Want more healthy greens in your diet? Turn to The Best Collard Greens! So delicious and rich, this perfectly seasoned side dish with bacon is smoky, sweet, and will have you thinking you’re in the south.
Healthy collard greens recipe
“The South” is known for cranking out some of the best comfort food recipes, and collard greens just happens to be one of them. You wouldn’t think a leafy green could be so satisfying and delicious, but this recipe for The Best Collard Greens is really something special.
The secret? Bacon and sugar. Wilting the greens in bacon fat and a pinch of sugar not only tenderizes the leaves but adds a beautiful balance of flavor. The result is a smoky and sweet southern green that pairs well with roasted chicken or homemade Salisbury steak.
While I think that bacon really is what makes this collard greens recipe truly special, you can also use chopped ham or even turkey bacon to make it a bit lighter and healthier. Cook it low and slow in a pot on the stove or in the Instant Pot for a rich, earthy, and savory side dish to include with dinner or at barbecues.
What are collard greens?
Collard greens are a cold weather leafy green from the cabbage family. Just like Swiss chard or kale, they have large vibrant green leaves with tough stems. The greens have a slightly bitter taste when raw, but this completely disappears as they cook.
Collard greens are a popular side dish in the south, as they’re traditionally stewed over hours with pork. A splash of apple cider vinegar enhances their naturally sweet, smoky, and tangy taste. Southern style collard greens pair nicely next to cornbread, spare ribs, sweet potatoes, and so much more.
How to make sauteed collard greens
Sauteeing collard greens in a pot with bacon or ham lends rich and smoky flavors. If you’d prefer a lighter option, use turkey bacon instead! This beautifully flavored side dish is easy to make in a few steps:
Cook the bacon in a large pot until it’s crisp, then transfer it to a plate.
Add the garlic and let it cook in the bacon fat until it’s fragrant.
Next, add in the collard greens, stir, and cook until the leaves are wilted.
Pour in the broth, seasonings, and sugar. Stir it all together and let the mixture simmer until the collard greens become tender and flavorful.
Add crisp bacon back in and serve. Enjoy!
Instant Pot instructions
Looking to save time? Make the collard greens in your Instant Pot instead! This is how it’s done:
- Cook the bacon and garlic in oil using the SAUTE function. Remove the bacon and set aside until the end.
- Stir in the collard greens. You may need to wait a minute for them to wilt down so add them in batches.
- Pour in the broth, seasonings, and sugar. Stir everything together.
- Pressure cook on manual HIGH for 5 minutes. Do a quick or natural release, add bacon back in, stir and serve!
Recipe tips and variations
- For a vegetarian alternative, try my vegetarian collard greens instead.
- Bump up the protein by stirring in some beans or black eyed peas.
- For some tang, add a splash of apple cider vinegar.
- To make this recipe vegan, simply omit the bacon, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and add a few drops of liquid smoke to replicate the classic smoky flavor.
- Use country ham instead of bacon for a truly southern treat.
- If your greens still taste bitter, squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top to cut down on the bitter flavor.
- Clean your greens properly. Collard greens are known to carry lots of dirt on their leaves, so make sure they’ve been fully soaked and washed before cooking.
- Stems or no stems? Because the greens are cooked for a long period of time, each part becomes nicely tenderized. This means you can include the stems!
What can I serve with collard greens?
Collard greens are traditionally served as a side dish for a big meal, but they really can be served as a healthy green with anything you enjoy. Add them alongside some slow cooker spare ribs, a comforting pot roast, or crockpot chicken pot pie.
Don’t forget the extra sides! Make it a truly southern meal with comforting buttermilk cornbread, cornbread dressing and mashed potatoes next to the greens and your main dishes.
More healthy green side dishes
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The Best Collard Greens
PrintIngredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 slices bacon
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound collard greens chopped
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, about 8-10 minutes. Remove bacon from the pot, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside.
- Add garlic to pot and cook until browned and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add collard greens and stir until they begin to wilt.
- Add chicken broth, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and brown sugar into the pot and stir to fully combine.
- Bring broth to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Add cooked bacon back into pot, stir and then serve. Enjoy these delicious collard greens!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Girl you know how to make some greens!!! Wowza!
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
I’ve only had collard greens a few times at Southern restaurants but I remember really liking them. This looks delicious, especially with bacon!
Sophie says
The dish looks very tasty but what are collard greens? Are they the green tops of Swiss chard & the tops of radishes & other veggies???
Pamela says
Hey Sophie, collards are their own vegetable in the Brassica family (that has in it cabbage and broccoli). They are big bushy leafy greens… very delicious!
Gretchen @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
I have to giggle! We went to a restaurant over the summer, and my oldest ordered something that came with collard greens. They didn’t look appetizing (yours look amazing btw! Bacon stirred in – umm delish!) but we told her she needed to try just one bite. I have a photo of her eating them … she didn’t love them! And she made the most awful face!
I’m absolutely willing to make these – pretty sure your recipe will be given the thumbs up! 🙂
Laura @ Lauras Baking Talent says
I have never actually tried collard greens before.. but these look amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Samina | The Cupcake Confession says
Mmmmmmm!!!!!! These look sooooooooo good and all I want to do right now is get my fork into that tasty little bowl of collard greens! *-*
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says
I have never made Collard greens before! Would love to try this…
ATasteOfMadness says
I have never tried collard greens, but you are making me want to try it!
pam (Sidewalk Shoes) says
I’m going to file this away for when my CSA gives me collard greens! (I’ll probably use regular bacon!)
DocChuck says
I am very glad that you Yankee folks appreciate our Southern cuisine. However, I suspect that you would be hard pressed to find a native Southerner (NATIVE — not one of the HOARDES of Yankees who have migrated here) using turkey bacon in a mess of collard greens! More likely, the Natives would be using a smoked ham hock. AND, where is the coarsely chopped yellow onion, which is a prerequisite?
You may find that the authentic Southern version is light years ahead of nawthen’ versions.
Pamela says
Hi DocChuck, thanks for stopping by. If you browse around other recipes here you’ll notice my fear of onions.. I just can’t learn to love them! Next time I’ll try to add some onions from the garden for my husband, he will love it. Either way, this Yankee will be sticking with this recipe for years to come! 🙂
[email protected] says
Yum, how I would love to try your recipe. Unfortunately we don’t have them in the part of Mexico I live in. Will have to wait until I go to the States. Thanks for sharing and it really looks scrumptious!
Adri says
What a great and simple recipe. My husband adores collard greens!
Debra says
These look amazingly good. I’ve never tried them.
Monica says
I’m a fan of collard greens but I’ve got to figure I’ve only eaten it a few times in my life. That needs to change. Great idea on using turkey bacon!
Chocolate shavings says
You can’t go wrong by pairing these with bacon! I’ve never cooked collard greens at home but this is making me wonder why I don’t!
Tahnycooks says
I could easily obsess over this dish too! Sooooo….flavorful!
meemsnyc says
This looks delicious. Yum.
Laura @ Raise Your Garden says
Sorry about the two comments, but I love your site! Just liked you on Facebook =) And because my husband likes cats so much, I’m clicking his Like button too.
Laura @ Raise Your Garden says
I love collard greens too! So healthy. You used turkey bacon, which I do like, but I might have to use the usual kind. But hey, nothing spells love like the smell of bacon wafting through the house.
And I’m so glad you like cats! Love the moving cats on the top of your site. Still trying to figure out how you did that =) I have a one-eyed cat, a coyote got him before we rescued him! My husband just loves that cat, don’t tell him I said that!!!!
miss messy says
Great pictures! These look delicious 🙂
Ashley says
Mmmm I have really fallen in love with collard greens ever since we moved to NC. They are everywhere around here … and I love it! haha Now I need to make them at home!
marcie says
I love collard greens (and all greens!), and with bacon and chili flakes, they are just the best!
[email protected]'s Recipes says
This looks very tasty, esp. for a huge fan of greens like me.
Have a great weekend!
Angie
[email protected] says
I like that you left everything looking light and leafy…Great dish!
🙂 ela
Suzanne says
Oh I love collards this recipe sounds amazing. I’m going to make it this weekend.
Pamela says
Enjoy Suzanne!