These Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens are flavorful, tender, and cooked in half the time as the stove top method. Now you can enjoy collard greens any day of the week!
The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.
If you live in the South, then you know all about the amazing way collard greens are cooked down here. For me, southern-style collard greens are like a dream come true. It’s a must-have item I have to have on my Thanksgiving plate. I avoided making it at home for the longest time because of how long the process was of making the greens.
But the Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker came to the rescue, and now I can make collards in less than an hour! I’m sharing my dump-and-go collard green recipe that can be made with little to no effort while you prepare the rest of your dinner. Lookout, Thanksgiving, my collards are going to be the easiest thing you make.
If you like these collard greens, try my slow cooker collard greens or my collard green soup.
A Quick Glance at the Ingredients Needed
- For the potlikker/ broth - smoked turkey leg, onion, garlic, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, and apple cider vinegar. These ingredients give you some of the best-tasting broth with these greens.
- Fresh Collard greens - chopped. I like buying pre-chopped bags, or you can buy and cut the fresh collards into 1-inch pieces.
How to make Pressure Cooker Collard Greens
Step 1: Add smoked turkey leg, onion, garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, and chicken broth into the Pressure Cooker.
Step 2: Add the cut collard greens on top, pushing down so that the greens are not sticking out of the pressure cooker.
Step 3: Place the lid on the pressure cooker, making sure the valve is set to “Sealing.” Pressure cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
Once time is up, do a quick release by switching the valve to “Venting.”
Step 4: Open the lid and remove the turkey leg from the pressure cooker. Use forks to shred the meat off the bone, then return it to the pressure cooker.
Step 5: Add Apple cider vinegar to the collards and stir.
Make-ahead and Storage Options
These greens are great for making ahead of time. Store the greens and the broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen for 3-6 months.
Why you should eat more Collard Greens
Collard greens are rich in many essential vitamins and offer great health benefits. They are also delicious when prepared right and are a great way to introduce kids to vegetables. My 10-year-old loves these southern-style collard greens, so I often make them.
What makes these pressure cooker Collard Greens so Flavorful?
That good ol' turkey leg. I like to add a fully cooked smoked turkey leg to the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker. You can find these in any grocery store. It brings so much flavor to the collards. I don't even add salt when I prepare this recipe. It's just not needed.
Feel free to use any smoked meat in this recipe, from smoked ham to bacon. It'll bring so much flavor to the greens. Or leave it out if you want to keep it meatless.
How long to cook collard greens in the Pressure Cooker
I prepared this recipe in my 6-quart Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. The pressure cook time for this recipe, as written, is 35 minutes. That is the perfect amount of time to allow the turkey leg meat to fall off the bone and to have the collards soften without turning to mush. If preparing this recipe without the turkey leg, adjust the pressure cook time to 25 minutes.
Looking for more Side Dishes? Try these out:
- Instant Pot Cabbage
- Instant Pot Green Beans and Potatoes
- Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Black-eyed Peas
- Vegan collard greens
Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add smoked turkey leg, onion, garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, chicken broth into Pressure Cooker. Then add collard greens on top, pushing down so that the greens are not sticking out the pressure cooker.
- Place lid on pressure cooker, making sure the valve is set to “Sealing.”
- Pressure cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
- Once time is up, do a quick release by switching the valve to “Venting.”
- Open lid and remove turkey leg from pressure cooker. Use forks to shred the meat off the bone, returning the meat to the pressure cooker.
- Add Apple cider vinegar to the collards and stir. Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition
Notes
- To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetable broth and adjust the pressure cook time to 25 minutes.
- This recipe was prepared in a 6-quart Instant Pot. Please adjust accordingly for 3-qt and 8-qt models.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!This post was originally published on August 7, 2018. It has been updated with new helpful information and tips.
Jo says
My housemate moved from the South to California. I love to cook, and when he was missing collards and smoked turkey, I offered to cook them for him. However, as a California native, Southern food is not in my repertoire, and I was not sure what I was doing. Your recipe was exactly what he wanted, and I have made it twice to his delight!I appreciate you and your recipes!
Tanya says
Thanks so much, Jo! What an honor. So happy you and your friend enjoyed the collards.
Adriene says
This has become the only way I prepare my collard greens. What a wonderful recipe!! Thank God for the pressure cooker 😊 Does the time need to be adjusted when preparing turnip greens?
Tanya says
Hey Adriene, thank you! I haven't done turnips in the pressure cooker but I would keep the cook time the same.
Christina says
Hi there! This looks so good! Would ham hocks also work in this recipe instead of turkey?
Tanya says
Hey Christina, thanks so much! Ham hocks will work. Just cook until they are tender.
Freda says
These are my go-to Collards now. I'm from Texas by way of Mississippi, so I chop up a jalapeno instead of the red chili flakes. Now with cornbread, that's some GOOD EATIN'!
Tanya says
Thank you, Freda! I love your modification of using the jalapeño!