Collard Greens

An image of a bowl of slow cooked greens with bits of smoky ham hock.

5 from 4 votes

Silky, smoky Southern Collard Greens are a classic side dish that taste amazing with a big chunk of cornbread! They are great delicious anytime, but are also a popular addition to your Thanksgiving menu!

Prep Time20

Cook Time2

Total Time2 20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Southern

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: to 6 servings

Calories: 749kcal

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

1 to 1 ½ pounds smoked ham hock
12 cups water or chicken broth
3 pounds collard greens trimmed
½ large onion finely chopped
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon butter
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Fill a large pot with 3 quarts (12 cups) of water or broth and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the smoked ham hock, then cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the meat is tender.
Meanwhile, thoroughly rinse the collard greens to remove any dirt or grit. Strip the leaves from the tougher stems that run down the center of each leaf. Stack 5-6 leaves on top of each other and slice into ½" to 1" pieces.
Add the greens to the pot with the meat, along with the onion, sugar, butter, vinegar, seasoned salt, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and black pepper. There should be enough liquid to just cover the greens.
Bring back to a boil, then cover and cook for another 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender.
Remove the meat from the bones, finely chop, then return the meat to the pan, discarding the bones. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed (add a few dashes of hot sauce if you want more spice to your greens).

Notes

Instead of a ham hock, you could use another smoked meat like smoked turkey wings or smoked neck bones.
You can buy pre-trimmed packages of collard greens at the store often and save yourself some of the work.

Recipe adapted from All Recipes.

Nutrition