Southern-Style Collard Greens

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These Southern collard greens with ham hocks cook low and slow in chicken broth with sweet onions, garlic, and apple cider vinegar until the leaves are very tender. The smoked meat cooks first to build a flavorful broth, then the greens go in. This generous Southern side serves 10 to 12 and belongs beside buttermilk cornbread for soaking up the pot liquor.

Plan on: 25 minutes prep, 4 hours stovetop cooking, and 4 hours 25 minutes total using ham hocks. Smoked turkey needs less time in the first simmer. The Beautiful multi-cooker method below has its own longer cooking schedule.

Growing up my family made these Southern Style Collard Greens fairly often, especially in the summer and the fall when the garden was producing loads of fresh vegetables.

Why You'll Love These Greens

You get tender leaves, smoky meat, and a tangy broth in one pot, with hot sauce and red pepper flakes left optional. The greens also keep well with their cooking liquid, so you can make them ahead instead of crowding the stove at dinnertime.

Recipe at a Glance

Flavor: smoky, savory, and tangy. Texture: very tender greens with pieces of smoked meat. Method: a gentle stovetop simmer, with a separate slow-cook option. Yield: 10-12 servings. Storage: up to 4 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen.

What Are Southern-Style Collard Greens?

Southerners love their greens, so collard greens are a definite staple in Southern cooking. They're actually a member of the cabbage family and have a similar flavor somewhere between cabbage and kale.

The hearty leaves stand up to long cooking times and need to be braised low and slow to reduce their bitter taste.  Also, most of the stems are removed because they are very tough and more bitter than the leaves.

In most Southern households when someone is making a pot of greens, they might tell you they "cooked up a mess 'o greens" and it might actually be served more like a main dish with a side of cornbread to sop up the pot likker. 

Pot Likker is the concentrated drippings or broth made from the simmered collard greens and smoked meat like ham hocks, salt pork, smoked turkey or bacon.  This delicious broth is packed with vitamins and nutrients, not to mention great flavor. Don't miss out on dipping your cornbread!

Along with blackeyed peas, Southern Style Collard Greens are served on New Year's Day for good luck.  Get the recipe for my Blackeyed Pea Soup to start your year off right!

Ingredients You'll Need

Smoked meat gives the broth its backbone; sweet onions and garlic add savory flavor, while vinegar gives the finished greens a tangy edge. You'll need:

• 2 smoked ham hocks or smoked turkey wings, legs, or thighs
• 2 sweet onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 64 ounces chicken broth
• 3 pounds collard greens
• ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce, optional
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• 1½ teaspoons salt, or to taste
• ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

A Few Easy Substitutions

Use smoked turkey wings, legs, or thighs instead of ham hocks for a pork-free version. Vegetable broth can replace chicken broth, although the greens will taste less savory; keeping smoked meat means this substitution does not make the recipe vegetarian. Brown sugar can replace granulated sugar in the same amount. Leave out either optional source of heat to suit your table.

Tools That Make It Easier

A large stockpot, cutting board, knife, and utensils for lifting and shredding the cooked meat cover the stovetop method. Give the raw greens room by adding them in batches. For the appliance variation, use the Beautiful 10-in-1 Electric Multi-Cooker on its Slow Cook setting.

How to Make Southern-Style Collard Greens

Cook the smoked meat first, then simmer the prepared greens in that seasoned broth. Tenderness is the cue to move forward at each stage.

1. Wash and prepare the greens

Rinse the collard greens thoroughly in several changes of cold water to remove grit. Remove and discard the thick center ribs and stems, then tear or cut the leaves into large pieces and set them aside.

2. Build the smoky broth

Add the ham hocks or smoked turkey, onions, garlic, and chicken broth to a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and cook until the meat is very tender: about 2 hours for ham hocks or about 1 hour for smoked turkey.

3. Pull the meat from the bones

Lift the meat from the pot. Once it is cool enough to handle, pull it from the bones and discard the bones, skin, and excess fat. Return the meat to the broth.

4. Wilt the greens and add the seasonings

Add the greens in batches, stirring each addition until it wilts enough to make room for more. Stir in the apple cider vinegar, optional hot sauce, sugar, optional red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

5. Cook until tender and taste the broth

Cover and cook over low heat until the greens are very tender, about 1½ to 2 hours. Taste the pot liquor and adjust the salt, pepper, vinegar, or hot sauce before serving. Spoon some of that flavorful liquid over each serving.

Helpful Tips Before You Start

1. Wash collard greens very well or you will end up with sandy gritty collards.
2. Cook for the recommended time or you'll end up with tough, bitter greens.
3. Tear or cut the leaves into large pieces after removing the tough center ribs.
4. Use a large 6-quart stockpot for cooking. 

 

A Few Easy Mistakes to Avoid

Grit won't cook away, so don't rush washing. Don't add all the raw greens at once if the pot is crowded, and don't use the clock alone to judge the smoked meat: it should pull easily from the bone before you move on. If the greens still feel tough at the end of the suggested range, continue gentle cooking until tender.

A Few Things That Make This Recipe Better

The meat-first simmer seasons the cooking liquid before the greens go in. Deboning makes the finished dish easier to serve, and adding the leaves in batches gives them space to wilt. Taste the pot liquor at the end before adding more seasoning; smoked meat and broth both contribute salt.

Keeping Leftovers Fresh

Refrigerate cooled greens in an airtight container with some cooking liquid for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot throughout. For freezing, pack the cooled greens and liquid in freezer-safe containers with room for expansion and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Can You Make Them Ahead?

Yes. Cook the greens ahead and refrigerate them with their liquid within the 4-day storage window. Keeping the liquid with the leaves helps them stay moist when reheated. Use the freezer instructions above when you need longer storage.

What to Serve with Southern-Style Collard Greens

Serve the greens with Southern buttermilk cornbread and Grandma's Southern fried chicken. Creamy macaroni and cheese makes another good side. These original favorites also round out the meal:

 

Serve up these greens with extra Tabasco Sauce, Trappey's Pepper Vinegar, and extra salt and pepper on the table.

 

Questions About Cooking Collard Greens

What is pot liquor?

Pot liquor, also called pot likker, is the flavorful liquid left from cooking greens with smoked meat and seasonings. Spoon it over the greens or soak it up with cornbread.

Can I use smoked turkey instead?

Yes. Use smoked turkey wings, legs, or thighs in place of the ham hocks. For the stovetop method, the turkey needs about 1 hour in the first simmer, compared with about 2 hours for ham hocks; then cook the greens until very tender.

Why are my greens still tough?

They may need more gentle cooking, or thick center ribs may have been left in. Remove the tough ribs during prep and use tenderness, not just elapsed time, to judge the finished greens.

When do I add the vinegar?

In this recipe, add the apple cider vinegar with the seasonings after the greens have been added in batches. Taste the finished pot liquor and adjust the vinegar if needed.

Are these greens spicy?

The heat is adjustable. The tablespoon of hot sauce and teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes are both optional.

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More Recipes You Might Like

For more Southern vegetable sides, try Southern fried cabbage with bacon or Southern-style green beans and new potatoes. Each brings a different vegetable to a comfort-food supper.

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