Jump to Recipe This super easy and delicious collard greens with bacon is a slightly lighter version than many collard greens recipes and it tastes so good! It’s an amazing southern side dish that can be paired with almost anything that you’re planning for dinner! These savory collard greens with bacon are great with chicken, pork, or beef! This staple Southern side dish deserves to be on your dinner plate more often! We love vegetables! And even our kids have always been pretty adventurous, willing to try anything at least once. But these collard greens are in demand! Slow cooked until tender, collard greens with bacon is sure to be a new family favorite in your household as well! With just a few ingredients that truly compliment each other, all of the wonderful flavors shine through with this simple side dish!

Jump to:🥘 Ingredients 🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions 💭 Angela’s Tips & Recipe Notes 😋 More Great Recipes 📋 Recipe

Personal story disclaimer - hit the ‘Recipe’ tab in the menu above if needed (but I promise to keep it short!). 🙂 Ed and I have been married for many years, and this dish is one of our tales! For many of our early years, he would tell me how much I would love collard greens (as I had never tried them). He is a fan of fried chicken, especially leftover cold fried chicken, as it was a favorite in his childhood. He has also traveled a lot more than I have, having been in the ARMY and stationed in many places throughout the US. So, during his time in Ft. Benning, Georgia, he was introduced to collard greens with his fried chicken (we are both originally from Oregon). Now it is a staple, and we have collard greens with many of our dinners. It is even requested by our daughter as well, she just loves her collard greens! 🥘 Ingredients Just a few pantry staple spices, broth, bacon, onion, and greens! You don’t need much to get this flavorful dish started!

4 slices Bacon (thick cut smoked bacon is best, cut into chunks)1 Yellow Onion (small, finely chopped or minced)1 tablespoon Garlic (minced)1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes½ teaspoon each, Salt & Pepper (to taste)32 ounces Chicken Broth (or water)2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar1 pound Collard Greens (washed and cut) Turkey neck, ham hock, salt pork, or hog jowl are additional protein alternatives to use with your collard greens. These are all great traditional options, just be sure to remove them before serving. Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips! 🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions Our collard greens with bacon are really easy to make! Clean your collard greens and grab a big pot or Dutch oven to get started! 1234 Crisp the bacon. Start with a large pot, add some bacon and cook it on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, or until it is just about to get crispy.Saute onion. Add the finely chopped or diced onion (I used to blitz mine in the Nutribullet, so that our little one wouldn’t complain about chunky onions) and saute for an additional 3-4 minutes. Season & Simmer 5678 Season. Once the onions have cooked for a few minutes, add the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and some red pepper flakes for seasoning.Bring to a boil. Then add the broth, apple cider, and collard greens and allow it to cook at medium-high heat until it starts to boil.Simmer until tender. Reduce heat and simmer for about two hours, stirring occasionally, or until the collard greens have reached your preferred level of tenderness.Serve. Remove from heat when done and serve immediately. We love to serve our collard greens with fried chicken and mac n cheese! It’s a tasty side to serve with so many dishes, especially BBQ mains! Enjoy!

💭 Angela’s Tips & Recipe Notes Fresh collard greens are best, even though the packaged and cut greens are convenient.To cut your collard leaves, stack 2-4 so that they are lined up and you can easily follow along the stem. Cut along the stem on both sides, remove, and repeat until all of the collard greens are trimmed. Slice each leaf in half, stack, and cut into 1-2-inch squares.Increase the ‘heat’ by adding more crushed red bell pepper flakes if you want spicy collard greens. 😋 More Great Recipes

Southern Fried CornChocolate Revel BarsSouthern ColeslawBlack Eyed Peas With CollardsStuffed Green PeppersClassic Lasagna

Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

📋 Recipe

Print Recipe Leave A Comment Love This Recipe?Click On A Star To Rate It! 5 from 37 reviews

Collard Greens with Bacon

This super easy and delicious collard greens with bacon is a slightly lighter version than many collard greens recipes and it tastes so good! It’s an amazing southern side dish that can be paired with almost anything that you’re planning for dinner!

Author | Angela

Servings: 4 servings Calories: 172kcal Prep 5 minutes Cooking 2 hours 20 minutes Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes

Pin Recipe Share on Facebook Ingredients US CustomaryMetric1x2x3x▢ 4 slices bacon (smoked is best, cut into chunks)▢ 1 yellow onion (small, finely chopped or minced)▢ 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)▢ 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)▢ ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)▢ 32 oz chicken broth (1 32-ounce carton, or 4 cups)▢ 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar▢ 1 lb lb collard greens (washed and cut)

InstructionsIn a large pot or dutch oven at medium-high heat, cook bacon for 8-10 minutes or until it is just about to get crispy. Add chopped onion and saute for 3-4 minutes more, or until tender, opaque, and fragrant.4 slices bacon, 1 yellow onionAdd the minced garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes for seasoning then add broth, apple cider vinegar, and collard greens. Stir and continue to cook on medium-high until a slow boil is achieved, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours. 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper, 32 oz chicken broth, 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 lb lb collard greensStir occasionally while the greens are simmering. Cook until the collard greens are nice and tender (or to your preferred tenderness).Remove from heat when done and serve immediately. Equipment You May NeedDutch OvenSilicone Kitchen TongsSilicone Spatula Set NutritionCalories: 172kcal (9%) | Carbohydrates: 15g (5%) | Protein: 8g (16%) | Fat: 10g (15%) | Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg (5%) | Sodium: 1301mg (57%) | Potassium: 588mg (17%) | Fiber: 5g (21%) | Sugar: 5g (6%) | Vitamin A: 5853IU (117%) | Vitamin C: 61mg (74%) | Calcium: 300mg (30%) | Iron: 1mg (6%) Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love! collard greens Course Dinner Recipes, Side DishCuisine American Save Angela @ BakeItWithLove.comAngela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma’s kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love! bakeitwithlove.com/about/

This super easy and delicious collard greens with bacon is a slightly lighter version than many collard greens recipes and it tastes so good! It’s an amazing southern side dish that can be paired with almost anything that you’re planning for dinner!

These savory collard greens with bacon are great with chicken, pork, or beef!

This staple Southern side dish deserves to be on your dinner plate more often!

We love vegetables! And even our kids have always been pretty adventurous, willing to try anything at least once. But these collard greens are in demand!

Slow cooked until tender, collard greens with bacon is sure to be a new family favorite in your household as well! With just a few ingredients that truly compliment each other, all of the wonderful flavors shine through with this simple side dish!

Personal story disclaimer - hit the ‘Recipe’ tab in the menu above if needed (but I promise to keep it short!). 🙂 Ed and I have been married for many years, and this dish is one of our tales!

For many of our early years, he would tell me how much I would love collard greens (as I had never tried them). He is a fan of fried chicken, especially leftover cold fried chicken, as it was a favorite in his childhood. He has also traveled a lot more than I have, having been in the ARMY and stationed in many places throughout the US.

So, during his time in Ft. Benning, Georgia, he was introduced to collard greens with his fried chicken (we are both originally from Oregon). Now it is a staple, and we have collard greens with many of our dinners. It is even requested by our daughter as well, she just loves her collard greens!

🥘 Ingredients

Just a few pantry staple spices, broth, bacon, onion, and greens! You don’t need much to get this flavorful dish started!

  • 4 slices Bacon (thick cut smoked bacon is best, cut into chunks)1 Yellow Onion (small, finely chopped or minced)1 tablespoon Garlic (minced)1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes½ teaspoon each, Salt & Pepper (to taste)32 ounces Chicken Broth (or water)2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar1 pound Collard Greens (washed and cut)

Turkey neck, ham hock, salt pork, or hog jowl are additional protein alternatives to use with your collard greens. These are all great traditional options, just be sure to remove them before serving.

Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!

🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions

Our collard greens with bacon are really easy to make! Clean your collard greens and grab a big pot or Dutch oven to get started!

  • Crisp the bacon. Start with a large pot, add some bacon and cook it on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, or until it is just about to get crispy.Saute onion. Add the finely chopped or diced onion (I used to blitz mine in the Nutribullet, so that our little one wouldn’t complain about chunky onions) and saute for an additional 3-4 minutes.

Season & Simmer

  • Season. Once the onions have cooked for a few minutes, add the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and some red pepper flakes for seasoning.Bring to a boil. Then add the broth, apple cider, and collard greens and allow it to cook at medium-high heat until it starts to boil.Simmer until tender. Reduce heat and simmer for about two hours, stirring occasionally, or until the collard greens have reached your preferred level of tenderness.Serve. Remove from heat when done and serve immediately.

We love to serve our collard greens with fried chicken and mac n cheese! It’s a tasty side to serve with so many dishes, especially BBQ mains! Enjoy!

💭 Angela’s Tips & Recipe Notes

  • Fresh collard greens are best, even though the packaged and cut greens are convenient.To cut your collard leaves, stack 2-4 so that they are lined up and you can easily follow along the stem. Cut along the stem on both sides, remove, and repeat until all of the collard greens are trimmed. Slice each leaf in half, stack, and cut into 1-2-inch squares.Increase the ‘heat’ by adding more crushed red bell pepper flakes if you want spicy collard greens.

😋 More Great Recipes

  • Southern Fried CornChocolate Revel BarsSouthern ColeslawBlack Eyed Peas With CollardsStuffed Green PeppersClassic Lasagna

Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

📋 Recipe

Print Recipe Leave A Comment Love This Recipe?Click On A Star To Rate It! 5 from 37 reviews

Collard Greens with Bacon

This super easy and delicious collard greens with bacon is a slightly lighter version than many collard greens recipes and it tastes so good! It’s an amazing southern side dish that can be paired with almost anything that you’re planning for dinner!

Author | Angela

Servings: 4 servings Calories: 172kcal Prep 5 minutes Cooking 2 hours 20 minutes Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes

Pin Recipe Share on Facebook Ingredients US CustomaryMetric1x2x3x▢ 4 slices bacon (smoked is best, cut into chunks)▢ 1 yellow onion (small, finely chopped or minced)▢ 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)▢ 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)▢ ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)▢ 32 oz chicken broth (1 32-ounce carton, or 4 cups)▢ 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar▢ 1 lb lb collard greens (washed and cut)

InstructionsIn a large pot or dutch oven at medium-high heat, cook bacon for 8-10 minutes or until it is just about to get crispy. Add chopped onion and saute for 3-4 minutes more, or until tender, opaque, and fragrant.4 slices bacon, 1 yellow onionAdd the minced garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes for seasoning then add broth, apple cider vinegar, and collard greens. Stir and continue to cook on medium-high until a slow boil is achieved, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours. 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper, 32 oz chicken broth, 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 lb lb collard greensStir occasionally while the greens are simmering. Cook until the collard greens are nice and tender (or to your preferred tenderness).Remove from heat when done and serve immediately. Equipment You May NeedDutch OvenSilicone Kitchen TongsSilicone Spatula Set NutritionCalories: 172kcal (9%) | Carbohydrates: 15g (5%) | Protein: 8g (16%) | Fat: 10g (15%) | Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg (5%) | Sodium: 1301mg (57%) | Potassium: 588mg (17%) | Fiber: 5g (21%) | Sugar: 5g (6%) | Vitamin A: 5853IU (117%) | Vitamin C: 61mg (74%) | Calcium: 300mg (30%) | Iron: 1mg (6%) Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love! collard greens Course Dinner Recipes, Side DishCuisine American

Save

Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

Love This Recipe?Click On A Star To Rate It!

5 from 37 reviews

Collard Greens with Bacon

Author | Angela

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 172kcal

Prep 5 minutes

Cooking 2 hours 20 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients US CustomaryMetric1x2x3x▢ 4 slices bacon (smoked is best, cut into chunks)▢ 1 yellow onion (small, finely chopped or minced)▢ 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)▢ 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)▢ ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)▢ 32 oz chicken broth (1 32-ounce carton, or 4 cups)▢ 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar▢ 1 lb lb collard greens (washed and cut)

InstructionsIn a large pot or dutch oven at medium-high heat, cook bacon for 8-10 minutes or until it is just about to get crispy. Add chopped onion and saute for 3-4 minutes more, or until tender, opaque, and fragrant.4 slices bacon, 1 yellow onionAdd the minced garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes for seasoning then add broth, apple cider vinegar, and collard greens. Stir and continue to cook on medium-high until a slow boil is achieved, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours. 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper, 32 oz chicken broth, 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 lb lb collard greensStir occasionally while the greens are simmering. Cook until the collard greens are nice and tender (or to your preferred tenderness).Remove from heat when done and serve immediately.

Equipment You May NeedDutch OvenSilicone Kitchen TongsSilicone Spatula Set

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcal (9%) | Carbohydrates: 15g (5%) | Protein: 8g (16%) | Fat: 10g (15%) | Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg (5%) | Sodium: 1301mg (57%) | Potassium: 588mg (17%) | Fiber: 5g (21%) | Sugar: 5g (6%) | Vitamin A: 5853IU (117%) | Vitamin C: 61mg (74%) | Calcium: 300mg (30%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)

Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!

Course Dinner Recipes, Side DishCuisine American

US CustomaryMetric

Angela @ BakeItWithLove.comAngela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma’s kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love! bakeitwithlove.com/about/