These beer-simmered, garlicky collard greens with smokey bacon are a Southern side dish made easy in one-pot! The combination of tender collard greens, crispy bacon, and a hint of beer adds a delicious depth of flavor to traditional collard greens.
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Test Kitchen Review
Why I Love These Flavorful Collard Greens
There’s one way I can always make sure my kids actually eat their veggies – add bacon! We often make these greens for potlucks, parties, holidays, and everything in-between. You can keep them warm in a crockpot and they go great with just about any dish you can dream up! Here’s why I think you will love this collard greens recipe:
- Flavorful: Smokey bacon, zesty garlic and malty beer infuse a ton of flavor into the tender collard greens.
- Effortless: This collard greens recipe takes just about 10 minutes to prep! Sauté the onions, mix everything together and let them simmer.
- One Pan: One pan recipes are my jam! They’re always so easy to make and even easier to clean up afterwards.
- Nutrient-rich: Collard greens are packed with a ton of vitamins and minerals, making this a nutritious addition to any meal.
What Are Collard Greens?
Collard greens are a leafy green with sturdy, thick leaves and stems commonly used in Southern cuisine. It’s got dark green leaves and lightly colored stems. The flavor is subtly bitter and earthy, a bit like kale or cabbage. It’s often braised, sautéed, or boiled until tender. They’re often cooked with garlic, onions, and bacon and served as a side dish for lunch or dinner.
Key Ingredients
The beer and tangy apple cider vinegar cut through the greens’ natural bitterness. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient amounts.
- Collard Greens: Make sure the tough stems have been removed and that you rinse them well before you start cooking. If you don’t rinse your greens, you can wind up with a gritty texture! You can also use this recipe with mustard greens.
- Bacon: You can use regular or thick-cut, whichever you prefer or already happen to have on hand. Thick-cut is usually my go-to! You can also use diced cooked ham, add a ham bone, or smoked ham hocks.
- Beer: I prefer using Lager beers in my collard greens for a very subtle malty flavor. A light beer will work as well, I don’t recommend using a heavy stout style beer.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Red wine vinegar can be used instead if preferred. However, I prefer apple cider vinegar because it has a subtle touch of sweetness that really brings it all together.
- Sugar: A hearty pinch of granulated sugar is how my grandma always made collard greens to keep them from becoming slightly bitter. Feel free to use brown sugar or skip it all together!
How To Cook Collard Greens With Bacon
There’s nothing I love more than a good low maintenance recipe… with lots of bacon! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step-by-step video.
- Cook the bacon: Place the bacon in a pot and cook it until nice and crispy. Don’t drain it – we’re going to use that fat to cook the onions and garlic!
- Sauté the onions: Add the onions and garlic. Cook them until the onions soften, stirring occasionally.
- Fill the pot: Pour in the beer, stock, vinegar, and sugar. Mix well and bring it to a boil.
- Simmer it: Add the greens in batches and press them down until fully submerged in liquid. Reduce the heat and simmer them 1-1 1/2 hours or until tender.
- Serve: Remove them from the heat. Let them cool for 10 minutes, serve, and enjoy!
Chef’s Tips & Variations
- Use turkey bacon: I love turkey bacon! Just note that it may not render enough fat to cook the garlic and onions in, so you may need to add in some butter or oil.
- Work in batches: Don’t try to fit all of the greens in the pot at once! You’ll want to work in batches, letting them wilt before adding more. Otherwise, they won’t all fit.
- Make it spicy: You can toss in some diced jalapeños, hot sauce, or crushed red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
- Cream them: Stir in 1 to 2 cups of heavy cream, or half-and-half, during the last 5 minutes of cook time. Add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (freshly shredded right off the block is best). Mix well until melty and serve as usual!
- Crockpot: After you wilt the greens, transfer everything to a slow cooker set to low for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Once tender, flip the crockpot to the warm setting for serving!
Serving Suggestions
When I make collard greens, I like to enjoy the full Southern experience! Here’s a quick look at some great pairings:
- Entrees: You really can’t go wrong with bbq pulled pork sliders or chicken fried chicken. And for some real Southern comfort, whip up some classic chicken and dumplings!
- More sides: The key to success at any potluck is offering plenty of sides. Serve these greens alongside my fried apples, buttermilk biscuits or sweet corn casserole.
- Desserts: Dinner’s never complete without something sweet like my mom’s easy banana pudding or fresh peach crisp!
Collard Greens
Ingredients
- 12 oz bacon, chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup beer, or more chicken stock
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar, optional
- 2 lbs collard greens, or preferred greens, chopped, rinsed and tough stems removed
- salt & black pepper, to taste
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Instructions
- In a large, heavy bottomed pot like a dutch oven, fry the bacon over medium-high heat for about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are wilted, about 4 minutes. Add the beer, chicken stock, vinegar, and sugar and bring to a boil.
- Begin adding the greens in batches, pressing down with a spoon to submerge them in the hot liquid and adding more as they wilt.
- When all of the greens have been added, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the greens, partially covered, and stirring occasionally, for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until tender. You can also transfer the greens to a crockpot over low heat for 3 to 4 hours, until tender.
Notes
Nutrition
Categories:
More Vegetable Side Dishes To Try
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These are so delicious!!!
Prepared just as listed and transferred to slow cooker and cooked 4 hours on low. Great flavor. Will be the only collard recipe I will save.
Hahaha, I LOVE Gilmore Girls…so glad it’s on Netflix now 😉 I’ve never actually tried collard greens before, but there’s beer and bacon…can’t go wrong can you?
I’ve always been afraid to cook collard greens…but with bacon and beer?! Sign me up! I’m going to have to buckle up and try these out soon 🙂 I hope the babies and you are well too!
I don’t think I’ve eve had collard greens before, it’s a crime! But I definitely think I’d fall in love with them, how could you not? Bacon, garlic, hearty greens – there’s nothing to NOT love.