Instant Pot collard greens are a Southern-inspired side dish made much quicker in an electric pressure cooker. These Southern greens have a ton of flavor from bacon and ham, and you'll want to drizzle the cooking liquid on everything!
Now I don't like to keep secrets from you, but I've been playing with an Instant Pot for awhile now behind the blog scenes. I'm not an 'early adopter' by nature, so it took months of seeing Instant Pot recipe after Instant Pot recipe on social media before I worked up the courage to dive on in myself.
After studying the user manual and the work process flow chart (not super helpful) and watching a few YouTube set-up tutorials (much more helpful!), I crossed my fingers and pressure cooked for the first time ever.
Succ-ess. Remind me again what I was nervous about? Though it obviously didn't come as a surprise, I was still wowed at how quickly a big chuck roast became perfectly shreddable. Just an hour of cooking time! While my slow cooker is definitely not going anywhere, the same chuck roast I use in this slow cooker shredded beef takes eight-ish hours on high heat in the slow cooker. Hello, time saver Instant Pot.
Saving the day when you forget to start cooking dinner at breakfast and still want to eat dinner that night. 🙂
With this idea in mind, I wanted to see about adapting other longer cooking favorites, starting with this Southern Instant Pot collard greens.
Now I'm probably taking advantage of how prevalent Southern greens are on the menu at restaurants all over Nashville and Asheville (another city we visit frequently). I certainly didn't eat them when I lived up north or out west. But they're my favorite side dish to order alongside hot chicken, BBQ, or any other Southern-inspired dish.
Tender collard or turnip greens are cooked with a bit of meat, sometimes bacon and/or country ham (more on country ham later), in an AMAZING savory cooking liquid. This cooking liquid is called 'pot liquor', which sounds intimidating but is actually a combination of water/broth, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and spices.
I'm willing to bet that even the leafy green vegetable haters in your life wouldn't be able to pass up these Southern Instant Pot collard greens.
This recipe is adapted from the Southern greens side dish at The Loveless Cafe, which were probably the first Southern greens I'd ever eaten. It was to my surprise when I went on their website in the hopes of learning if they use collard or turnip greens that, upon clicking their picture, the full recipe appeared.
I made a few changes, notably using the Instant Pot for five minutes of cooking time instead of simmering on the stovetop for hours. I also used much less liquid, and went with collard greens instead of turnip greens. Either would work, however collard greens are easier to find in the grocery store (at least in my experience).
Southern Instant Pot collard greens recipe notes:
- What's country ham? Believe me, I had to Google because I had no clue. It's a salt-cured ham that I found uncooked, cut into small slices, and vacuum-sealed. Once removed from the package, I roughly chopped it as I did with the uncooked bacon slices. The chopped country ham should be relatively similar in thickness to the bacon, so I cooked them together on the saute function.
- I got my country ham at my usual grocery store, though that may be because I live in country ham territory. If you can't find it, double the bacon and omit the country ham.
- You can use turnip greens if you prefer, or even kale (
though I haven't tested it with kaleupdate: it works great with kale).
And a few Instant Pot notes...
- This Southern Instant Pot collard greens recipe was made and tested with the 6-quart Instant Pot (affiliate link).
- Be sure to deglaze the pan with a bit of the broth after sautéing the bacon/country ham/onion mixture, as written in the recipe below. The stuck on bits will come up from the bottom of the pot very easily. This helps to prevent the "burn" message you might have read about, which displays when the food at the bottom of the pot is too hot/overcooked.
Southern Instant Pot Collard Greens
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 slices uncooked bacon chopped
- 4 oz country ham sliced and chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- ¾ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 16 oz collard greens roughly chopped
Instructions
- Rinse collard greens very well. Remove the thick center stem and roughly chop them into large bite-sized pieces.
- Add olive oil to the Instant Pot. Press the "Saute" button, leaving the lid off.
- Once the oil has heated, add the chopped bacon and country ham. Saute for 4-5 minutes, and then add the chopped onion. Stir everything around periodically (there still may be sticking to the bottom of the pot).
- Once the bacon and country ham has cooked and the onion has become golden, deglaze the pot with about one-third cup of the chicken broth (amount doesn't need to be precise). Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pot and stir.
- Add the rest of the chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
- Add the chopped collard greens to the Instant Pot and pack them in well. Press the "Keep Warm/Cancel" button to shut off the Saute function. You want to allow for adequate space in the Instant Pot before cooking with pressure, so I paused for a minute or two at this point to allow for some of the collard greens to reduce in size before proceeding. Packed in, aim for the Instant Pot to be about two-thirds full.
- Close and lock lid. Ensure the pressure release valve is set to "sealing".
- Press the "Manual" button. Then using the down button, reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes.
- The Instant Pot will take a few minutes to pressurize, during which you may hear a little hissing noise once it's almost there. Then "5" minutes will appear on the display, which will count down until it's done.
- At this point you can allow the Instant Pot to naturally pressure release, or do the quick release. Do whichever one you're comfortable with. Natural pressure release for this recipe took about 20 minutes for me, and I didn't find the greens to be mushy or overdone at all.
- Once the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid and stir everything up. Serve while warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer
Chrystal says
Help! It’s my first time using the pressure cooker and it doesn’t have a manual button. I’m so confused, I just pressed soup and I’ll check on it from there :-/ ..
Alyssa says
Hi Chrystal, the first time using a pressure cooker can definitely be confusing! I'm only familiar with the Instant Pot that has a manual setting, so I am just not sure what's going on there. The soup setting likely will have a default cook time of longer than 5 minutes I'd imagine? If that's what your greens are cooking on, I'd probably stop them after 5-10 minutes of cook time and see how they look then, of course carefully releasing the pressure fully before trying to open the pot. Please follow all safety precautions for your pressure cooker. I hope that helps!
Alyssa says
Chrystal I just did some Googling and it seems like the Manual setting on some newer IP models has been named "pressure cook" instead. Is that available on your model? If so that should be the setting to use.
Kim Douglas says
Perfect taste! Just needed to cook for about 10 min instead of 5
Alyssa says
Glad you liked! 🙂
Lily White says
Wow! Second batch cooking now. The first batch disappeared like magic. If any one had told me that I could have collards this good in under 30 minutes, I would have laughed them out of the house. The cornbread takes longer. Unbelievable. These are wonderful! Thank you for posting these on your site.
Alyssa says
You're welcome, Lily! So glad you like them. 🙂
Russell Logan says
Happy New Year! Delicious for traditional New Year’s dinner. A touch more vinegar AND brown sugar since I had more greens. First time using my instant cooker for greens but won’t be the last.
Alyssa says
So glad you like it, Russell! Thanks for letting me know how it went. Happy New Year. 🙂
Joneice says
I definitely like this recipe. I used 4 bunches of collards, 5 slices of smoked bacon and diced up half onion and half red pepper. Wanted less brown sugar. Also I probably would prefer the greens cooked a slight bit longer. I did 9 minutes in pressure cooker. I would recommend natural release.
Alyssa says
Those modifications sound great, Joneice! Glad you can make it yours. 🙂
MaryK says
The Instant Pot is a wonderful cooking tool to have, I am a big user of mine. And I was thrilled to find a recipe with collard greens in the IP. This recipe cooked the collard greens to a tenderness that was great, (not overcooked at all), but I did cook my greens 15 minutes instead of the recommended 5 minutes.
I regret adding the 2 Tabs of brown sugar, this made the whole pot of greens just intensely sweet. Being a true southern girl, my grandma taught me only to add a medium pinch or two of sugar to cut any bitterness that may occur.
I used a ham bone with some meat on it, which imparted a wonderful true southern flavor without all the extra grease that bacon would add, and no additional ham was added. The crushed red peppers used were a nice addition, but a little more cider vinegar is a must. If you like your greens more southern, omit the extra brown sugar and bacon, and just put a ham bone in the pot.
I give this recipe a 3 1/2 because it was good, but just not quite to my family’s tastes
Alyssa says
Hi Mary, thank you for your thorough review! I'm glad that you made some tweaks according to your tastes, and that you can fine-tune it even further next time. I'm a big Instant Pot fan, too. 🙂
Linda says
Wow, never thought I could make the BEST collards ever, and my first time with the InstantPot to boot. Followed recipe as written and SOOOO good! Thank you and Happy New Year!
Alyssa says
I'm so happy to hear this, Linda! Thanks for letting me know how they went. 🙂 Happy New Year!
SDupree says
Excellent recipe I'm so pleased & appreciate your posting; I substituted turkey parts ( from Amish market) for ham & added kale w/collards 1 bag each, added garlic too! Perfectly sweet spicy mix it's absolutely delicious I'm very impressed with my InstaPot & this recipe in 5mins
Happy Holidays
Alyssa says
So glad you like them! Happy holidays to you and yours, too. 🙂
Lydia L says
Have made yet hoping to for Christmas, just wondering how you determined 16oz, did you weigh or use frozen. Only reason I'm asking is because that can affect how much liquid and sugar and spices you put in.
Alyssa says
Hi Lydia, I have a kitchen scale that I use to weigh things like this, but I find already portioned 16-oz bags of collard greens in the produce section of my grocery store. Depending on what's on sale and available I'll use the bagged greens here with no problem. Bonus that they're already chopped!
Joe Ellett says
If you live somewhere you can't find country ham, look for a good Virginia ham. Even better flavor, although more expensive.
Or you can experiment with proscuitto or pancetta. Proscuitto is more "hammy" while panceta is more "bacony", but they both add a unique, delicious, Italian twist on the Southern recipe.
Or, as has been previously suggested, try ham hock, but if you do that, pressure cook the hock for a few additional minutes before adding the other ingredients and cooking per the recipe, and/or crack the hock with a heavy cleaver or mallet. This will help extract the flavor from the bone.
One thing you DON'T want to do is to use the usual "picnic" ham. The flavor is much too bland and the texture of the ham will come out wrong.
I definitely agree with the people who recommend starting out with half or less the sugar/vinegar, and put apple cider vinegar on the table so people can add it to taste.
Alyssa says
Great tips -- thanks so much for sharing, Joe!
Amanda says
Perfectly balanced recipe! I have tried many collard greens recipes and this is my favorite so far. 5 minutes of pressurized cooking time is perfect. I made three changes to the recipe based on my personal taste and what I had on hand. I used bacon only, no ham, and halved the amount of brown sugar. I also added 4 sliced garlic cloves the last minute of sautéing the onions. I will use this recipe again and again!
Alyssa says
So happy you like them, Amanda! Thanks for letting me know how it went. 🙂
Josh says
I really enjoyed this and will 100% make this again. My house smelled incredible after cooking. A couple of mods for me on the stock, vinegar, and brown sugar next time though that I'll share.
I halved the brown sugar this time and it was still just a bit too sweet for me so next time I think I'll do more like a teaspoon or a big pinch. Also I really get the purpose of the vinegar and where it sits in the flavor profile, but it was way too much for me so I'll just do a splash next time. And in an effort to decrease the amount of liquid I'd like to try maybe just a 1/2 cup of stock. I also want to try way more greens in the pot, cook them down a bit and add more to get more in there--we wanted more!!
Thanks so much for this recipe!
Alyssa says
So glad you liked this, Josh! Those sound like great changes to make this more your style. I haven't tried reducing the liquid, but I think there's some room there. I'd be afraid reducing it too much wouldn't provide enough liquid for steam to be created and for the IP to stay at pressure. Please let me know if you give it a try!
Matthew Green says
Just made these for the greens on my birthday dinner plate.
WOW...... I’ve been a fan of greens my entire life and had the good fortune to live in some places that grow and serve up some damn good greens and these are amazing!!! Thank you for the gift and I’m in awe I actually made this dish myself (with your recipe).
Alyssa says
I'm so happy you like them, Matthew! Gotta love greens. Happy belated birthday!
Frederick Jackson says
I swapped out pork products for smoke turkey..comes in legs,wings or my favorite neck bones. Love me some collards .Good recipe with options to suit ones taste.
Alyssa says
So glad you liked it! Smoked turkey sounds great - I'll have to keep an eye out for turkey necks and give them a try.
Frederick Jackson says
Here in so cal.i found them at supermkts that have a customer base for them .ask if they will stock for you. Making another batch now..fhj
Alyssa says
Great tip - thank you!
Rakiya says
I love a man that can cook! I’m in So-Cal too.
M says
Made these for dinner tonight and they were delicious! I followed the recipe pretty closely and they turned out exactly like my southern granny used to make. 5 minutes was exactly the right amount of time for tender but not mushy greens. Will definitely make these again- thanks for the recipe!!
Alyssa says
You're so welcome! Glad you liked them.
Marie says
Two tablespoons of brown sugar, really? No self-respecting Southerner would ever put that in collard greens. If we use sugar, at all, its a pinch of white sugar...
Alyssa says
Please use whatever sugar you prefer, Marie! Or don't use sugar at all if that's your preference. This recipe is based on the one from Loveless Cafe, which does use brown sugar, but is definitely not the be-all and end-all of Southern cuisine.
Rae says
I’m a southerner and we use brown sugar. It makes it sweet and a bit smoky. You should try it. You’re definitely missing out. White sugar in beans, brown in greens. Yummm
Susie says
I have 2 store bought packages of turnips. Can I double the recipe and do them both?
I want to make sure it’s not to much at one time.
Alyssa says
Hi Susie, are you using a six-quart Instant Pot? I'd be afraid two 16-oz packages of greens would be too much to fit in a 6-qt IP at once.
Cathy says
I’ve never had collard greens in my life and I’m 62. I’ve always wanted to try them. I was afraid they would be really bitter but to my surprise they are delicious! My husband kept turning up his nose too, and said to me “you know I don’t think I will like these” so I wasn’t holding out much hope. He loves them, a lot. He’s ya huge fan of cabbage and we both think collard green taste like the dark outer leaves of cabbage. I don’t know if I just got some good collard greens or if this is how they always taste but rest assured I will be making these again! I follow the recipe with the exception of using the ham and I only used 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar, they came out fantastic. I Bought 2 bunches of greens I don’t know what they weigh once I cleaned them but my instant pot was 3/4 full when I pushed them down. Great recipe, that I wil keep for sure! Thanks
Alyssa says
I'm so glad you both love them, Cathy! Making them "Southern-style" is definitely a game-changer. Thank you so much for letting me know how they went! 🙂
Bonnie says
I am in North Carolina and I love collard greens. I got turned on to cabbage collards a few years ago and grow my own in my backyard in the fall. I pull them after the first frost - that makes them sweeter...with country ham there is no better eating on earth! Then add fried thin cornbread to the pot liquor for an after dinner treat!! Good southern eating!