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!
Watch how to cook collard greens
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!
Ingredients
To make tasty collards, you will need the following ingredients:
- chicken broth- Chicken broth adds additional flavor, but you can substitute with water.
- smoked ham hocks-You can substitute smoked turkey wings or smoked turkey neck bones, or bacon.If using bacon, chop bacon, then cook bacon. Do not remove the grease. Then add broth.
- collard greens- I suggest fresh and unpackaged. The pre-cut packaged collards often have a bunch of unwanted stems.
- hot sauce- This is optional. It adds a little extra flavor.
How to cook collard greens
- Make your broth with your choice of smoked meat. The broth is the key to making tender, flavorful collards. While the broth is cooking, work on cleaning and prepping the collards.
- Wash your collards thoroughly.
- 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!
- The smoked ham hocks have flavorful meat. You can add the ham meat back into the collards. To do so, remove skin and fat. Then dice the meat and mix in the collards. This is optional.
How to clean collard greens
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.
Follow these steps to clean collard greens:
- 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.
What is the best smoked meat for making collards?
I like to use smoked ham hocks for making Southern collard greens.
You can also use smoked turkey wings or smoked turkey neck bones.
My mom likes to use bacon. If you use bacon, ½ lb should work. Cut bacon into pieces, cook the bacon, and then add the chicken broth. Do not remove the grease. This is what flavors the broth.
How do you get the bitterness out of collard greens?
Removing the thick stem parts and cooking the collards in smoked meat will remove the bitterness out of collard greens.
However, some people also add a dash of vinegar to the collards.
The vinegar adds additional flavor and will also cut out any bitterness.
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!
Note: 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.
Can you freeze collards?
Collards are easy to freeze. I often double the batch and freeze half.
To freeze, place cooked collard greens in a sealed air tight container. Freeze up to 3 months. To serve, defrost and reheat on the stove top or microwave.
If you like this recipe, check out:
- Southern Cornbread Recipe
- How to Make Sweet Tea
- Southern Crockpot Green Beans and Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Tomato Grits Casserole
- How to cook field peas
- Instant Pot Fried Cabbage
- Broccoli Bacon Salad
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
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 ½ 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.
Tiffany Anderson
Katie, girl, this was my 1st time ever cooking greens myself. I was afraid I'd mess it up because my granny always made them too salty and somehow watery... ?! Like, what the heck did she do?? These were the BEST greens I've had in my life and I've had some good greens (not hers, obviously. You are my new favorite person and I wish you all the health, wealth and happiness that this year will bring !