Instant Pot Southern Collard Greens

This Southern-Style Instant Pot Collard Greens recipe offers a quick and easy way to create this traditional dish without sacrificing the rich, savory taste that makes it a favorite. This pressure cooker method brings you tender, flavorful collard greens are seasoned with smoked turkey, ham hocks, or bacon in a fraction of the usual cooking time. 

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Cooking collard greens in the Instant Pot is the new wave for us. The cook time is amazing and will save you a ton of extra time, especially around the holidays.

Collard greens are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals.

Brandi’s Key Ingredients

Are Collard Greens Healthy?

A serving of collards is lower in calories and higher in calcium and still has the same vitamins as kale. Many argue that collard greens are a healthier alternative to kale. Check out this post on Ditching Kale for Collard Greens.

What Type of Greens to Use and How to Shop for Them

I like to buy pre-washed and pre-cut collard greens. Glory Greens makes a batch that I love. You can visit their site and type in your zip code to find a location that carries them in your area. Pre-washed greens cuts down the prep time DRAMATICALLY and pairs well with the speedy time of cooking greens in an Instant Pot.

If you’re buying whole, leafy greens, choose collard that are a deep, vibrant green with no yellowing or browning. Bright, fresh leaves indicate the greens were recently harvested and will have the best flavor. The leaves should be firm and crisp, not limp or wilting. Avoid bunches with holes or tears, as these may indicate pest damage.

How to Wash Greens

If you aren’t using pre-washed and pre-cut you will have to clean and cut them yourself. It can be very time consuming, especially depending on how big your batch of greens is. If you’re using pre-washed, keep them refrigerated and consume them as soon as possible, as they tend to spoil faster than whole, unwashed greens.

Here’s how you wash full stem greens:

1. Remove the Stems: Start by cutting or tearing the leaves away from the tough stems. You can fold the leaf in half and slice along the stem to remove it, or simply tear it away by hand.
2. Rinse Each Leaf: Give each leaf a quick rinse under cold running water to remove loose dirt and debris before soaking them.
3. Soak in Cold Water: Fill a large bowl, basin, or clean sink with cold water. Submerge the greens and gently swish them around. The dirt and grit will sink to the bottom of the bowl or sink. Let the greens sit for a few minutes to loosen any remaining dirt.
4. Rinse and Repeat: Lift the greens out of the water (don’t pour the water out with the greens still in it, or you’ll dump the dirt back on them). Drain and discard the dirty water, then refill the bowl or sink with fresh cold water. Repeat the soaking and swishing process 2-3 times until the water is clear and free of dirt.
5. Dry the Greens: After washing, shake off excess water from the leaves. Pat dry.
6. Optional: For extra cleaning power, add a splash of white vinegar or a teaspoon of baking soda to the water. This can help remove bacteria and pesticide residues.

Check out this post for more helpful tips on How to Clean Collard Greens.

What Type of Meat to Use for Seasoning

My family switched from using salt pork and ham hocks to season our greens years ago. We now use either a smoked turkey leg or turkey wing. I love to use turkey wings, too, but sometimes they are harder to find.

You can of course still use ham hocks, 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 in the Instant Pot on the Saute’ function, 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.

For spices I like to use my Homemade Collard Greens Seasoning or Creole Seasoning.

How to Make Instant Pot Southern Collard Greens

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

1. Add olive oil and onions to the pot on Saute mode. Cook until translucent and then add garlic.
2. Add the collard greens, smoked turkey, chicken broth, and Creole Seasoning to the pot.
3. Close the lid and seal.
4. Pressure Cook.

Cook Time/How Long to Cook

Cook the collard greens for 25 minutes with a quick release of the steam.

How to Double the Collard Greens Recipe

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. I have fit 2 pounds of greens in my 6 quart Instant Pot, easily.

So you can double the recipe (I would opt for the same size smoked turkey, or no more than a half pound larger), but keep the cooking time the same.

If you have an 8 quart you can fit a ton more collards in the pot!

Collard Greens Storage and Freezing Tips

You can refrigerate collard greens for 3-4 days. I like to freeze collards in sealable plastic bags with the broth and juice. When you defrost the greens won’t be dry and they will retain their flavor.

Vegetarian or Vegan Collard Greens

You can omit the smoked meat for meatless greens and add flavors like liquid smoke, paprika, red pepper flakes, or vegetable bouillon cubes for flavor.

No serving of collard greens would be complete without a nice slice of cornbread. Pair this with my Southern Style Homemade Cornbread.

More Recipes for Greens

Check out the Best Southern Soul Food Collard Greens Recipes here.
Southern Turnip Greens
Collard Greens and Ham Hocks
Southern Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
Slow Cooker Crockpot Collard Greens
Mixed Greens with Collards and Turnips
Sauteed Collard Greens

More Southern Recipes

Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
Instant Pot Southern Style Green Beans
Okra and Tomatoes
Instant Pot Cabbage
Southern Style Baked Mac and Cheese
Instant Pot Gumbo
Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas
Southern Potato Salad
Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
Air Fryer Corn on the Cob

Holiday Recipes

Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Air Fryer Turkey

Click here for a complete listing of Instant Pot Recipes and Southern Soul Food Recipes. Watch step by step video instructions on how to make this recipe here on Youtube.