Spending a fair amount of my childhood in the south collard greens with smoked turkey legs were a very popular side dish both at home and local meat and three restaurant’s.
Southern Style Collard Greens Recipe
Southern style collard greens is a healthy, tasteful side dish. It is a very popular side dish in the south both at home and out at restaurants.
If you want flavorful southern soul food, make sure you follow this recipe closely. You’ll also find out that my favorite way to make this recipe isn’t too challenging either.
After you have your collard greens prepared, start sauteing your onions with butter over medium heat until they are tender.
Once they are tender, add in the smoked turkey legs, chicken stock, and Carolina vinegar sauce.
Reduce the heat from medium to a simmer. Simmer these until the turkey legs are falling off the bone.
Then remove the turkey from the pot and add in your prepared collard greens, BBQ dry rub Tabasco sauce, and chili flakes.
Make sure to keep an eye on it, but simmer the collard greens for another 60-90 minutes. Drain 1 quart of the liquid to make the potlikker gravy.
Toss your shredded turkey meat back into the pot of greens and stir in before serving.
By the end of this recipe, you’ll feel like you traveled past the southern border to get this dish.
Ingredients
- Collard Greens I used a blend of greens
- Smoked Turkey Legs
- 2 tbsp Butter
- Onions, Chopped
- Carolina Vinagar BBQ Sauce
- BBQ Dry Rub
- Red Chili Flakes
- Tabasco Sauce
- Chicken Stock
For exact amounts see recipe card below.
Instructions
Wash and Prep your Greens. Wash your collard greens under cold water then remove the leaves from the stem.stack the leaves up in a pile then roll them up and slice into 1 inch thick ribbons then set aside. You can discard stems or save for stock.
Saute. Saute white onions in a large pot over medium heat with butter until tender then add in the smoked turkey legs along with chicken stock and Carolina vinegar sauce
Cook. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 90 minutes until the turkey leg is tender and the meat is falling off the bone. remove the turkey legs from the pot then add in your chopped greens as well as the BBQ dry rub Tabasco sauce and chili flakes.
Shred into bite size pieces. Once the turkey legs are cool enough to handle remove all of the meat and shred into bite size pieces. Make sure that all the little pin bones are discarded.
Simmer. Simmer the collard greens for another 60-90 minutes until greens are tender. Drain off about 1 quart of the liquid (pot liquor) to make the gravy. Top the greens with the shredded turkey leg meat and stir in just before serving.
Pro Tips and Variations
- If you’re not a fan of turkey, don’t worry. You can sub it out for pork, bacon, or ham.
- Apple cider vinegar can be added to the chicken broth and will balance out the salty flavors of the dish.
- You can prep the greens a day or two in advance. Just make sure to keep them in the fridge if you do.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are collard greens?
Collard greens are in the same family as broccoli and cabbage. The tough stems are cut off and we eat the leafy part. The leaves can hold up well when cooked for a while so that’s why they’re commonly found in soups.
Are collard greens healthy?
Yes! Collard greens are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They are a great source of vitamins A, B, and C and are full of calcium, iron, and magnesium. Collard greens are also a tremendous source of vitamin K.
How long will this recipe take to cook?
About 2.5 hours.
How do you wash collard greens?
Cut off the roots, and place the greens in a bowl of cold water. Swirl around the greens to clean off the dirt. Once the bowl gets dirtied up, take out the greens and put them in a clean bowl of water again. Do this until the bowl of water doesn’t get dirty from the leaves.
What to Serve With Southern Collard Greens
Since this recipe is a traditional southern side dish, it goes very well with many other southern dishes. Obviously you can’t go wrong serving this alongside some gumbo. This can also go great with jambalaya, BBQ and cornbread.
More Recipes You Will Love
- Southern coleslaw
- Southern squash casserole
- Smoked bacon wrapped onion rings
- Jamaica jerked grilled chicken wings
- Corn casserole with bacon and smoked Gouda
Southern Style Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey Legs
Equipment
- Large Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Collard Greens I used a blend of greens
- 2 lbs Smoked Turkey Legs
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 cup Onions Chopped
- ¼ cup Carolina Vinagar BBQ Sauce
- 1 tbsp BBQ Dry Rub
- 2 tsp Red Chili Flakes
- 1 tbsp Tabasco Sauce
- 2 Quarts Chicken Stock
Instructions
- Wash your collard greens under cold water then remove the leaves from the stem.stack the leaves up in a pile then roll them up and slice into 1 ich thick ribbons then set aside. You can discard stems or save for stock.
- Saute white onions in a large pot over medium heat with butter until tender then add in the smoked turkey legs along with chicken stock and carolina vinegar sauce
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 90 minutes until the turkey leg is tender and the meat is falling off the bone. remove the turkey legs from the pot then add in your chopped greens as well as the bbq dry rub tabasco sauce and chili flakes.
- Once the turkey legs are cool enough to handle remove all of the meat and shred into bite size pieces. Make sure that all the little pin bones are dicarded.
- Simmer the collard greens for another 60-90 minutes until greens are tender. Drain off about 1 quart of the liquid (pot liquor) to make the gravy. Top the greens with the shredded turkey leg meat and stir in just before serving.
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