Description
This Slow Cooker Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey recipe is a hearty, flavorful southern classic made easy with a slow cooker. Tender collard greens are layered with smoked turkey wings, a blend of seasonings, onions, garlic, chicken stock, and apple cider vinegar, then slow-cooked for 8 hours until perfectly tender. The result is a rich, savory dish full of depth, perfect for serving as a comforting side or a main course with cornbread.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Collard Greens
- 6 pounds (approx. 12 bunches or 2 3/4 kilograms) collard greens or 5 pounds (2 1/4 kilograms) bagged greens
Seasonings
- 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Liquids
- 2 cups (500 milliliters) chicken stock
- 1/2 cup (125 milliliters) apple cider vinegar
Vegetables
- 1 large (3 cups or 275 grams) white onion, peeled and chopped
- 6 cloves (1/3 cup or 45 grams) garlic, peeled and sliced
Protein
- 3 pounds (approx. 1 1/2 kilograms) smoked turkey wings or drumsticks
Instructions
- Prep and Wash the Greens: Tear the collard leaves away from the stem, stack in piles of five leaves, cut in half lengthwise, roll into ‘collard cigars’ and slice into 1-inch sections. If using bagged greens, discard thick stems over 1/8-inch. Wash the greens thoroughly in cold water, agitating and massaging to remove dirt. Repeat rinsing and soaking three times until clean but still moist.
- Combine Seasonings: In a small bowl, mix granulated sugar, seasoned salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes until well combined. In another bowl, stir together chicken stock and apple cider vinegar.
- Layer Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Add half of the greens into the slow cooker. Sprinkle half of the spice blend, half of the chopped onions, and half of the garlic over the greens. Pour half of the chicken stock-vinegar mixture over the top. Nestle half of the smoked turkey wings on this first layer. Press down gently to make room. Repeat the layering process with the remaining ingredients.
- Initial Cooking and Lid Seal: Press the slow cooker lid firmly for the first hour to ensure a seal or wrap it in foil as the lid may not sit snugly initially. This allows the steam to build and greens to wilt.
- Slow Cook the Greens: Set the slow cooker to high and cook for 8 hours. Stir the greens every hour thoroughly from top to bottom to ensure even cooking. Expect some messiness during the first two hours as the cooker will be very full.
- Finish and Serve: After 8 hours, the greens will be tender and swimming in flavorful pot likker. Remove the turkey wings and let cool slightly. Shred the turkey meat from the bones and stir it back into the greens. Serve hot with pot likker as a side or enjoy as a main with cornbread.
Notes
- To speed up prep, you can purchase pre-washed, pre-cut collard greens but ensure to discard any tough stems.
- If you don’t have smoked turkey wings, smoked turkey drumsticks work equally well.
- Stirring every hour during cooking promotes even texture and prevents scorching on the bottom.
- The pot likker (the cooking liquid) is packed with flavor—don’t discard it; serve alongside or drizzle over the greens.
- This dish develops even more flavor when allowed to rest and reheat the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
