Easy and nutritious southern collard greens with bacon and bone broth slow cooked in the oven or on the stove. 

Easy and nutritious southern collard greens with bacon and bone broth slow cooked in the oven or on the stove. 

There are many ways to cook collard greens with or without meat. The southern-style collard greens, however, are usually cooked with ham hock or bacon. Other common ingredients used in a great recipe of southern greens are sweet onions, garlic, chicken broth, and apple cider vinegar. Sometimes a little bit of brown sugar is added to help balance the bitterness of the greens.

I learned some southern cooking when I lived in Jacksonville, FL. Collard greens and cornbread are two main recipes that I picked up there. In this post, I want to share my best collard greens recipe with only seven ingredients. This recipe uses bacon instead of ham to cut down the cooking time significantly.

Fresh Collard Greens

Some people make collard greens on the stovetop using a large pot. And others slow cook the greens in the oven. Either way, it starts with cooking bacon on the stovetop and let the fat render. Then sauté sweet onions in the bacon fat until softened, followed by some garlic. From this point, add broth and bring to a simmer. Once the greens are added to the cooking liquid. You can choose to continue cooking it on the stove or transfer to the oven to braise. It depends on what cookware is available in your kitchen.

Table of Contents hide

Cookware for Cooking Southern Collard Greens

If you have a dutch oven, then feel free to be flexible and do what you feel like when cooking collard greens. Either continue cooking the greens on the stove after they are added to the dutch oven with the prepared cooking liquid, or transfer it to the oven and bake for 45 minutes at 350°F.

If you don’t have a dutch oven, there are a couple methods you can choose from.

  • Use a heavy-duty roasting pan for both stovetop and oven cooking like what I did.
  • Use a large stockpot and cook the collard greens over medium heat until the greens reach your desired tenderness.
Easy and nutritious southern collard greens with bacon and bone broth slow cooked in the oven or on the stove. 

A Good Broth Goes A Long Way

As mentioned, chicken stock is a choice of many home cooks when it comes to cooking southern-style greens. My choice is Kettle and Fire Chicken Bone Broth which is simmered in filtered water with apple cider vinegar for 12 hours. The chicken bone broth has 10 grams of protein per serving. It makes the cooking liquid from the greens amazingly tasty. After cooking, you can use the cooking liquid for another batch of collard greens or use it as a soup base.

On a side note, the look of southern greens is always brownish and I’d be honest with you, I had a hard time to style this dish. However, I promise that it tastes fabulous. I hope you enjoy it!

And as always, once you get a chance to make this recipe, leave a comment and let me know how you like it and what creative ways you come up with to enjoy the cooking liquid, which is my favorite part of the recipe. Happy cooking!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Easy and nutritious southern collard greens with bacon and bone broth slow cooked in the oven or on the stove. 

Southern Collard Greens

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Sharon Chen
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Total Time: 65 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Sides, Vegetables, Gluten Free
  • Method: Stove and Oven
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe
Save Recipe

Description

Easy and nutritious southern collard greens with bacon and bone broth slow cooked in the oven or on the stove.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1 medium sweet onion, diced
  • kosher salt
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 cups Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth
  • 2 bunches fresh collard greens, stemmed and roughly chopped (about 2 pounds)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Adjust an oven rack to lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes until the fat starts to render.
  3. Stir in onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
  4. Add bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the greens, a handful at a time, until wilted.
  5. Cover and place the pot in the oven. Cook for 45 minutes or until the greens are tender.
  6. Remove from oven. Season with more salt and black pepper. Serve with hot sauce.

Notes

  • The leftover cooking liquid can be used to cook another batch of collard greens. Or dip your cornbread or biscuit in the flavorful cooking liquid.
  • If you don’t have a dutch oven, use a heavy-duty roasting pan that is stovetop safe and follow the instructions. When ready to bake, cover with aluminum foil.
  • This recipe can also be made on the stovetop using a large stock pot. Follow the instructions from step 1 to step 4. Cover and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour or until the collard greens reach your desired tenderness.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 101
  • Sugar: 1.2g
  • Sodium: 443.4mg
  • Fat: 6.2g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.9g
  • Carbohydrates: 4.9g
  • Fiber: 2.2g
  • Protein: 7.2g
  • Cholesterol: 12mg
Easy and nutritious southern collard greens with bacon and bone broth slow cooked in the oven or on the stove. 

About the Author

Sharon Chen, StreetSmart Kitchen
Sharon Chen

Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and author of the Complete Sous Vide Cookbook. She believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she aims to make meal prep easier than ever and help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.