Southern Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
Tender, silky collard greens braised low and slow in a smoky, savory pot likker made with smoked turkey wings, onion, garlic, and a splash of cider vinegar for brightness.
- Prep
- 37 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 54 min
- Wait
- 10 min
- Total
- 2 hr 41 min
- Makes
- About 10 cups (8 side-dish servings of about 1¼ cups each) including pot likker
Steps
Before you start
- Collards hide grit: plan on washing the leaves in at least two changes of water, and allow about 35 minutes to wash, stem, and slice 3 pounds of greens.
- Smoked turkey wings are already cured, cooked, and salty, so don't add salt until the end of cooking.
- Use a 6- to 8-quart (5.7–7.5 L) heavy pot with a lid; the raw greens will fill it to the brim before they wilt. Everything cooks on the stovetop; no oven is needed.
- Total time is about 2 hours 40 minutes: 37 minutes prep and plating, 114 minutes on the heat (much of it unattended simmering), and a 10-minute cooling rest.
Wash the collards
- Fill a clean sink or large basin with cold water.
- Submerge the collard leaves and swish vigorously, then lift them out (leaving grit behind) and drain the water.
- Repeat two more times, until no sand collects at the bottom.
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Ready when: No grit remains at the bottom of the basin after the final rinse.
Tip: Lift the leaves out rather than pouring the water through a colander, or the grit will settle back onto them.
Prep greens and aromatics
- Fold each leaf in half along the center rib and slice or pull out the thick stem.
- Stack 5–6 leaves, roll them tightly into a cigar, and slice crosswise into 1-inch (2.5 cm) ribbons.
- Dice the onion into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces and thinly slice the garlic.
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Ready when: All leaves are cut into roughly uniform ribbons with no thick stems.
Tip: Uniform ribbons cook evenly; don't cut them smaller than 1 inch or they turn to mush.
Soften the aromatics
- Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for 30 seconds.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with no browning; garlic smells fragrant but is not brown.
Tip: Burnt garlic turns bitter, so keep it moving and add liquid right after.
Simmer the turkey
- Add the smoked turkey wings, chicken broth, and water.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil (about 5 minutes), then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes to build a smoky broth.
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Ready when: Broth is deeply amber and smells smoky, with a gentle simmer of small bubbles.
Add the greens
- Add the collards in 3–4 handfuls, stirring each batch down with tongs until it wilts before adding more.
- Stir in the brown sugar and black pepper.
- Do not add salt yet.
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Ready when: All the greens are wilted, bright green, and mostly submerged in the broth.
Tip: Adding the greens in batches keeps the pot from overflowing.
Braise until tender
- Cover and cook at a low simmer, stirring every 20 minutes, for 60 minutes total.
- The greens release their own liquid, so the pot should stay moist; only if the pan looks dry, add ¼ cup (60 ml) water.
- Taste a piece of collard near the end: it should be silky and tender with no chewiness.
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Ready when: Greens are olive-green, silky, and tear easily when pressed with a spoon.
Tip: Keep the heat low; a hard boil makes the greens taste sulfurous and washes out flavor.
Shred the turkey
- Turn off the heat.
- Use tongs to move the turkey wings to a cutting board and let them cool for 10 minutes.
- Pull the meat from the bones, discarding skin, bones, and tendons, and shred or chop the meat.
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Ready when: Meat falls easily from the bone in tender shreds.
Tip: Feel through the meat for small bones before returning it to the pot.
Finish and season
- Return the shredded turkey to the pot.
- Stir in the cider vinegar, then simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
- Taste the greens and broth, then add salt in small pinches until the flavors pop, usually about ½ teaspoon (2–3 g).
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Ready when: The broth tastes savory, smoky, and slightly tangy, not flat, and the turkey is hot throughout.
Tip: Add vinegar at the end; cooking it too long dulls its brightness.
Serve with pot likker
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop the greens into a serving bowl, then ladle some of the broth (pot likker) over the top.
- Pass hot sauce at the table if you like.
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Tip: Serve with cornbread for soaking up the pot likker.
Good to know
Tips
- Don't skip the thorough washing; collards trap sand in their crinkles.
- Keep the simmer gentle so the greens turn silky without falling apart.
- Taste and salt only at the end because smoked turkey varies widely in saltiness.
- Save leftover pot likker for cooking beans or rice.
Make ahead
"Cook the greens completely up to 3 days ahead; the flavor improves overnight. Cool and refrigerate in their liquid, then reheat gently on the stovetop."
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container with the pot likker. Freezer: up to 3 months. Reheat over medium-low heat in a covered saucepan, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C on an instant-read thermometer), adding a splash of water if needed.
Substitutions
- smoked turkey wings → smoked turkey drumsticks or necks. Use the same weight; cook time stays the same.
- collard greens → mustard greens or a mix of collards and turnip greens. Mustard and turnip greens cook faster, so reduce braising time to 35–45 minutes.
- apple cider vinegar → white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Use the same amount; the flavor will be slightly sharper.
- low-sodium chicken broth → vegetable broth. Gives a lighter flavor, but the smoked turkey still provides depth.
