How to Cook Collard Greens Southern Style

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: June 1, 2021

Collard greens are a classic Southern comfort-food that are great as a side dish or as a main course. Collard greens are made by cooking fresh collard greens in a pot of broth and meat, along with sliced onions and red pepper flakes. The result is a hot, hearty and rich dish that is great served with hot sauce alongside your other favorite comfort foods!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (14.79 ml) cooking oil
1 small white onion
3 cloves garlic
3 cups (709.77 ml) chicken broth
1 teaspoon (4.93 ml) red pepper flakes
1 large smoked turkey leg
32 ounces (907.185 g) of collard greens
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
hot sauce (optional)

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Making the Broth

1
Chop the onions and garlic. Use a large knife to finely dice the small onion. Then peel and mince three cloves of garlic with a paring knife. Keep the onion and garlic separate.^{[1]
X
Research source}
2
Heat cooking in a skillet. Place a medium-sized pot on the stove, then turn the heat up to medium. Once the pot has heated, pour in one tablespoon of cooking oil in the pot. Swirl the oil to coat the bottom of the pot.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Advertisement
3
Cook the onions and garlic. Once the oil has heated, drop in the diced onion. Use a large spoon to stir it around until the onion is tender and is turning slightly yellow. Then drop in the garlic and stir to combine the onion and garlic. Continue cooking until the garlic is fragrant.^{[3]
X
Research source}
4
Add in the chicken broth, red pepper flakes, and turkey leg. After you have sautéed the onion and garlic, pour in the chicken broth. Stir the mixture so that the onions and garlic are mixed in with the broth, then sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and drop in the roasted turkey leg.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- You can buy a pre-roasted turkey leg at a deli, or roast a turkey and use one leg for the dish.
5
Bring the broth to a boil. After you have added the ingredients, bring the broth to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and keep the broth at a light boil for about 25 minutes.^{[5]
X
Research source}

Advertisement

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Chopping the Turkey Leg

1
Take the turkey leg out of the broth. After the broth has boiled lightly for around 25 minutes, take the turkey leg out of the broth using tongs or a slotted spoon. Turn down the heat on the broth to low and let it simmer.^{[6]
X
Research source}
2
Peel the turkey meat from the bone. After you take the turkey leg out of the broth, let it sit until it is cool enough to handle. Then use your fingers or a knife to peel the meat from the bone in large of pieces.^{[7]
X
Research source}
3
Chop the turkey meat. After you take the turkey meat from the bone, use a large knife to chop the meat into ½ inch cubes. Then put the chopped turkey meat back into the pot.^{[8]
X
Research source}
4
Simmer the broth for ten minutes. After you put the turkey chunks back into the broth, let the broth simmer for about ten minutes to let the cubed turkey release more flavor into the broth.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- If some of the skin came off the turkey cubes while you were cutting them, place the skin into the pot as well.
Advertisement

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Preparing and Adding the Collard Greens

1
Wash and chop the collard greens. While the broth is simmering, you can begin to prepare the collard greens. Wash them off, then cut out the large, central stem from each green. Use a large knife to cut the greens into rectangular strips that are about 2 ½ by 1 inch (6.3 by 2.5 cm) long.^{[10]
X
Research source}
2
Add the collard greens to the pot. After you have prepared the collard greens, drop them into the pot. Use a spoon to push the greens and try to submerge them in the broth so that they cook evenly.^{[11]
X
Research source}
3
Cover the greens when they begin to wilt. Cook the collard greens, stirring occasionally. When they begin to wilt, around 15 to 20 minutes, cover the pot with a lid.^{[12]
X
Research source}
4
Cook, stirring occasionally, for up to an hour. Keep cooking the collard greens, stirring them every ten minutes or so. Cover them again after stirring. You should notice that the greens shrink in size as they cook, and that they will get darker and limper the longer you cook them.^{[13]
X
Research source}
- As you cook, the greens will absorb the broth.
5
Remove the greens after around an hour of cooking. After 45 minutes to an hour of covering the greens, remove the greens and place them in a bowl or on a platter.
- Some people enjoy their greens more cooked than others. Keep trying the greens and remove them from the pot when you are satisfied with their consistency and flavor.
- Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
6
Pour in a few drops of hot sauce. Collard greens are traditionally served with a little hot sauce as a garnish. If you want to add spice and pep to the greens, pour on a few drops of hot sauce. Mix in the hot sauce or leave it as is so that certain bites of the dish will be spicier than others.
- If you are already happy with the flavor collard greens, skip adding the hot sauce.
7
Serve while hot. Collard greens are meant to be eaten while hot. Taste the greens and make any final adjustments, then serve them while still warm alongside cornbread, cornmeal dumplings, fried chicken, grits, and any other of your favorite Southern-inspired dishes.^{[14]
X
Research source}

Advertisement

Community Q&A

Question

How do l take the bitter taste out?

Community Answer

You can add a little salt, pepper and either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to alter the flavor a bit.