Southern Braised Collard Greens🥗 Side

Name: Southern Braised Collard Greens
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 bunches collard greens, stems removed, leaves chopped; 1 smoked ham hock (or 4 slices bacon); 1 onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 4 cups chicken broth; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp sugar; 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes; Salt and pepper to taste; Hot sauce for serving

Low and slow braised collards with smoked ham hock. Soul food at its finest.

By Marcus Rivera, Kitchen Tips Editor

Prep: 15 minCook: 90 minServes: 6

greens southern soul-food braised comfort-food

Be the first to rate!

Southern cooking is comfort food at its finest — generous, flavorful, and made with love. This southern braised collard greens carries on that tradition with a recipe that is both approachable for beginners and satisfying for anyone who grew up with these flavors on their table. It is the kind of dish that tastes like home.

Add the garlic after the other aromatics have softened — it burns faster than onions and can turn bitter if it hits high heat for too long.

This pairs well with almost any protein, from a simple roasted chicken to grilled steak or baked salmon. Make extra — it reheats well and having a ready-made side dish in the fridge makes weeknight cooking significantly easier.

Ingredients

2 bunches collard greens, stems removed, leaves chopped
1 smoked ham hock (or 4 slices bacon)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce for serving

Instructions

If using bacon instead of ham hock, cook bacon in a large pot until crispy, remove and set aside.
Saute onion in the drippings until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Add chicken broth, ham hock (or crumbled bacon), vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes.
Bring to a boil, then add collard greens in batches, stirring to wilt.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 1-1.5 hours until tender.
Remove ham hock, pull meat, and return to pot.
Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.