Slow Cooker Collard Greens
112 CommentsUpdated 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.
Can I make these on stove top while the black-eyed peas are cooking in the slow cooker? How long do you think they should cook?
Thank you, Anne
I think they would take about 45 minutes.
I made these collard greens using smoked Turkey legs. This is my FIRST effort in making collards so I was nervous. I received lots of compliments as it was quite delicious. I didn’t change anything. I did follow the in-recipe link for crockpot Black eyed Peas as the main dish. Overall, both recipes were bang on point!
I plan on keeping some of the stems that are in the beg of greens – do I need to lengthen the cooking time and if so do I need to add more broth?
I woud cook for one hour longer and add a touch more broth.
The recipe looks great! My only suggestion is for the fresh greens is to wash the greens 3 times in salted water to get rid of any dirt and/or bugs. I was taught this and have done it my whole adult life. Nothing quite like biting into sand!
I wash mine twice, because they are rinsed with water at the store. I soak with salt and white vinegar.
Wow. First timer here. I get it. These are really quite tasty!!
Made these today… first time making homemade collard greens… absolutely DELICIOUS!!! I will be making them on the regular now..
Hi, I gave this 4 stars just because I have not tried this yet. I have bones and pieces left from a country ham that I will be using. Any suggestions on using this? I will omit the salt. Thanks for any help or suggestions you can give me. Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.
What are the instant pot directions ?
Love your recipe with bacon grease and apple cider vinegar. Amazing!
I bought bagged collards and followed the recipe but they turned out really salty. I pored off the liquid and rinsed them & then our water in. They tasted fine, but what did I do wrong?
This recipe seems salt-heavy; ham, bacon, chicken broth (if processed version is used), and salt are all significant sources of sodium. I use low sodium chicken broth or my homemade broth, reduce the amount of bacon, and skip the salt. I don’t want salt to overwhelm the incredible flavor of collards.