Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens Recipe (2024)

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These Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens are flavorful, tender, and cooked in half the time than the stove top method. Now you can enjoy collard greens any day of the week!

Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens Recipe (1)

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If you live in the South, then you know all about the amazing way collard greens are cooked down here. For me, southern style collard greens are like a dream come true. In fact, it’s a must item I have to have on my Thanksgiving plate. I avoided making it at home for the longest time because of how long the process was of making the greens.

First, it took so much time to do the soaking and washing. Then, it took hours of cooking it on the stove to make sure they were tender. Then, there’s the smell…that good ol’ stinky collard greens smell. Yea, these were the reasons why I avoided cooking collards at home for the longest.

Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens Recipe (2)

But the Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker came to the rescue and now I can make collards in less than an hour! I’m sharing my one pot collard green recipe that can be made with little to no effort while you prepare the rest of your dinner. Lookout Thanksgiving, my collards are going to be the easiest thing you make.

Why you should eat more Collard Greens

Collard greens are full of many essential vitamins and they’ve been noted as one of the vegetables that can aid in the prevention of cancer. You can read more about all the great health benefits ofhere.

Also, collard greens are delicious when prepared right and are a great way to introduce kids to vegetables. My 10 year old loves these southern style collard greens so I make them quite often.

Fresh or bagged Collards, which to use?

I’ve made this recipe with both fresh collard greens (the ones that require all that soaking and washing) and the collard greens you find in a bag in the store. Guess what the difference was? Absolutely nothing…except the price and convenience. The bag was about 2 dollars more than what I spend on the fresh collards but it was so much more convenient. No longer will I take hours and hours to wash my collard greens.

If you want to use fresh collards, you can read more about cleaning themhere.Or you can be like me and BUY THE BAG.

Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens Recipe (3)

What makes these pressure cooker Collard Greens so Flavorful?

That good ol’ turkey leg. I like to add a fully cooked smoked turkey leg to the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker. You can find these in any grocery store. It brings so much flavor to the collards. I don’t even add salt when I prepare this recipe. It’s just not needed.

How long to cook collard greens in the Pressure Cooker

I prepared this recipe in my 6qt Instant Pot electricpressure cooker. The pressure cook time for this recipe as written is 35 minutes. That is the perfect amount of time to allow the turkey leg meat to fall off the bone and to have the collards soften without turning to mush. If preparing this recipe without the turkey leg, adjust the pressure cook time to 25 minutes.

Cooking collard greens in your pressure cooker is so easy it should be done more often.

You can also make delicious collard greens in the Slow Cooker.


Looking for more Side Dishes? Try these out:

  • Instant Pot Cabbage
  • Instant Pot Green Beans and Potatoes
  • Instant Pot Corn on the Cob (Cheddar and Sour Cream Flavored)
  • Instant Pot White Cheddar Pasta
  • Corn Soufflé
  • Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
  • Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
  • Black-eyed Peas
  • Vegan collard greens

Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens Recipe (4)

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4.84 from 56 votes

These Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens are flavorful, tender, and cooked in half the time than the stove top method. Now you can enjoy collard greens any day of the week!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword pressure cooker collard greens

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 203kcal

Author Tanya

Ingredients

  • 1 smoked turkey leg fully cooked
  • 1 cup onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ cups chicken broth
  • 1 lb bag collard greens
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

Instructions

  • Add smoked turkey leg, onion, garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, chicken broth into Pressure Cooker. Then add collard greens on top, pushing down so that the greens are not sticking out the pressure cooker.

  • Place lid on pressure cooker, making sure the valve is set to “Sealing.”

  • Pressure cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.

  • Once time is up, do a quick release by switching the valve to “Venting.”

  • Open lid and remove turkey leg from pressure cooker. Use forks to shred the meat off the bone, returning the meat to the pressure cooker.

  • Add Apple cider vinegar to the collards and stir.

  • Enjoy 🙂

Video

Notes

Notes on Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens

  • To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetable broth and adjust the pressure cook time to 25 minutes.
  • This recipe was prepared in a 6qt Instant Pot. Please adjust accordingly for 3qt and 8qt models.

Suggested Tools for Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens

Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker

Nutrition

Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 314mg | Potassium: 561mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3819IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 2mg

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Step by Step Photos of Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens

Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens Recipe (5)
Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens Recipe (6)
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Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens Recipe (9)
Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens Recipe (10)
Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long do you pressure can collard greens? ›

Process jars in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure at altitudes of 0 to 1,000 ft (or at 15 pounds pressure at altitudes above 1,000 ft). Process pints for 70 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes.

How to cook collard greens Patti Labelle? ›

Add the collard greens, chicken stock, onions, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt. Mix in the smoked turkey. Turn the heat to low and cook, covered, until the greens are tender but not too soft, 35 minutes.

Why do you put vinegar in collard greens? ›

This might seem like an unusual addition if you're new to making collard greens, but the vinegar adds a welcome tangy note that brightens the dish and balances out the salty, savory flavors. A tablespoon of sugar also helps balance out the greens' potential bitterness.

What does baking soda do to collard greens? ›

In the case of collard greens, baking soda's utility is threefold, serving as a flavor enhancer, a tenderizer, and a color protector. Baking soda is an alkali salt possessing the tenderizing and flavor-enhancing properties of regular salt.

How to can greens in a pressure cooker? ›

Correct Canning Method
  1. Add two (2) inches of water to the bottom of cooker.
  2. Exhaust steam for 10-12 minutes.
  3. Start to increase pressure by closing petco*ck or by placing weight on vent pipe and bring pressure to that recommended for your altitude.
  4. Start processing time as soon as correct pressure is reached.

How to pressure can collards? ›

Place jars in pressure canner, lock the pressure canner lid and bring to a boil on high heat. Let canner vent for 10 minutes. Close vent and continue heating to achieve 11 psi for a dial gauge and 10 psi for a weighted gauge. Process pint jars for 75 minutes and quart jars for 90 minutes.

What takes the bitterness out of collard greens? ›

The foods that help reduce bitterness are:
  • Salt while cooking and/or while eating (like on bitter salad greens)
  • Sweet or Spicy.
  • Sour or Acids like lemon or vinegar.
  • Long cooking like braising (think southern collard greens that are cooked for hours)
  • Blanch first.
Jul 7, 2021

How to cook collard greens Martha Stewart? ›

Directions
  1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring often, until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in red-pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. ...
  2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add water, and steam,covered, until greens are just tender and water evaporates, about 10 minutes.
May 16, 2017

How do you get the strong taste out of collard greens? ›

Add Vinaigrette, Emphasis on "Vinegar"

Acidity can really bring a pleasant flavor out of bitter greens. If they're being used for a salad, it's good to add a vinaigrette with plenty of acidity to brighten it up. If you are sauteing, add some vinegar or citrus to the greens to finish them off.

Which vinegar is best for collard greens? ›

Apple cider vinegar: Collards can be notoriously bitter. The vinegar balances the flavor and removes the bitterness. Stone House Seasoning: My favorite house blend seasoning of garlic, salt, and pepper. Sugar: A little bit helps remove any bitterness from the collard greens while giving a slightly sweet flavor.

How long do you soak collard greens before cooking? ›

Let the greens soak for 20-30 minutes, giving them a good scrub midway. The vinegar and salt will help loosen & remove any dirt, grit and bring out any bugs hiding in the greens. Drain the water and soak again in plain water (1-2 times) if the water is dirty and gritty.

When making collard greens do you use the stems? ›

Why: Most collard recipes call to discard the stems because they're so fibrous, but if you chop them small, they will cook just like the leafy greens. The finished dish is just as delicious and a lot thriftier than traditional collard greens, and the pleasantly-supple stems give these greens a distinctive bite.

Does Epsom salt help collard greens? ›

Collards do enjoy some good fertilizer in the soil to help them grow big leaves that are sweet and juicy. To fertilize my collard greens I use natural fertilizers like fish emulsions, Epsom salts, and compost tea.

What is not to be used with green vegetables when cooking? ›

Some people (especially food service establishments relying upon your satisfaction) add an alkaline ingredient, such as baking soda, to the cooking water to help retain the color of green vegetables. This is a bad practice, however, and you should avoid adding baking soda when boiling any type of vegetable.

Do you drain canned collard greens? ›

Some people may like to drain off the liquid due to its sodium content, but that juice has a lot of the flavor from the greens in it. Just as you might reserve the water that you cooked greens in, it can be a good idea to keep about half of the liquid from the can to add to your pot.

What is the best way to preserve collard greens? ›

The preferred method of preserving hearty greens is freezing because it provides a higher quality product than canning or drying. Heartier greens such as spinach, mustard greens, beet tops, collards, kale, and Swiss chard can be frozen. As a low acid food, greens can only be pressure canned.

Can you pressure cook something too long? ›

Steam penetrates food easily under pressure. So connective tissues in cubes of beef for soups or stews soften in 15 minutes or less, and a pot roast will be medium-rare in 30 minutes. Be sure to follow instructions carefully; at this speed, it's easy to overcook things in mere minutes.

How do you doctor up a can of collard greens? ›

16 Ways To Make Canned Collard Greens So Much Better
  1. Drain and rinse them well. Lara Hata/Getty Images. ...
  2. Saute canned collard greens in bacon grease. ...
  3. Enhance with onions and garlic. ...
  4. Splash in some vinegar. ...
  5. Include a smoky component. ...
  6. Add soy sauce to canned collard greens. ...
  7. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes. ...
  8. Pour in some cream.
May 6, 2024

How many days does it take for collard greens to mature? ›

Collards should be ready for harvest 60 to 80 days after direct seeding, depending on the cultivar. Microgreens will be ready to harvest 10 to 15 days after seeding. Entire plants may be cut when half-grown or full-grown.

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