If you love Southern Soul Food, then you will love this Southern Collard Greens recipe. I take you step-by-step on how to cook collard greens just like your grandma would have made them. They turn out soft, tender, and flavorful.
Collard Greens can be a little tricky. If you don’t wash them correctly, they can have sand hidden in them. There is nothing more awful than taking a bite of collards and chewing grits of sand.
If you don’t cook them long enough, they are crunchy and tough. If you don’t season them properly, they are bitter and earthy.
HOWEVER!!! If you don’t make these mistakes, they are a delicious Southern side dish that just warms your belly with comfort.
Serve these greens with vinegar or hot sauce and a side of cornbread; and you can have a delicious meal all on its own!
I am going to tell you the tips and tricks on how to cook collard greens as good as any real country cooking home cook can in the South!
How to cook collard greens
- Make your broth. The broth is the key to making tender, flavorful collards. I use ham hocks for my recipe, but you can use smoked turkey wings or smoked turkey neck bones. My mom likes to use bacon. If you use bacon, 1/2 lb should work. Cut bacon into pieces, cook the bacon, and then add the broth. Do not remove the grease. This is what flavors the broth. While the broth is cooking, work on cleaning and prepping the collards.
- Wash your collards thoroughly. Collards grow best in sandy soil. Therefore, they often have hidden sand and dirt caked on their stems. Rinsing them off usually isn’t enough to remove all the sand. Fill your kitchen sink with water and let the collards soak in it for about 10 minutes. Swish them up and down and side to side to try to loosen any lingering dirt. Then rinse them off individually to double check for any remaining sand.
- Remove the stem that runs down the center of the collard green leaf. This part is tough, bitter, and not tasty. The smaller, tender, young leaves won’t need stripping. Then cut your leaves into strips. (pictured above)
- Once the broth is ready, add the collards in big batches. You won’t be able to put them all in at once. Add a big batch, cover them, and cook about 2 minutes. Remove the lid and mix the collards around. This will make room for you to add another big amount in. Keep doing this until you fill the pot. 3lbs sounds like a lot of collard greens, but they are cooked down to half the size of your pot once they are finished. Once they are all in, cook them covered for an hour at low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Do a taste test to see if they are completely done after an hour. If they are not completely tender and flavorful, cook them another 15 minutes. An hour usually does it. Most of the liquid will be sopped up by the collards. Any extra is the tasty pot likker that is delicious to dip cornbread in!
Southern Collard Greens
If you cooked these Southern collard greens with ham hock, you can remove the ham hock and cut up any of that ham on the bone. Then add back the ham for extra flavoring.
Some people cook the collards with vinegar. I like to allow people to add the vinegar to the amount that they want. Traditionally you would serve the collard greens with apple cider vinegar, but some people like white vinegar, and some people like hot sauce.
Therefore, when I cook collards, I set out a variety of vinegars and hot sauces. My Pickled hot peppers and Hot Jalapeno Relish are amazing on collards if you like things really spicy!
If you like this recipe, check out:
- Southern Crockpot Green Beans and Potatoes
- Tomato Grits Casserole
- How to cook field peas
- Instant Pot Fried Cabbage
When you make these collard greens, tell me what you think in the comment section! I would love to hear back! My readers will too.
Also post your picture of your Instant Pot Fried Cabbage on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
How to cook collard greens- Southern Collard Greens Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 lb smoked ham hocks you can substitute smoked turkey wings or smoked turkey neck bones, or bacon
- 3 lb collard greens
- 2 tbs hot sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, bring chicken broth and smoked meat to a boil. (If using bacon, chop bacon, then cook bacon. Do not remove the grease. Then add broth.) Cover and cook on medium heat for 1 hour.
- Fill your kitchen sink with water and let the collards soak in it for about 10 minutes. Swish them up and down and side to side to try to loosen any lingering dirt. Then rinse them off individually to double check for any remaining sand.
- Remove the stem that runs down the center of the collard green leaf. The smaller, tender, young leaves won’t need stripping. Then cut your leaves into strips.
- Once the broth, add the collards in big batches. You won’t be able to put them all in at once. Add a big batch, cover them, and cook about 2 minutes. Remove the lid and mix the collards around. This will make room for you to add another big amount in. Keep doing this until you fill the pot. 3lbs sounds like a lot of collard greens, but they are cooked down to half the size of your pot once they are finished.
- Once they are all in add the hot sauce and mix. cook them covered for an hour at low heat, stirring occasionally. Do a taste test to see if they are completely done after an hour. If they are not completely tender and flavorful, cook them another 15 minutes. An hour usually does it, but sometimes it takes a little longer. Most of the liquid will be sopped up by the collards. Any broth left over is the pot likker which is delicious with corn bread.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with apple cider vinegar, vinegar, or hot sauce.
Katie Crenshaw says
You can add a little when cooking. However, I suggest serving it on the side. Then you can add as much as you want.
B A Ward says
Do you add when cooking or do you pour Apple Cider on them when seved?
Collards
Susan H. says
I have made one fabulous pot of greens about 10yrs.ago and have never been able to replicate. You recipe for collards is on point! Of course I have to make them mine to claim I Made them. Last weekend I grill some butterfly pork chops with applewood smoked wood chips and of course charcoal.OMG they were Smokey goodness, well I figured I would chop some leftover chops in broth. They taste exactly the way I made them years ago! Thankyou for this wonderful recipe!!!
Mimi says
I love collar green Southern Style. They are the best especially prepared by a Southern wonderful women. Bless her Heart Now she is gone and I miss her she told me the recipe but made me promised not to revealed and I never will. I do not make to often but I do all my friends and families are over and they also Love the cornbread. The funny thing is that I was born in France in the Provence of cause always cook French dishes (still do) but when Nanny Jean (that was her name growing up she was picking cotton you can not find some one more Southern then her and I miss her dearly.
Kim Hardesty says
I love collards. It’s my opinion that the smoked ham hock is non-negotiable, but I have used smoked turkey and chicken as you suggest, too. One of my favorite recipes and one I don’t make often enough. Thanks for sharing it!
Matt - The Bluenosers says
I’ve always wondered about Collard Greens, Southern cooking hasn’t truely made it over here in the UK. It’s either KFC or some people having a go at smoking brisket. Really tempted to try this, will have to keep an eye out for when they are in season over here!
Carol Holland says
1000 Hugs for you! Today was the first day I’ve attempted to cook collards in a zillion years. I did cook them (rarely) when my mother was living so I could refer to her for instruction. I’m so tickled to have found your recipes. I wan!ted to cook a turkey, but in the course of reading the instructions for that I found the one for collards. Now I can’t wait to explore your whole websit! Thank you and bless you!