These Easy Southern Collard Greens with bacon are a classic southern recipe that couldn't be easier to make! With just 4 ingredients and a little patience, you can have delicious collards just like Grandma used to make!
My grandma in South Carolina would slow simmer her collards for hours on the back burner in a giant stockpot with ham. This easy collard greens recipe shortens the process a bit and uses bacon as a shortcut but the end result is every bit as flavorful and tender!
(We always make these, Hoppin' John or Corned Beef and Cabbage on New Year's Day to symbolize money in the new year!)
Ingredients
- bacon
- onion
- butter
- collards
How to Prep Collard Greens
It's important to properly prepare your collard greens for cooking. There's nothing worse than taking a bite of collards and getting a mouthful of grit!
Start by cutting the inedible stem from the center of the collard greens. I like to fold mine in half and cut with a paring knife.
After removing the stem, cut the greens into 1" strips and soak for 10 minutes in a sink full of cold water. Shaken the greens around in the water to help remove any dirt.
Rinse thoroughly in a colander to remove all dirt and sand.
Step by step
Using bacon instead of ham gives this easy collard greens recipe plenty of flavor and flavors them faster than the traditional ham method my grandmother used. (Because is it really even southern cooking without bacon?!)
- Cook the bacon along with onion and butter.
- Add water and collards and simmer for an hour until nice and tender!
Tips for best results
- my recipe calls for water but you can substitute store-bought or homemade chicken stock if desired
- don't season the collard greens with salt until the end of the cooking to prevent your collards from being too salty, the liquid boils off and concentrates as it cooks and can end up too salty if you add it at the beginning
- season the collard greens with hot sauce before serving if desired
You might also like these other classic Southern recipes:
- Charleston Style Shrimp and Grits
- Southern Squash Casserole
- Southern Potato Salad
- Southern Pecan Pie
- Best Egg Salad Recipe
- Grape and Pecan Chicken Salad
- Homemade Pimento Cheese
- Lowcountry Boil
If you try this Collard Greens with Bacon recipe, please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!
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Southern Collard Greens
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: vegetable
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Easy Southern Collard Greens with bacon are a classic southen recipe that couldn't be easier to make! With just 4 ingredients and a little patience, you can have delicious collards just like Grandma used to make!
Ingredients
- ½ pound bacon, cut into 1" pieces
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 2-3 pounds collard greens
- 2 cups water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the collards by slicing the inedible stem off and cutting into 1 inch strips. Soak in cold water for ten minutes, then rinse thoroughly in a colander.
- In a large, deep saucepan cook bacon over medium high heat until browned.
- Add onion and butter and cook until onion is translucent and butter is melted.
- Add water and collards to the pan and reduce heat to low.
- Simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally, or until greens are tender. Add more water 1 cup at a time if needed.
- Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce if desired.
Notes
- rinse collards very well prior to cooking to ensure no dirt or sand remains on the greens
- my recipe calls for water but you can substitute store-bought or homemade chicken stock if desired
- don't season the collard greens with salt until the end of the cooking, the liquid boils off and concentrates as it cooks and can end up to salty if you add it at the beginning
- season the collard greens with hot sauce before serving if desired
Keywords: southern collard greens with bacon
Jannie says
This is the exact way I make my collards, I learned from my grandma too!
★★★★★