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    Crumb-Snatched » Side Dishes

    Published: Oct 5, 2022 by Crystal DaCruz This post may contain affiliate links.

    Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey

    6.2K shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These easy, southern style collard greens with smoked turkey are tender and full of flavor! Everything you love about soul food greens, minus the pork! Includes step-by-step photos for cleaning and cutting the greens!

    These collards go perfectly with my Thanksgiving roasted turkey breast, skillet mac and cheese and cornbread!

    collard greens with smoked turkey in a white bowl with a fork.
    Jump to:
    • 🌟 Why you’ll love this recipe
    • 📋 Ingredient notes
    • 📖 Recipe substitutions
    • 🔪 Cleaning and chopping collard greens
    • ⏲️ Recipe instructions
    • 💭 Tips and tricks:
    • 🥣 Serving suggestions
    • ❓Recipe FAQ’s
    • ❤️ Other recipes you’ll love
    • Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey

    🌟 Why you’ll love this recipe

    • Prepared soul food style – these greens are made the Southern way – they’re flavored with smoked meat and seasonings and simmered in a savory broth (Southeners call this ‘pot likker’) until they’re super-tender.
    • Pork–free: smoked turkey is an awesome alternative to pork! It’s a leaner meat with just as much flavor!
    • Clear directions with step-by-step photos – no more guesswork when it comes to cleaning and prepping greens! Using pre-washed and cut greens is fine too!

    📋 Ingredient notes

    ingredients - collard greens, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, smoked turkey wings, garlic, apple cider vinegar.
    • Fresh collard greens – inspect the leaves to make sure they’re bright green and fresh looking. Buy them on the stem or in the bag, it really doesn’t matter!
    • Smoked turkey meat – I prefer necks but you can use wings, a leg or tails. Smoked turkey is salty so hold off on adding salt until the recipe tells you to.
    • Broth – you’ll need low-sodium chicken broth, seasonings, apple cider vinegar and worcestershire sauce.
    • Granulated sugar – just a teaspoon to balance the flavors.

    📖 Recipe substitutions

    • Vegan/vegetarian – omit the smoked turkey and replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. Use plant-based butter to sauté the onions and garlic.
    • Use full-sodium chicken broth if you don’t have the low-sodium version (note: regular broth contains more salt, rarely do I have to add any extra salt at all).
    • Omit the red pepper flakes if you don’t want spicy greens.
    • Instead of smoked turkey use another cured meat like salt pork, ham hocks or pork neck-bones.

    🔪 Cleaning and chopping collard greens

    whole collard greens in a bowl (top left), rolled collard greens being sliced with a knife (top right), sliced collard greens in a metal bowl (bottom left), sliced collard greens soaking in a bowl of water (bottom right).
    1. Inspect the greens to make sure they’re bright green and fresh. Discard any yellow, brown or wilted leaves. Run each leaf under cold water and use your fingers to loosen any visible dirt.
    2. Cut off the part of the stem that extends past the bottom of each leaf and discard it.Roll each leaf tightly and slice thinly.
    3. Place the chopped greens in a large vessel. Cover the greens in cold water, add ½ cup of cider vinegar and soak the greens for 10-15 minutes. Rinse and repeat as necessary.

    ⏲️ Recipe instructions

    Onions, garlic, chili flakes sautéed in butter (left), browned smoked turkey tails in a pot (right).

    Step 1: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in an 8-quart stock pot and sauté the onions, garlic and crushed red chili flakes over medium heat, until the onions are fragrant. 

    Step 2: Add the smoked turkey meat to the pot and brown it on all sides. Transfer to a plate.

    Half pot of collard greens with smoked turkey on top (left) remaining greens added to the pot (right).

    Step 3: Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and half of the chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then add half the greens and return the smoked turkey to the pot.

    Step 4: Place the remaining greens on top of the smoked turkey then add the apple cider vinegar, worcestershire sauce and sugar. Add the rest of the broth, cover the pot and simmer over low heat for an hour and a half.

    shredded  turkey on a plastic cutting board (left), fully-cooked greens in a pot (right).

    Step 5: Remove the turkey and use a fork to break the meat up (skip this step if you’re using necks). Discard any bones or cartilage and return the meat to the pot. Stir and taste the greens then stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. 

    Step 6: Cover the pot again and let the greens simmer for another 2 hours (3 hours for super-tender greens). Turn the burner off and let the greens rest for 20 minutes – this gives the flavors time to settle. Give the greens a final stir and serve with a few drops of hot sauce.

    💭 Tips and tricks:

    • Keep the flame low while cooking your greens.
    • It’s ok if the broth doesn’t cover the greens at first because they’ll cook down. You don’t need a lot of liquid – just enough to keep a simmer.
    • Skip the shredding part if you’re using turkey necks because they don’t contain much meat. They’re mainly used for flavor!

    🥣 Serving suggestions

    collard greens with smoked turkey in a white bowl with a fork.

    Here are some of my favorite dishes to serve with these turkey greens:

    • Jalapeño cornbread
    • Skillet mac and cheese
    • Roasted half chicken

    ❓Recipe FAQ’s

    Are collard greens healthy?

    Collard greens are rich in nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, folate and calcium. The broth can be high in sodium though depending on the ingredients used.
    Refer to the ‘substitutions’ section further up in this post for a list of healthy alternatives.

    What does adding vinegar do to greens?

    Vinegar is used mainly for flavor but is also said to cut the bitterness of the greens. I like to also add it to the greens while they’re soaking to help lift the dirt.

    Can you overcook collard greens?

    Short answer – not really. You can cook the greens as long as you want but you’ll need to keep adding liquid so the greens don’t burn.

    What’s the easiest way to store and reheat greens?

    Store leftover greens in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.

    ❤️ Other recipes you’ll love

    • Sweet Potato Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
    • Jiffy Cornbread Dressing
    • Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans from Scratch
    • Creamy Brie Mac and Cheese
    • Bone In Turkey Breast – Roasted
    • Jalapeño Cornbread Jiffy style
    • Cast Iron Mac and Cheese
    • Easy Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & consider scrolling down and leaving me a review if you REALLY liked it. Thanks!

    Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey

    Crystal DaCruz
    These collard greens with smoked turkey are tender and full of flavor! Everything you love about Southern-style greens, minus the pork!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 25 mins
    Cook Time 3 hrs
    Total Time 3 hrs 25 mins
    Course Sides
    Cuisine Soul Food/Southern
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 513 kcal

    Equipment

    • 8-quart stainless steel mixing bowl for soaking the greens
    • 12-quart stockpot

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 pounds fresh collard greens see notes below for cleaning/chopping
    • 1 pound smoked turkey necks, legs or wings
    • 4 tablespoons salted butter divided
    • 1 large white onion diced
    • 2 tablespoons garlic paste
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
    • 4-5 cups chicken broth low sodium
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • hot sauce for serving

    Instructions
     

    • Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large stockpot and sauté the onions, garlic and red chili flakes over medium heat, until the onions are fragrant. 
    • Add the smoked turkey meat to the pot and brown it on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
    • Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and half of the chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then add half the greens and return the smoked turkey to the pot.
    • Place the remaining greens on top of the smoked turkey then add the apple cider vinegar, worcestershire sauce and sugar. Add the rest of the broth, cover the pot and simmer over low heat for an hour and a half.
    • Remove the turkey and use a fork to break the meat up (skip this step if you're using necks). Discard any bones or cartilage and return the meat to the pot. Stir and taste the greens then stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. 
    • Cover the pot again and let the greens simmer for another 2 hours (3 hours for super-tender greens). Turn the burner off and let the greens rest for 20 minutes – this gives the flavors time to settle. Give the greens a final stir and serve with a few drops of hot sauce.

    Notes

    • Refer to the instructions further up in the post for cleaning and chopping the greens.
    • Keep the flame low while cooking your greens.
    • It’s ok if the broth doesn’t cover the greens at first because they’ll cook down. You don’t need a lot of liquid – just enough to keep a simmer.
    • Skip the shredding part if you’re using turkey necks because they don’t contain much meat. They’re mainly used for flavor!
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 513kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 33gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 945mgPotassium: 884mgFiber: 7gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 8881IUVitamin C: 64mgCalcium: 637mgIron: 3mg
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    About Crystal DaCruz

    Crystal DaCruz is the recipe developer, writer and food photographer behind Crumb-Snatched. Since 2019 she's been sharing recipes from Cape Verde and other cultures with a shared Portuguese language or similar cuisines.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Deanna J Virgil says

      July 09, 2021 at 9:29 pm

      5 stars
      I’m a southern girl and loved this recipe. I did use turkey tails and extra virgin olive oil. I also added half of a red bell pepper chopped and 1/4 teaspoon of Creole season. It turned out beautifully delicious.

       
      Reply
    2. Monica says

      November 24, 2022 at 6:05 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent loved the taste!!

       
      Reply
      • Crystal DaCruz says

        December 06, 2022 at 12:09 pm

        So glad you liked it! Thank you!

         
        Reply

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