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Collard Greens Recipe
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5 from 19 votes

Southern Collard Greens Recipe (How to Cook Collard Greens)

Learn how to cook collard greens the ultimate way, cooked low and slow with bacon, ham, and spices for the most tender greens and to-die-for pot likker. You'll never want them any other way.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bacon, greens, ham
Servings: 12
Calories: 333kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 large bunch of collard greens about 3 pounds
  • 1 pound bacon chopped (smoked bacon is ideal)
  • 1 large white onion chopped
  • 2 jalapeno peppers chopped - optional (use milder peppers for less heat)
  • 1 pound smoked ham chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced (or more to taste)
  • 12 cups chicken stock 3 quarts
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey or use sugar
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper to taste I use 1 tsp each
  • Hot sauce to taste a few dashes will do - use your favorite hot sauce

Instructions

  • Thoroughly rinse and wash the collard greens to remove any grit. Trim the collard greens into ribbons and set aside.
  • Heat a large pot to medium heat and add the bacon. Cook for 10 minutes, or until they begin to crisp up.
  • Add the onion and peppers. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring here and there, until softened.
  • Add the ham and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Stir in the chicken stock, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, chili flakes, salt and pepper, hot sauce, and reserved collard greens.
  • Cover and simmer for 1-2 hours, or until done to your desired tenderness. You can simmer up to 3 hours for VERY tender collard greens.
  • Serve.

Video

Notes

I usually simmer my collard greens for the whole 3 hours, but they are nice and tender with a bit of bite after 2 hours. Just cook to your preference.
Peppers are not traditionally used in most recipes, but I love them and add lots of them in for my own tastes.

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 1089mg | Potassium: 716mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5789IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 283mg | Iron: 2mg