• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

Small book

My cookbook "Dinner" now available!

  • My RecipeTin
  • My cookbook!
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Christmas ⭐️
      • Starters
      • Mains
      • Sides: Warm & Hearty
      • Sides: Light & Fresh
      • Desserts
      • Breads
      • Christmas Leftovers
    • Iconic + cult classics
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish recipes
      • Salad Meals
    • Quick and Easy
    • Soups
    • One Pot
    • Stews
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Salads & veg
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice (all)
      • Fried rice recipes
      • Rice (plain)
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cakes
      • Candy
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
      • Ice cream
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • Japanese
        • Korean
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Cocktails
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
    • Cookbook recipes
  • Collections
  • About
    • Me
    • RecipeTin Meals
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
Home Side Dishes

How I cook frozen peas – Garlic Buttered Peas

By:Nagi
Published:18 Oct '23Updated:18 Oct '23
89 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Make frozen peas fabulous with this recipe for garlic buttered peas! A quick side dish that goes with everything, the peas are sauté-steamed in garlic butter, rather than boiling separately. Easier, tastier, never mushy and so tasty you’ll become known for them. 🙂

    Bowl of Buttered peas

I tend to shy away from sharing basic recipes like today’s Buttered Peas. Too easily distracted by more exciting-sounding dishes. Pierogis! Crispy chicken burgers! Chocolate cream pie!

Yet, the irony in all this, of course, is that I make these peas a gazillion times more often than I do Basque Cheesecake. A staple side dish, quick to make but totally restaurant-worthy. Though, posh restaurants might pod their own rather than buying frozen. I guess they don’t buy into the whole snap-frozen thing like I do? 🙂

Frozen peas for Buttered peas

Pot of Buttered peas

Ingredients

I am a bit of a frozen vegetable snob. You’ll never find store-bought frozen broccoli or onion in my freezer. But you will always find peas. Because they are good!

How to make buttered peas
  • Frozen peas – Cook from FROZEN, not thawed! Well, it’s fine if they are thawed but there is no need to.

    Baby vs regular – The recipe works for either. Baby peas (called petite peas in some countries) are slightly sweeter with a slightly softer skin. I am partial to these but won’t hesitate to use regular peas.

    Fresh – You could also put me to shame by making this recipe with freshly podded peas. 🙂

  • Butter – For lovely buttery flavour. Substitute with other oil of choice – extra virgin olive oil is my next pick, coconut oil for a tropical / Indian vibe.

  • Garlic – It just makes everything that much more delicious. Fresh please! Give the jarred stuff a miss – it’s sour and wet so you can’t sauté it properly and the flavour barely resembles the real deal.

  • Salt and pepper – Seasoning. Peas need it!


How I cook frozen peas

To cook from frozen, just add the tiniest splash of water which helps steam-sauté them faster. The water evaporates by the time the peas are cooked.

  1. Sauté garlic – Melt the butter then sauté the garlic until very light golden in medium heat, around 30 seconds.

  2. Tip the frozen peas in with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of water which creates a steamy environment to cook the peas a little faster. The water evaporates in a few minutes, leaving behind just tasty butter!

  1. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring every now and then, or until the peas are heated through. Frozen peas are cooked before freezing so they don’t need to be cooked!

  2. Serve – Done and ready to serve! Pour into a bowl or put straight onto dinner plates.

    Delicious to eat as is – I challenge you to stop at one spoonful – but suggestions for dressing up are below!

Close up of Buttered peas recipe

Dress them up

For every day, buttered peas are terrific just as they are. The garlic and butter go a long way to make peas a whole lot more interesting!

But, if you’d like to step it up a notch or just feel like doing something different, here are some suggestions:

  • Mint them – Toss through finely chopped fresh mint. Mint and peas is a classic! Add however much you want, to your taste.

  • Lemon – Stir through lemon zest for beautiful lemon flavour, or juice for tang.

  • Shower of parmesan – As with many things, a mound of freshly grated parmesan will turn this into a show-stopping side!

  • Clarified / browned butter instead of ordinary butter – for even more intense buttery flavour.

  • Spice it – Add some curry powder, cumin, coriander, or other spice of choice into the butter, for a touch of extra flavour.

  • Crunch it – Finish with a big handful of store-bought crispy Asian Fried Shallots or pangrattato (from this recipe), for great texture!

But that’s enough from me. What about you? I know you’ve got a stack of other creative (easy!) ways to dress up a bowl of peas. Share, share! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Photo of Buttered Peas recipe - great way to cook frozen peas

How I cook frozen peas – Garlic Buttered Peas

Author: Nagi
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 5 minutes mins
Total: 10 minutes mins
Side
Western
4.97 from 29 votes
Servings6
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. Make frozen peas fabulous with my recipe for buttered peas! A quick side that goes with everything. Don't boil the peas – cook from frozen in garlic butter. Easier, tastier, bright green, never mushy and never watery!

Ingredients

  • 50g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter (or other oil/fat)
  • 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
  • 500g / 1 lb frozen peas (Note 1)
  • 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp water

Instructions

  • Sauté garlic – Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until light golden.
  • Cook – Add frozen peas, salt, pepper and water. Turn heat up to medium high and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the water is evaporated, the peas are hot and coated in the tasty garlic butter.
  • Serve – Tumble into a bowl and serve!

Recipe Notes:

1. Peas – Baby peas (also called petite peas) are slightly sweeter and slightly more tender skin than regular peas. But by no means do I have a negative thoughts about regular peas!
2. Dress up peas – Finely chopped mint stirred through at the end, a shower of parmesan (oh yes!), lemon zest and/or juice, a pinch of cumin or coriander powder stirred into the butter (or other spices of choice). Fresh herbs of choice, chopped and stirred through at the end. So many options!
3. Leftovers will keep for 4 days in the fridge, or freezer for 3 months.
Nutrition per serving assuming 6 servings.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 129cal (6%)Carbohydrates: 12g (4%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 7g (11%)Saturated Fat: 4g (25%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 18mg (6%)Sodium: 199mg (9%)Potassium: 212mg (6%)Fiber: 5g (21%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 847IU (17%)Vitamin C: 34mg (41%)Calcium: 26mg (3%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Keywords: buttered peas, chickpea recipe, pea side dish recipe
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

More sides

Pea Puree in a bowl, ready to be servedq
Pea Puree (side / sauce!)
Pea, Cabbage, Parmesan and Mint Salad
Spring Salad - with asparagus, peas, snow peas, baby cos lettuce (romaine) and goats cheese on a plate, ready to be served
Spring Salad!
Peas

Life of Dozer

Snippet from today’s recipe video!

Previous Post
Chicken Francese
Next Post
Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Related Posts

Freshly baked Holiday stuffed sweet potatoes

Holiday Stuffed Sweet Potato – with bacon, pecans & sage

Close up of Maple Chilli Roasted Pumpkin

Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chili and Feta

Photo of Miso Butter Corn

Miso Butter Corn

More Side Dishes

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




89 Comments

  1. Tess says

    November 27, 2023 at 7:51 pm

    5 stars
    Omg love this! Didn’t know peas could be so delicious! Will be a regular at my place!

    Reply
  2. Anya says

    November 16, 2023 at 9:56 am

    5 stars
    Loved this! Easy to make and delicious.

    Reply
  3. caitlin says

    November 13, 2023 at 12:05 pm

    5 stars
    this is the easiest, most DELICIOUS recipe! I can’t believe how good it is. will be putting it in the week night rotation!

    Reply
  4. Denny Dodge says

    November 4, 2023 at 11:38 pm

    5 stars
    Good morning from Atlanta, GA made the chicken in mustard sauce, delish! Last night the garlic peas, equally delish. I have added mint and thin prosciutto to the batch for the holidays! Dozer looking good, Kota says woof, woof from across the pond. And wistfully looking at the kitchen counter, haha. She ain’t starving in this household!!!

    Reply
  5. Annette C Marslen says

    October 31, 2023 at 8:22 pm

    I’m so with you on the frozen peas! My fave ones are the McCains baby peas you have illustrated in your recipe! I like the McCains frozen super sweet corn kernels too, but that’s about it for me on the frozen veg front. Great recipe. Nothing worse than overcooked peas, or any veggies for that matter! Thanks Nagi. Give the gorgeous Dozer a Pat from me too please 🤗🤗

    Reply
  6. Terry Verney says

    October 29, 2023 at 5:06 am

    5 stars
    I just did this and added chopped unsmoked bacon. Cook bacon until browned on the edges…
    I used lardons (I’m very French) in a previous. That’s delish also..!
    BTW, they’re Petite Pois, not peas…! You can put the ‘e’ after petit if you like…
    Delicious..!

    Reply
  7. F. (Larry) LePrevost says

    October 28, 2023 at 1:28 am

    5 stars
    Dear Nagi, Thank you kindly for your reply. Everything looks so good, and easy too. Larry

    Reply
  8. Anne says

    October 23, 2023 at 11:14 am

    5 stars
    These peas were fantastic. I actually topped some cheese tortellini tossed in butter, S&P, and parmesan with a healthy serving of the garlic butter 🧈 peas just now. It was an exquisite one dish meal!

    Reply
  9. Jana Gale Connell says

    October 23, 2023 at 7:07 am

    I just want to say “YUM!!” I love peas and I don’t care how they’re cooked, but this looks like a Fabulous way to do them. Off to hunt for peas in the freezer.
    P.S. Nagi I am not generally a pork person, but I have a question- is it normal for a small pork tenderlion to be tough? Not super dry but not tender either, like the pork I see you cook. What cuts are you cooking?

    Reply
  10. rick keane says

    October 23, 2023 at 6:10 am

    Frozen peas à la NAGI. 3 flavours that hit my buttons : peas, butter, garlic. As NAGI says wonderful any way.

    Reply
  11. Rebecca says

    October 22, 2023 at 7:30 pm

    Try sauteed onions and button mushrooms, or any variety……the peas get combined and ready to serve…I never cared for peas. before having them this way. The ratio is up to the cook, I decreased mushrooms when I started to finally appreciate this humble little gem of veg. Thanks for your sharing this, even seasoned cooks need reminding of basics, you need an arsenal of techniques to fall back on.

    Reply
  12. Lois DJ says

    October 22, 2023 at 8:10 am

    5 stars
    Simple to make and delicious!

    Reply
  13. Lizzie says

    October 21, 2023 at 7:14 am

    You’re right, garlic improves just about everything!
    I do an even faster version of this. I often keep Garlic Butter, made with a pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon, in the fridge,don’t cook the peas just microwave until hot, butter and stand while dishing up. Makes a dreary frozen green bean desirable too.
    I’m often inspired by your articles – thanks for your hard work.

    Reply
  14. Jennifer says

    October 21, 2023 at 2:45 am

    I like the look of this. Assume this could be done with mixed frozen veg as well, like peas, carrots, corn and green beans?

    Reply
  15. Amy Jo says

    October 21, 2023 at 1:47 am

    5 stars
    I have NOT cooked this yet but as soon as I read it, I kept the page open in my browser to remind me to make them. I even mentally did a check of my freezer, hoping I had a bag of peas! This is an awesome kind of recipe – it’s the kind we may not think about, but who doesn’t want ideas for an easy and delicious side dish??

    Reply
  16. Lori says

    October 21, 2023 at 12:50 am

    5 stars
    Overall I like this way to cook peas and this was delicious however when I added the frozen peas to the melted butter and garlic, the butter just solidified immediately. I had to cover with a lid to help the process of warming everything through again. Not a big deal but that didn’t happen in your video. Were your peas semi thawed? I made it again but this time I added the frozen peas and cold butter to a cold pot and turned on the burner. This yielded the gentle cooking without the butter getting solid again. Anyways love this method over microwave or boiling!

    Reply
  17. Karen R says

    October 20, 2023 at 10:42 pm

    I have read Nagi’s posts and have the ecookbook. This was the first time I’ve seen her videos. Oh my gosh, I’m hooked. What a cute gal and her accent….I could watch over and over. Dozer rules!

    Reply
  18. Jancy King says

    October 20, 2023 at 12:22 pm

    5 stars
    Great idea, Nagi. No more over boiled peas at our house!🇨🇦

    Reply
  19. Amy says

    October 20, 2023 at 11:42 am

    5 stars
    Bahh. You’ve set the standard. Now I can’t just dump peas into boiling water. So so good.

    Reply
  20. Susan says

    October 20, 2023 at 10:13 am

    5 stars
    This was wonderful! I will probably make this every 1-2 weeks. Thank you! Sometimes simple really is the best… and I’m so glad you shared it!

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On
  • Goodfood
  • Food Network
  • Better Homes Gardens
  • Taste
  • Nine
  • Network 10
  • BuzzFeed
  • Daily Telegraph
  • Women's Day

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe to my newsletter and receive 3 FREE ebooks!

Subscribe
Recipes
  • All Recipes
  • By Category
  • Collections
About
  • About Nagi
  • About Dozer
  • RecipeTin Meals
Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
  • Food Bloggers Central
Help
  • Contact
  • Image Use Policy
© RecipeTin Eats 2023
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits
Maintained by Zao Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
All Rights Reserved

Subscribe to my newsletter

Sign up and receive 3 FREE EBOOKS!