower florets are perfectly seasoned before being topped with cheese and then baked in the oven!
- Honey Roasted Acorn Squash - Acorn squash is coated with honey, butter, and cinnamon, and then baked to perfection.
- Roasted Beets - Diced beets are baked in foil pouches for an ultra-simple dish!
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📖 Recipe Card
How To Cook Frozen Peas
Ingredients
- 12 oz frozen peas
- 4 tablespoon butter (salted)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
- 2 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Add your peas, butter, garlic, and the optional sugar to a medium-sized skillet and place it over medium heat.
- Once hot, cook, stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes or until the peas are tender.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and drain off any excess liquid. Return the peas to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Stir well to distribute the seasoning.
- Portion and serve immediately.
Notes
- Add a tablespoon of sugar if you would like to enhance the sweetness of your peas!
- Many packages of peas have instructions for boiling them. Trust me, cooking them in a skillet is a much better choice!
- Adding salt to your peas too early can cause them to dehydrate. Wait until after they're done cooking to season them.
- There's no need to defrost your peas before cooking, just go ahead and toss them into the skillet straight out of the freezer!
- To store: Keep any leftover peas stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a few days.
- To reheat: Reheat your peas in small bursts in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
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