Are you craving some good old-fashioned Southern cooking? If so, look no further than fresh Southern collard greens. Our delicious and easy collard greens recipe is sure to hit the spot. Learn how to prepare collard greens perfectly with our step-by-step guide.
Slow cooked in a savory potlikker from smoked turkey, garlic, onion and vinegar, these flavorful greens will rock your world. We also use onion powder to enhance the flavor. Get ready for your taste buds to be tantalized; try this classic dish today!
These collard greens are New Year’s day or Sunday dinner ready. The tips and techniques detailed in the post will help you elevate your collard greens game and make you a star amongst your family.
Greens are the ultimate soul food. There are a million recipes for southern collard greens, but not everyone makes the best greens or even good for that matter. Sometimes it’s because they’re gritty from poor cleaning or too leafy from poor cutting, but more often than not it’s a flavor issue, or better yet a lack of flavor.
Greens are actually an easy dish to make. It’s just simple ingredients cooked slow in a large dutch oven. But in the world of black folks collard greens recipes, specifically quality, are a sensitive subject. Every aspect gets critiqued from texture and flavor of the greens, their color, and the potlikker flavor. Not sure if you can relate, but hopefully you’re not dealing with the shenanigans lol.
Collard greens are a staple side dish in Southern cooking. Slowly simmered with smoked turkey, these hearty greens are tender, packed with flavor, and the perfect addition to any soul food meal. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share my tips and tricks for making the best collard greens with turkey at home.
Why Cook Collard Greens with Turkey?
Collard greens have a pleasantly bitter taste that pairs perfectly with the rich, smoky flavor of cured turkey or ham hocks. The turkey infuses the cooking liquid with a savory meatiness that gives the greens incredible depth of flavor. Simmering the greens in the seasoned pot likker also helps naturally tenderize the leaves so you get the perfect balance of tender and toothsome.
Cooking the greens with turkey is also budget-friendly, allowing you to stretch a small amount of meat to feed a crowd. Opt for turkey legs, wings, or necks for maximum flavor impact at a lower cost
Picking the Best Collard Greens
Look for dark green collard leaves that are crisp and vibrant. Avoid any yellowing, wilting, or slimy leaves. The leaves should be thick and sturdy. Smaller, young collard leaves tend to be more tender while larger leaves can be tougher. I like to use a mix of sizes for varied texture.
Prepping Raw Collard Greens
Start by trimming off any thick stems which can be fibrous and unpleasant to eat. Stack several leaves on top of each other and roll them into a tight cigar shape. Cut along both sides of the roll to remove the stems and ribs in one slice.
Discard the stems and chop the leaves crosswise into 1-2 inch strips. I find this size gives the greens a nice balance of being easy to eat while having enough surface area to absorb all the amazing pot likker flavor.
Place the chopped greens in a large bowl of cold water and swish them around to help rinse away any grit or debris. Lift greens out and transfer to a colander to drain. Repeat washing if needed until water runs clear.
Seasoning the Smoked Turkey and Pot Likker
For the most flavor, season the turkey and pot likker first before adding the greens. Here are some of my favorite aromatics and seasonings:
- Diced yellow onion
- Minced garlic
- Chicken broth or stock
- Apple cider vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce
- Smoked paprika
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Build layers of flavor by blooming the onion and garlic in oil first. Then add broth, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and spices. Simmer the seasoned turkey for at least 30 minutes to develop the flavors.
Cooking Time for Collard Greens
Collards need ample time to become tender—at least 1 hour of simmering. I like to cook them low and slow for 1 1/2 to 2 hours for the best results.
After the first 30-60 minutes, begin adding the prepped greens in batches, letting each batch wilt down before adding more. This helps prevent them from overflowing the pot.
Once all greens are added, continue simmering until fork tender but still with a bit of chew. The cooking time can vary based on the size and freshness of the leaves.
Tips for Perfect Collard Greens
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Cook low and slow – Keep the heat on low to medium-low to prevent scorching. The greens need time to break down and tenderize.
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Add in batches – Add greens gradually instead of all at once so they can wilt down and soak up flavor.
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Use a lid – Covering the pot helps the greens steam and cook evenly.
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Stir occasionally – Gently turn the greens over every 20-30 minutes for even exposure to the broth.
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Watch the liquid level – Add more broth/water if needed to keep greens submerged and prevent scorching.
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Season to taste – Adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, vinegar, or hot sauce.
Shredding and Serving Collard Greens
Once cooked, use two forks to gently shred and separate the greens to your desired texture. I like to leave some pieces intact while shredding others.
Let the pot likker reduce and thicken to your preferred consistency. Pour the greens and broth into a serving bowl. Serve piping hot with cornbread, fried chicken, black-eyed peas, mac and cheese, or other soul food faves!
Leftover collards keep well refrigerated for 4-5 days and freeze nicely too. The flavors improve with time so they make excellent meal prep.
With this easy method, you can look forward to pot after pot of the most flavorful, soul-satisfying collard greens. Adjust the seasonings to your taste and enjoy this Southern staple anytime.
Instructions For Cooking Southern Collard Greens
Half the onion and peel it.
Turn the cooktop burner to its highest settings. Place onion halved side down and burn to a char. Flip and char the other side. Set aside.
If not using store-bought chicken stock here are the key steps to making your own flavorful stock. Add 7-8 cups of water to a large pot or stock-pot.
Add smoked turkey legs, corn, carrots, celery, bay leaf, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and charred onion to the pot. Bring everything to a boil then reduce to a simmer for at least two hours.
If you have the time or patience, simmer a full day or two or three; it’s the soul food way! If going multiple days, the stock will reduce some a lot. This is good, as it means the flavor will be more concentrated. You can continue to add more liquid and refresh the ingredients which will net you a really dynamic and complex broth. Im crazy about flavor like that so feel free to ignore me and go with standard 2 hours.
Let the stock cool, then strain into a large bowl or your big pot. Pull the meat off the smoked turkey bones and reserve for later use. Use the stock immediately or let it sit overnight in the fridge a day or two until ready to use.
Clean the collard green leaves first by rinsing them a few times to ensure all the dirt and grit are completely rinsed from all the leaves.
Peel and slice the onions. Pre-heat your big pot on medium-high. Add olive oil then saute the onions 3-4 minutes. Season the onions with a teaspoon of paprika after 2 minutes of cooking. Onions should be fairly tender.
Add about 4 cups or so of the broth plus a pinch of red pepper flakes, molasses, and turkey pieces then mix well.
Add collards to the pot. Stuff as much as you can into the pot. Don’t worry, as the collard greens cook they will reduce down quite a bit after a few minutes. Once this happens, give them a good stir.
After about 30 minutes add in the vinegar and another teaspoon of paprika. Cook greens another 30 minutes or so to desired texture. Two hours should be enough for these to be tender and full-flavored.
The stock should be all you need for flavor, but feel free to season to your preference as you go with salt and pepper. I recommend tasting a few times before adding salt to determine if you really need it. Again this is a preference thing so use my words more as guidance.
How Long Do You Cook Southern Style Collard Greens For?
I actually invest more time in the stock than I do actually cooking the greens. Great (not good, but great) greens come from flavorful stock. My approach was influenced by Chinese master stock recipes.
This technique involves repeatedly reducing the stock, and each time adding more liquid and fresher ingredients. After a few times of this you get this intensely flavored stock from repetitive concentration created by the reductions.
Sorry, that’s a long-winded way of saying at least an hour about no more than two should suffice assuming you have a good stock. Time can vary depending on how large or small you cut your collard greens as well as how tender you prefer them.
Southern Collard Greens w/Smoked Turkey Legs | Collard Greens Recipe
FAQ
How do you cook collard greens with smoked turkey?
In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring the turkey leg and stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the collard greens, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Increase the heat to medium and continue to cook for 20 minutes more, until the greens are wilted.
How long to boil smoked turkey wings for greens?
- Boil turkey wings in water or broth until the meat is tender
- Add collard greens and seasonings
- Simmer until the greens are tender
What can you make with smoked turkey?
- Dutch Oven Smoked Turkey Stew. …
- Smoked Turkey Dumpling Soup. …
- Smoked Turkey Chili. …
- Smoked Turkey Soup. …
- Green Pea Soup with Smoked Turkey Wings. …
- Easy Leftover Turkey Soup with Egg Noodles and Vegetables. …
- Turkey Stock.
How long does it take for collard greens to get tender?
Reduce heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper to taste; cover and continue to cook until greens are tender and dark green, 45 to 60 minutes.Nov 17, 2024
How do you cook collard greens with smoked turkey necks?
These southern-style collard greens with smoked turkey necks are just like Mamas! Braised in a rich, perfectly seasoned, meaty potlikker, these greens are seasoned to the Gods! Submerge the collard greens in cool water and massage the leaves to remove any debris. Drain the water, rise the collards, then submerge them in cool water again.
How to freeze collard greens?
To freeze collard greens, you can use the bulk sheet technique. Cut the washed collard green leaves into large sizes. You don’t need to give them a fine cut.
Can I use smoked turkey legs for collard greens?
I only use smoked turkey legs or wings for my southern style collard greens because they are really delicious and less in fat than ham and bacon but feel free to use your choice of smoky meat. You can use a mixture of collards and other greens if you choose to. You can also use bacon grease in place of oil. Notes