Slow Cooker Collard Greens are easy to make and so delicious! This is a classic Southern food that is most often served with cornbread. Crock pot collard greens are a traditional New Years Day meal!
Slow Cooker Collard Greens
Collards, or collard greens, are most often eaten in the American South, as that is where they seem to grow best. Cooked low and slow, these tasty greens, flavored by most often by pork, are delicious, tender, and so classically Southern!
Collard greens are considered a "non-heading" cabbage, and a cousin to the popular kale. The Greeks grew collards in their gardens over 2,000 years ago! They were eventually brought to America.
You can eat collard greens raw (in salads or smoothies, etc.), blanched, fried, boiled, etc. They are pretty hard to overcook, as long as there is enough liquid in the pot with them.
Add some pork or turkey, preferably smoked, for amazing flavor. If your greens end up a little bitter, a teaspoon of sugar and a little salt should take that away.
Slow cooker collard greens takes advantage of this green's ability to be cooked for a long period of time. Check on them a couple of times to make sure there is enough liquid in the crock, and go about your business.
If you can, serve your collard greens with some cornbread to sop up the "pot likker" which is a term for the liquid in the pot from cooking the greens. Yum!
Slow Cooker Green Beans with Bacon & Potatoes
Southern Pineapple Casserole
Easy Slow Cooker Cheesy Grits
Best Slow Cooker Baked Beans
Pin This crock pot collard greens recipe
If you make this crock pot collard greens recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I'd like to know how you liked it!
Slow Cooker Collard Greens
- 2 Meaty Smoked Ham Hocks, or smoked turkey wings, legs, necks
- 1 lg Onion, chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 lb Collard Greens, chopped
- 1 tsp Seasoned Salt
- ½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes, optional
- 5-6 cups Chicken Broth, low sodium
- 1-2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Sugar*
- Hot Sauce
-
Add the ham hocks, onion, garlic, collards, seasoned salt, red pepper flakes, and broth to a 6 qt or larger slow cooker.
-
Cook on Low for 8-10 hours, or High for 5-6 hours, stirring once halfway through, and again an hour before serving.
-
Remove the ham hock (or other meat) and remove the meat from the bone. Then add the meat back in to the slow cooker. Stir.
-
Add the ACV and sugar. Stir, then taste and adjust salt or other seasoning.
-
Serve with some hot sauce, and corn bread or biscuits to sop up the pot likker (liquor).
*The greens can sometimes be a little bitter. Sugar helps with this, as does a little salt and/or lemon juice.
RESOURCES TO MAKE slow cooker collard greens recipe and more
This post contains Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
LeeAnn
Great recipe!
angela
Do I have to use viniger
Sandy
No you don't. It gives a tang and helps soften, but you can leave it out.
Ronald Stevens
This is my 3rd time making this recipe and I can't wait until there done 😋. I have been trying other recipes, and they did not even come close to yours. I have shared them with some of my friends and they couldn't believe that I was able to make them. I like to think that I am a good cook, but this added to my list of things I can do. I did use a smoked ham hock and used some sugar, all added to the flavor. Thank you.
Linda
Delicious! I used a ham bone from our ham we had for dinner that still had some meat on it.