Easy Collard Greens With Ham Hocks

This recipe will show you how to make traditional Southern collard greens by boiling the meat from a smoked ham hock. Collard greens with ham hocks is a soul food staple side dish and is served during the holidays and for Sunday dinners.

Collard greens with ham hocks are an authentic staple of the South. Most Blacks and African Americans grew up preparing their greens with ham hocks.

What Meat is Used to Season Collard Greens?

This recipe is made using ham hocks. You can also use smoked turkey necks, smoked turkey wings, smoked turkey legs, salt pork, country ham, or even bacon to season the greens. If you are planning to use bacon I recommend that you cook the bacon first, and omit the olive oil used in this recipe. Cook the onions in the bacon fat.

Remove the bacon and crumble. Set aside until after the collards have cooked. Sprinkle the bacon throughout once cooked.

What is a Ham Hock

Ham hocks aren’t very meaty (You should try to look for the meatiest one you can find). It’s pork knuckle, where the foot was attached to the hog’s leg and is mostly fat and bone. It’s been known to be used in a dish like this along with red beans and rice, mustard greens, black-eyed peas, etc. because of the immense flavor it provides.

I found ham hocks at standard grocery stores in the meat section. You can also use a local butcher.

How to Wash Greens

Over the years, I have often stopped washing greens and would purchase the prepackaged pre-washed bagged Glory greens from the grocery store. Sometimes they are harder to find and they often have a lot more of the stems from the greens than the actual thick leaves.

You can buy these if you wish. It will cut down on your washing process and save a lot of time!

If you are buying from the normal produce area, greens are sold in bundles. Look for bundles with really thick, leafy greens. If you wait and shop at the last minute this may be difficult to find and you get stuck with smaller bundles. You may just have to buy more.

Greens have thick stems and veins on the back of the leaves. These areas capture dirt and sand. You will need to clean them thoroughly.

1. Start with picking your greens and removing the stem. Fold the leaf in half (lengthwise) and rip off the stem.
2. Fill a large bowl or your sink with water.
3. I like to use this produce vegetable cleaner to spritz the greens. You can also use vinegar. Or you can just use water it’s your choice.
4. From there load them into your bowl or sink.
5. Use your hands and swish them around. Rub your hands over the actual leaves to scrub away any dirt.
6. Drain the water and refill. Repeat this process until your water runs clear and you see no dirt in the water.

How to Remove the Stems

It’s common southern practice to remove the stems from the greens. This is something that’s optional, and would only need to be done if you don’t purchase pre-washed, pre-bagged greens.

Removing the stems from every item AND washing them over and over to remove dirt is very time-consuming. If you plan to buy bundled greens, be sure to block off half a day.

A lot of people dislike buying the pre-bagged greens because they often include a lot of stems (which are totally edible and delicious, by the way). I often compensate for this, by buying 1 additional bag in case I need it.

How to Double the Recipe or Make it For a Large Group

Greens will wilt… A TON! When you first add them to the pot it will feel like a lot, but they will shrink a lot. So you can double the recipe (I would opt for the same size smoked ham hock, or no more than a half-pound larger), but keep the cooking time the same.

Does Cooking Greens Take Away the Nutrients

Greens are leafy green vegetables packed with nutrients and they are labeled as a superfood. They are rich in Vitamin K, fiber, iron and antioxidants. According to The Huffington Post, greens can help lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

All of these nutrients will mostly stay intact no matter how the greens are cooked. Boiling the greens can break down the nutrients, but then the nutrients are passed to the broth and liquid in the pot of greens. Which is a great reason to enjoy that broth or use it in gravies!

You can read more about How to Cook Healthier Greens here.

Cooking greens in fatty meats, however, will add additional sodium, calories, and fat to the dish. This is where greens have gotten a bad reputation (again, usually from outsiders). Growing up ham hocks, salt pork, etc were used to cook greens. Now there are much healthier options, like turkey.

How to Season the Greens and Add Flavor

You can really keep it simple with the seasoning. I like to use fresh onions and garlic, and Creole Seasoning but you can use other spices if you wish.

I use a smoked ham hock. You can also use smoked turkey, bacon, or salt pork if you wish.

How to Make Collard Greens With Ham Hocks

Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add olive oil to the pot along with the onions and garlic.
2. Saute the onions and garlic until translucent and fragrant.
3. Deglaze the pan by adding chicken broth.
4. Begin to layer in the greens and add them in batches.
5. Add in the Creole Seasoning and ham hock. Bring the pot to a boil.
6. Place the lid on the pot and adjust the heat to medium.

How Long to Cook

I like to let these cook for two hours. If you are really strapped for time you can use this Instant Pot Collard Greens recipe method. Cook time will vary based on how you like your greens. I like for mine to be tender. If you like them super tender you may cook them for 3 hours or more. If you like more of a bite lessen the cook time. Check in on them to be sure you reach your desired result.

Can You Make Them Ahead/How Long Will They Last in the Fridge

For holiday cooking you typically make these a day in advance. The greens will last in the fridge covered for 3-4 days.

Freezing Tips

I freeze greens pretty much every time I make them. I use these freezer molds from Amazon and they work perfectly. You can freeze greens in 1 cup portions, which is great for when you want to pull a portion out for dinner.

You can freeze greens for up to 6 months. I throw them in the slow cooker for an hour or two to reheat.

Vegetarian or Vegan Collard Greens

Omit the ham hock for meatless collard greens. Use vegetable broth. Add in 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes for flavor.

Recipes to Pair with Collard Greens

Cornbread is always served with collards during a soul food meal or Sunday dinner.

Southern Cornbread Recipe
Cornbread Salad
Homemade Cornbread Muffins
Keto Cornbread
Vegan Cornbread
Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
Grilled King Crab Legs
Broccoli Au Gratin
Ham Hocks and Beans
Southern Red Beans and Rice

More Collard Greens Recipes

Grandmas Southern Collard Greens
Ethiopian Collard Greens
Pressure Cooker Collard Greens
Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey

If you want to use a Crockpot or slow cooker check out our Slow Cooker Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey.