Slow Cooker Collard Greens
108 Comments Dec 12, 2019
Updated Apr 18, 2025
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Prepare this easy Slow Cooker Collard Greens recipe for a delicious side. These collards have a smoky ham flavor and a great broth!
Collard greens are a southern style recipe with amazing smoke flavor. These greens go amazing with Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas, Slow Cooker Pork Chops and much more!
Featured Comment
“My friends and family that cook greens all the time rated mine the best! BTW, I have never made them before…My mother and sister wont eat greens, but they devoured these. Highly recommend this recipe.”
– Karen
Collard greens need quite a bit of time to soften up and that’s why making them in the crockpot is the best! While they cook, a wonderful broth (pot liquor) is formed from the flavors of the bacon, ham, and spices. This broth is wonderful with the greens and some people even drink what’s left in their bowl. Also, try my slow cooker creamed spinach recipe.
What are collard greens?
- Collard greens are a leafy dark green vegetable.
- Have a very tough stem that travels up the entire leaf and needs to be removed before cooking.
- Collard greens are in the same family as cabbage, kale, mustard and turnips.
Ingredients for the best collard greens
Fresh Collard Greens – These should be dark and vibrant green. Trim off the stem and tear into strips.
Crumbled Bacon and Bacon Grease – My mom would always cook with bacon fat and it really steps up a recipe.
Ham Hocks or Shanks – This is where the smoky element comes in and I shred the meat off the bone and put it into the finished collard greens.
Apple Cider Vinegar – Just a touch of vinegar
Brown Sugar – This gives the greens a slightly sweet flavor and the helps flavor the broth.
Seasonings – Salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Chicken Broth – This is the moisture for this recipe. You can use water here but be sure to add more salt to taste if needed at the end of the cooking time.
Cook’s Notes
Mustard, turnip, or kale greens can be used in place of collard greens—just use the same amount.
If you can’t find a ham hock or shank, try using smoked turkey wings, drumsticks, necks, kielbasa, or diced ham instead.
Bagged greens work great—about two pounds is the right amount for this recipe.
Can I use canned collard greens?
- You can, but you will need to alter the recipe.
- Canned collard greens are fully cooked and sometimes already seasoned. You can add bacon, brown sugar, vinegar, and red pepper flakes to them to make them even better. I would skip the ham hock for it needs more time than canned greens to cook.
- To heat canned collard greens in the crockpot: Add 2-3 cans to a slow cooker (add any extra seasonings if desired) and heat on HIGH for 1.5 – 2 hours.
What to Serve with Collard Greens
Collard greens are a Southern staple, and they pair perfectly with a variety of comfort food sides and mains.
Beans & Peas:
Serve them alongside Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas for a classic New Year’s combo or go with Pinto Beans if you prefer something milder.
Hearty Mains:
Hearty mains, like crockpot chicken thighs or ham dinner, pair perfectly with tender, flavorful collard greens.
Carbs to Round It Out:
Try Steamed White Rice for a simple base, or add a scoop of Crockpot Mac and Cheese, made extra creamy with cream cheese.
Bread on the Side:
No Southern meal is complete without cornbread—make a batch of Slow Cooker Cornbread or bake mini cornbread muffins to go with it.
Slow Cooker Collard Greens
How to Video
Ingredients
- 8 cups collard greens, (2 large bunches, remove ribs and stems and discard, rip the greens into bite sized pieces)
- 2 ham hocks or shanks
- 12 oz. package bacon, sliced and cooked, drained (save the bacon drippings)
- 3 Tbsp. bacon drippings (grease), (from above bacon) optional
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add the collard greens to the slow cooker.
- Add the ham hocks or shanks on top of the greens.
- Add the cooked bacon, bacon drippings, brown sugar, chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 7-8 hours or until tender. Try to keep the lid on the entire cooking time or they won't tenderize.
- Remove the ham hocks or shanks and shred any meat you can find on them. Add the meat to the greens and stir.
- Serve with the broth (pot liquor) and your other favorite southern dishes.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Any input for someone living on the eastern slope of the Sierras (4600 feet?) Things cook slower here!
I would definitely cook everything on high and adjust the time as needed
Hi, great recipe!! Lots of flavor. I did run into a slight problem. I used fresh collards from my garden, our first leaves between 14 to 10 inches long. They had great flavor, but they were only half cooked after 4 hours. I stirred them and added another cup and half of water and no salt. In another 3 hours on high, they were perfect!! We ate them that night and they were supposed to be for Sunday dinner. I just cut more on Sunday and fired up the crock pot again, lol.
I would advise you to stir fry them then add to crockpot. I do that all the time. It’s call fried collards.
These greens are Amazing! I used bagged collards. I used the bacon grease, but not the bacon and I substituted the ham hocks for a smoked turkey wing. I also added about a teaspoon more of the brown sugar. I make greens a lot, and these are among some of the best I’ve tasted. The recipe was super simple too. I will definitely be making these again. Give them a try.
Does the ham hocks have to be thawed out?
No, I think they would thaw quickly and be fine.
I’m as country as they come and grew up eating collards that my mother cooked. She never even had a desire to have a crock pot. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe and reporting the results to my sister. This way we can cook our collards while we are out and about!!! Thanks!!!
Made these for the first time on New Years Day to go with black eyed peas. Making them again today! Sooooooo good! . The first of every month?!?! ♀️
Great way to fix collards
This is a great recipe, although i don’t eat pork, the results were awesome♂️. But honestly, like most recipes, this takes too long for me. I’ll stick to my Rosey Bloom’s collards Fully seasoned aaand great tasting. I literally just heat’em and eat’em, sometimes i don’t even heat them ♂️ they’re so good!
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Yuuummmmm! I grew up being eating these greens, did not realize brown sugar was used. Mom was a great cook!
I sure hope I get this recipe