You want fast, delicious greens on a weeknight, then go for the instant pot and make these pressure cooker collard greens.
Though cooked quickly these greens still have that great greens flavor. Flavors are balance mix of tangy, smoky, and briny.
Store-bought pre-packaged collard greens are used for a convenient time saver and cooked with other traditional Southern-style collard greens ingredients.
Mood Music
The song Yeah, Yeah, Yeah is partly about clubbing on a weeknight. That's what these pressure cooker collards are all about - enjoying collard greens on a weeknight. These greens are as fire and audacious as the song.
Ingredients Needed For Pressure Cooker Collard Greens
- Collard Greens
- Onions
- Garlic Cloves
- Cider Vinegar
- Bourbon
- Maple Syrup
- Chicken Stock
- Smoked Turkey Parts
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Black Garlic Salt (optional)
How To Pressure Cook Collard Greens
Heat Instant Pot on saute settings (High) and once display reads “Hot” add olive oil and brown the smoked turkey about 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
Add the sliced onions and saute 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, plus half the spice mix (salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes). Mix well.
Add the chicken stock and deglaze the bottom of the pan by scrubbing the bottom with a wooden spoon.
Add the bourbon, cider vinegar, maple syrup, and the remaining spices including the black garlic salt if using. Mix well.
Add the collard greens then top with the smoked turkey. You’ll likely need to press the greens down a bit to make room which is ok. Everything will reduce during cooking. Close the lid and pressure cook for 25 minutes then allow the collards to release naturally.
Remove the lid. Mix the ingredients well and adjust for seasoning.
Cooking Considerations and Tips
The pre-packaged store-bought greens are pre-washed, but I prefer to give them a wash of my own just to be sure.
Obviously, you can use fresh unpackaged collard greens. Note cook time may vary a little bit depending on how you cut them. The bigger the leaf the longer the time needed.
The cider vinegar adds a bit of acidity which helps break down the greens. To balance against the acidity plus the natural bitterness of the greens I add maple syrup as a sweetener. Plain sugar or brown sugar could be used for the same purpose. I prefer maple cause it has a bit more flavor complexity and it’s liquid making it more easily and uniformly dispersed throughout the pot vs having sweet spots here and there.
Bourbon sounds like a weird ingredient for collard greens, but it adds depth, complexity, and marries well with the maple.
Use your smoked meat of choice. This recipe calls for smoked turkey. I used butts or tails, but necks or wings are great. Likewise, smoked ham hocks or pork neck bones are great.
Make it a Southern recipe menu by serving these pressure cooker collard greens with fried chicken, Mac and cheese, and hot water cornbread.
For Other Collard Greens Recipes
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Equipment
- pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 3-4 bunches Collard Greens
- 1 pound smoked turkey butts
- 2 medium Onions sliced
- 1 cup Cider vinegar
- ¼ cup Bourbon
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Pepper
- ½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 quart Stock
- 4 cloves Garlic diced
- 1 tsp black garlic salt optional
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Heat Instant Pot on saute settings (High) and once display reads “Hot” add olive oil and brown the smoked turkey about 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Add the sliced onions and saute 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, plus half the spice mix (salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes). Mix well.
- Add the chicken stock and deglaze the bottom of the pan by scrubbing the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Add the bourbon, cider vinegar, maple syrup, and the remaining spices including the black garlic salt if using. Mix well.
- Add the collard greens then top with the smoked turkey. You’ll likely need to press the greens down a bit to make room which is ok. Everything will reduce during cooking. Close the lid and pressure cook for 25 minutes then allow the collards to release naturally.
- Remove the lid. Mix the ingredients well and adjust for seasoning.
I tried several different ways to cook collard greens and settled on your recipe as the absolute best recipe I’ve ever used for cooking greens—perfectly balanced seasoning. I love the addition of bourbon. Thank you!
My hubby and I love vegetables especially collard greens and I'm always looking for new ways to cook them. I love all the flavors this recipe brings out. Bookmarked! I will try it for sure!
Between how tender the greens were and that pot liquor, I can't even with these greens, Moop. This will be my go-to for future greens cooking. I can't be bothered with standing over a pot for hours anymore.
This is a fantastic way to enjoy collard greens...this looks and sounds so good! A perfect side for so many different meals.
What an amazing combination of ingredients to give this dish its final flavour - maple syrup, bourbon, smoked meat! Complexity is definitely achieved in what would seem like a simple and plain side dish. Excellent.
I always aim to have some greens on the side no matter what I make... definitely an easy recipe to keep handy at all times!
I love all kinds of greens and cook them as much as possible. This way of cooking collards with smoked turkey, bourbon and maple syrup looks and sounds outstanding. On my to make list!
I absolutely love collard greens. I love the combination of flavors, and it all done in a pressure cooker to me means, exceptional flavor, juicy, and so tender! Thanks for sharing!❤️