Collard Greens
Get ready to savor the rich taste of tender collard greens with this must-try recipe! It’s the perfect addition to your holiday table.
What will I need for this recipe?
Collard Greens – Collard greens are a member of the cabbage family. They are a mix of Kale and Swiss Chard.
Smoked Turkey Wings – There is nothing better for flavor than smoked turkey wings! Packed with rich, juicy flavors that are infused in this dish.
Bacon Grease or Avocado Oil – If you have bacon grease in your fridge that will go a long way to add another element to the dish. However, if you don’t have it on hand then avocado oil will work just fine.
Spices – This dish calls for seasoning salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and Worcestershire sauce.
Yellow Onion – This is always the go-to onion to add sweetness and flavor to your dish.
Hot Sauce – You can use any brand that you would like depending on your preferences.
White Granulated Sugar – A small amount of sugar in collard greens can help to balance out the flavors. If you prefer your dish to be more on the spicy side then you can omit this ingredient.
How to make Collard Greens
Prepare the ingredients
First, start by cleaning and rinsing your greens. For this process, I like to have the greens chopped first. Fold the greens in half and use a knife to cut out and remove the stem. After you’ve removed all stems, lay your leaves down and stack one on top of the other. Roll up your greens lengthwise from one end to the other. Slice your greens width-wise into about 1-inch rolls. Now, you can either keep the leaves this long or you can slice them in half once more.
Once your greens have been stemmed and chopped, place them into a large bowl or into your clean sink. Add some kosher salt and some baking soda to your greens and fill the bowl or sink with water to cover the greens. Agitate the greens to allow the salt and baking powder to remove all the dirt and grit from the greens. Rinse the greens and drain the water. Repeat this process 4-5 times or until the water from your greens begins to run clear.
Once your greens have been cleaned, set them aside.
Build the Flavors
In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add your bacon grease or avocado oil. Add your smoked turkey and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Next add your onions, celery, seasoning blend, and Worcestershire Sauce. Add some broth and make sure the meat is completely covered. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium/medium-low and allow to cook for about one to one and a half hours.
After about an hour or so, your smoked turkey should start to get nice and tender, add your greens to the pot in bunches. Place the lid on and let the greens begin to cook down until you have added all the greens to the pot. Cook over medium heat for an additional 1 hour to 1 hour and a half, stirring occasionally. What you’re looking for is your greens to soften, but not too much. You want them to be tender but with a little bite. If they are still too hard at this point, continue to cook down until they reach the desired tenderness.
Final Touches
Once your greens are nice and tender and your smoked meat is falling off the bone, remove the bone(s) from the pot and distribute the meat through the greens. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preferred taste. At this point, I like to add about ¼ cup of hot sauce. The vinegar in the hot sauce balances the fattiness and also the hot sauce adds a bit of heat.
Serve with some cornbread or the rest of those holiday sides, and ENJOY!!!
Collard Greens
Ingredients
- 5-6 Bunches Collard Greens
- 2 LBS Smoked Turkey Wings Can also use 2 LBS of smoked turkey legs or thighs
- 2 TSP Bacon Grease or Avocado Oil
- 2 TSP Seasoning Salt
- 1 TSP Garlic Powder
- 1 TSP Onion Powder
- 1 TSP Smoked Paprika
- 1 TSP Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 TSP Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Large Yellow Onion Diced
- 1/4 Cup Hot Sauce
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 TSP White Granulated Sugar Optional
Instructions
- First, start by cleaning and rinsing your greens. For this process, I like to have the greens chopped first. Fold the greens in half and use a knife to cut out and remove the stem. After you've removed all stems, lay your leaves down and stack one on top of the other. Roll up your greens lengthwise from one end to the other. Slice your greens width-wise into about 1-inch rolls. Now, you can either keep the leaves this long or you can slice them in half once more.
- Once your greens have been stemmed and chopped, place them into a large bowl or into your clean sink. Add some kosher salt and some baking soda to your greens and fill the bowl or sink with water to cover the greens. Agitate the greens to allow the salt and baking powder to remove all the dirt and grit from the greens. Rinse the greens and drain the water. Repeat this process 4-5 times or until the water from your greens begins to run clear.
- Once your greens have been cleaned, set them aside.
- In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add your bacon grease or avocado oil. Add your smoked turkey and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Next add your onions, celery, seasoning blend, and Worcestershire Sauce. Add some broth and make sure the meat is completely covered. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium/medium-low and allow to cook for about one to one and a half hours.
- After about an hour or so, your smoked turkey should start to get nice and tender, add your greens to the pot in bunches. Place the lid on and let the greens begin to cook down until you have added all the greens to the pot. Cook over medium heat for an additional 1 hour to 1 hour and a half, stirring occasionally. What you're looking for is your greens to soften, but not too much. You want them to be tender but with a little bite. If they are still too hard at this point, continue to cook down until they reach the desired tenderness.
- Once your greens are nice and tender and your smoked meat is falling off the bone, remove the bone(s) from the pot and distribute the meat through the greens. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preferred taste. At this point, I like to add about ¼ cup of hot sauce. The vinegar in the hot sauce balances the fattiness and also the hot sauce adds a bit of heat.
- Serve with some cornbread or the rest of those holiday sides, and ENJOY!!!
FAQ
What are Collard Greens?
Collard greens are a member of the cabbage family. They are a mix of Kale and Swiss Chard.
Are Collard Greens Good for you?
Collard greens have many vitamins that are good for you. Not to mention that it will give you fiber that can help to reduce cholesterol levels.
How can you store the leftovers?
Collard greens are best stored in the fridge for 3 days in an airtight container. To reheat, allow them to come to room temperature before adding them to a pot on medium-high heat until heated through.
I Hope You Enjoy This Recipe!
If you try the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe, and let me know what you think in the comments. Leave a quick review & star rating ★ below! Take pictures, tag #onestopchop, and share them with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchen!
Thank you for the collard green recipe. Happy Holidays to you.
I’m looking forward to receiving future recipes
Your recipe says to add celery but the ingredients don’t mention celery and at what point does the worcestershire sauce come in.
Thank you for your feedback! I updated the recipe but you should add the celery and Worcestershire Sauce in paragraph 4. Again, I updated this on the post so you can print the corrected recipe.
O my goodness we tried your collard greens recipe, just know amazing what a hit with a few family members. It’s definitely going to be on our Thanksgiving table for the entire family to enjoy!! Continued follower!! Happy Thanksgiving, we have much to be thankful for 🙏🏽
How much celery do you use?
2-3 stalks of celery.
Do you use low sodium chicken broth or regular and how much?
I used regular chicken broth in mine but you can use low sodium or even vegetable broth if you prefer. The amount will vary depending on the size of pot you use but I would recommend starting with 4 cups and make more from there as needed to cover the ingredients.
What are the measurements for the broth used and is it low sodium chicken broth or regular?
I would start by making 4 cups of broth and make sure that in that is enough to cover the ingredients (depending on the size pot you use you may need to use slightly less or a bit more). For my recipe I used regular chicken broth but you could use any type of broth that you’d like!
How much should I add ? It doesn’t say how much.
How much celery should I add? It doesn’t say how much.
Celery is optional but you can add 2-3 stalks of celery to add texture to your dish.
Are we supposed to add vinegar to the pot?
In my recipe I don’t add vinegar directly but I do add hot sauce which has vinegar in it for flavor.