Southern Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
This southern collard greens recipe is pure classic soul food. Slowly simmered until tender with smoked turkey in the most savory pot likker broth, these are the best collard greens you'll ever eat!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 265kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup yellow onion medium dice
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 smoked turkey leg
- 1 smoked turkey wing
- 8 cups chicken stock or broth low sodium
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce more or less, if you like
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 lbs collard greens washed, stemmed, chopped
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Pot Likker
- Saute the yellow onions in the vegetable oil over medium heat for 3 minutes, until we have a golden color on them. Season them with the kosher salt.1 tablespoon vegetable oil, ½ cup yellow onion, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for just a minute, stirring frequently.5 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Add the turkey leg and wing to the pot, then pour in the chicken broth, hot sauce, and brown sugar. Stir and put the lid on. Let the pot simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until the turkey is shreddable and tender.1 smoked turkey leg, 1 smoked turkey wing, 8 cups chicken stock or broth, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- Remove the turkey from the pot likker and shred the meat from the bones. Add the meat back to the pot and discard the bones.
Cook the Greens
- Put the collard greens into the pot with the apple cider vinegar. Stir thoroughly and place the lid back on the pot. Simmer for 1.5 hours up to 2 hours, until the collards are wilty, a deep olive green color, and taste tender and savory.1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 lbs collard greens
- Taste the greens and pot likker and season with more hot sauce, salt, and pepper as needed. Serve the greens with cornbread and other southern dishes!Kosher Salt and Pepper
Notes
Tasting Notes: I know some people like sweeter greens (I don't, I like mine very savory). Add more brown sugar, up to 2 tablespoons, if you like your greens sweet. I also like mine with some spice, so if you don't, use about 1 teaspoon of hot sauce.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
Keep your leftover collard greens in an airtight container with the pot liquor in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze: Cool the greens down, then place them into freezer-safe zip top bags with a bit of pot liquor. Flatten the bags as much as possible so that they thaw quicker and are easier to store in the freezer. Keep in the freezer for three months and when ready, thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat: on the stove top in a saucepan on medium low until warmed through or heat it up in the microwave (stove top is my preferred way).Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 356mg | Potassium: 757mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 5736IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 297mg | Iron: 3mg