Southern Soul Food Chicken And Collard Greens Recipe
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Diet: High-Protein
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs fresh collard greens, stemmed and thoroughly washed
- 1 lb smoked turkey leg or smoked ham hock
- 6–8 chicken thighs or drumsticks (skin-on)
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional, to cut bitterness)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Seasoning blend: Salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste
Instructions
- Start by thoroughly washing your collard greens in a sink filled with cool water to remove any grit or sand. Remove the tough center ribs and chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set them aside until you are ready to cook.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, add the chicken broth, smoked turkey leg or ham hock, chopped onion, and minced garlic. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer for about 45 minutes to extract the smoky flavors into the liquid.
- While the broth is simmering, pat your chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Rub them generously with your seasoning blend (salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder). In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat and sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown. You don’t need to cook it all the way through yet.
- Add the chopped collard greens to the pot with the smoked meat. Stir in the apple cider vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes. The greens will look like a lot, but they will wilt down significantly as they cook.
- Place the seared chicken pieces on top of the greens. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. This allows the chicken to finish cooking in the steam and the greens to become perfectly tender.
- Remove the lid and taste the broth. Adjust the salt or vinegar if needed. The meat from the smoked turkey or ham hock should be falling off the bone at this point; you can shred it and mix it back into the greens for extra flavor.