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!
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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.
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 of here.
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 them here. Or you can be like me and BUY THE BAG.
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 electric pressure 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
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 CookerNutrition
Step by Step Photos of Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens
Christina
Thursday 9th of November 2023
Hi there! This looks so good! Would ham hocks also work in this recipe instead of turkey?
Tanya
Friday 10th of November 2023
Hey Christina, thanks so much! Ham hocks will work. Just cook until they are tender.
Freda
Wednesday 26th of July 2023
These are my go-to Collards now. I'm from Texas by way of Mississippi, so I chop up a jalapeno instead of the red chili flakes. Now with cornbread, that's some GOOD EATIN'!
Tanya
Thursday 27th of July 2023
Thank you, Freda! I love your modification of using the jalapeño!
Sheryl
Wednesday 5th of July 2023
Hi, my first time to cook Collard Greens and this recipe was just right! Your detail and clear instructions helped tremendously! My husband is from the South and raised on collard greens -- he enjoyed the dish and went for seconds. That's a big thumbs up! The turkey leg -- I had just smoked a turkey in the smoker and had not served it yet -- fortuitous for me to use it in the greens. Thanks so much for sharing your cooking.
Tanya
Sunday 9th of July 2023
Thanks Sheryl, so happy you liked the recipe :)
Dianna
Tuesday 13th of June 2023
Probably the best recipe I've found for greens! I was always missing a little something in mine. These are SO good. Thank you!
Tanya
Tuesday 13th of June 2023
Thanks Dianna! So happy you like the recipe :)
Kristen
Sunday 1st of January 2023
The flavor is good, but 35 minutes was way too long to pressure cook the greens. They were very mushy. I'll adjust down to 20 minutes next time.
Tanya
Tuesday 3rd of January 2023
Hi Kristen, glad you enjoyed the flavor. The 35 minute cook time allows the turkey leg to become tender while cooking the greens. Smaller cut greens will also cook quicker. The greens in the bags are usually cute larger. You can adjust the time to 20 minutes if using smaller sized smoked meats or if you're omitting the meat altogether.