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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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.
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.
If you like these collard greens, try my slow cooker collard greens or my collard green soup.
Ingredients Needed
- For the potlikker/ broth - smoked turkey leg, onion, garlic, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, and apple cider vinegar
- Fresh Collard greens - chopped. I like buying pre-chopped bags, or you can buy and cut the fresh collards into 1-inch pieces.
How to make Pressure Cooker Collard Greens
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.
Make ahead and storage options
These greens are great for making ahead of time. Store the greens and the broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen for 3-6 months.
Why you should eat more Collard Greens
Collard greens are full of many essential vitamins and have great health benefits. They are also 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 often make them.
Fresh or bagged Collards, which to use?
I’ve made this recipe with fresh collards and the collard greens you find in a bag in the store. Guess what the difference was? Nothing...except the price and convenience. The bag was about 2 dollars more than I spent on the fresh collards, but it was much more convenient.
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.
Looking for more Side Dishes? Try these out:
- Instant Pot Cabbage
- Instant Pot Green Beans and Potatoes
- 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
- 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.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on August 7, 2018. It has been updated with new helpful information and tips.
Sheryl says
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 says
Thanks Sheryl, so happy you liked the recipe 🙂
Dianna says
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 says
Thanks Dianna! So happy you like the recipe 🙂
Kristen says
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 says
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.
Sharon McCullen Jackson says
I have a Ninja Foodie pressure cooker. Does the cook time include the time it takes the pot to come to full pressure? I think mine seals when full pressure is reached. Not sure I can seal it manually.
Tanya says
Hi Sharon, the time listed does not include that time but the machine should take about 10-15 minutes to come to pressure.
Suzy says
i love your blog. I am being introduced to new foods. Never heard of collard greens. Ox tails are not available in my local grocery, and to me grits are something in a movie. Love this
Tanya says
Thanks so much Suzy!
Anjela Dennis says
If I don't have an instapot, what adjustments do I need to make for stovetop???
Tanya says
Hi Anjela, You would need to increase the liquid a bit (by about 1.2 cup), cook the turkey leg covered over low meat until the meat starts to shred (about 1 hour depending on the size of the leg). I'd add the collards and cook for 45 minutes. The pressure cooker just allows me to cook it all the same time while speeding up the process.
Candace says
This is my second time making collard greens using your recipe and I love them everytime. My family loves your recipes.
Tanya says
Thanks so much Candace! So happy you like the recipe 🙂
Doug Fett says
I have made this several times and thought that I should come back and rate it; it is so good! One of my favorites, for sure.
I prefer to get the greens in bunches and wash and cut them, myself, because, one time, I used bagged greens and there were a lot of heavy stems included. If you can get bagged greens that are satisfactory, that would be a nice shortcut. I stuff as many greens into the Instant pot as I can (well over a pound) and that works well.
I'm so glad that I found this recipe. Thank you, Tanya!
Tanya says
Thanks Doug! Great tips on the bagged greens. I've noticed most collards in my store aren't as dirty as they have been in the past either. Much easier to wash and cut them these days too.
Deb says
I follow the instructions exactly I made this twice and each time it was successful the greens were tender the first batch was fresh from the market the second batch was frozen from the market and they are delicious
Tanya says
Thanks Deb! So happy you like the recipe 🙂
Kat says
Hands down the best collards I’ve had to date. Easiest recipe ever! I’ve made them several times, switching up the meats (I’ve used diced ham, a leftover honey baked spiral ham bone, Turkey leg as in original recipe etc etc, always fabulous. The prebagged collards are the best idea ever!!!! Only thing I change is I leave out the red pepper flakes cuz #crybaby. This recipe is my go to and really truly is amazing. I’ve never had greens without some level of bitterness until this recipe. I’ve passed it along to my friend who just finally got her instant pot. It is a solid keeper of a recipe and I love it!!! So thank you for sharing such amazingness 🙂
Dione says
Hello I would like to know if I can add my own seasoning
Tanya says
Absolutely!
Lisa Denham says
Thank you for your recipes. I have tried a couple and they are delicious. I do have a question...The recipe you have for instant pot collard greens, will I have to change the amount of the broth if I wanted to use bacon and add cabbage?
Tanya says
Hi Lisa, thank you. No, you can leave the amount of broth the same. You could even cut it back to 1 cup if you didn't want as much liquid after it's done cooking.
Craig E Berg says
I'm knew at this pressure cooker thing. However, I'm not knew at eating greens. But, I'm knew at making the greens. So my question is to start, how much water do I start with? The recipe says 1.5 cups of chicken stock. But nothing for water. Thank you for your response. Oh I have an 8 quart cooker.
Tanya says
You can use water instead of chicken broth. I just like the flavor of chicken broth better.
Biladl says
Do I have to double the liquid if using 2-3lbs of collards? Also, is the cooking time the same?
Tanya says
Hello. No need to double the liquid. yes, keep the cook time the same.
Ed says
What can you use other then the turkey leg
Tanya says
A Ham hock, bacon, or you can leave the meat out and adjust the cook time to 25 minutes.