Description
These Crock Pot Collard Greens are a Southern classic made easy with your slow cooker. Smoky, tangy, and tender, they’re packed with flavor and tradition. Perfect for holidays, Sunday dinners, or a comforting weeknight side.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 smoked ham hock (or smoked turkey leg or sausage)
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups water or chicken/vegetable broth
- 2 pounds collard greens, trimmed and chopped
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Pepper vinegar, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Place the smoked ham hock, chopped onion, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, collard greens, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar into the Crock Pot.
- Stir gently to combine the ingredients.
- Cover and set the slow cooker to high heat.
- Cook for 4 to 6 hours, or until the collard greens are tender and the pot likker is rich and flavorful.
- Remove the ham hock, shred the meat, discard the bones, and return the meat to the pot.
- Taste the greens and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, sugar, or vinegar if desired.
- Serve with a splash of pepper vinegar for a traditional Southern touch.
Notes
- For vegetarian greens, skip the ham hock, use vegetable broth, and add smoked paprika or liquid smoke for smoky flavor.
- Using broth instead of water enhances the richness of the pot likker.
- Check for tenderness at 4 hours, as slow cooker temperatures may vary.
- Greens often taste even better the next day as flavors develop.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 to 6 hours
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: Crock Pot Collard Greens, Southern Collard Greens, Slow Cooker Greens, Soul Food Side Dish, Easy Collard Greens