Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey. Slow-simmered collard greens with fully cooked smoked turkey, onion and a cider-vinegar finish. The formula and timing below are working estimates for a future kitchen trial, not a claim that a batch has been made.
Jump to ingredients · Jump to method
A long, savory greens simmer
Collards soften in broth scented by fully cooked smoked turkey. Onion and a small cider-vinegar finish balance the greens without pork.
This is an original working version, not a claim to represent every Southern family preparation. Smoked-turkey salt and bone shape vary.
Clean leaves and choose turkey
Grit can hide in collard folds, so wash thoroughly and remove hard stems. Slice leaves into manageable strips.
Use a fully cooked smoked turkey product with its label checked. A raw or partially cooked smoked product would require a different validated cooking method.
Ingredients for 8 side portions
| Ingredient | Amount | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Collard greens, stemmed and sliced | 2 pounds | Wash leaves thoroughly. |
| Fully cooked smoked turkey leg or wing | 1 pound | Check product label and bones. |
| Olive oil | 1 tablespoon | Onion. |
| Yellow onion, diced | 1 medium onion | Base. |
| Low-sodium chicken broth | 4 cups | Braising liquid. |
| Apple cider vinegar | 2 tablespoons | Finish. |
| Ground black pepper | 1/2 teaspoon | Season. |
| Red pepper flakes | 1/4 teaspoon | Mild background heat. |
Step-by-step method
- Wash 2 lb collards thoroughly, remove tough stems and slice leaves. Check one pound fully cooked smoked turkey for packaging directions and bone shape.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot and soften one diced onion. Add 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, smoked turkey, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add collards in batches, pressing them down as they wilt. Cover and simmer roughly 75–85 minutes until leaves are tender. Remove turkey, pull meat from bones, discard bones and skin as appropriate, then return meat to the pot and reheat the cooked turkey/greens to 165°F.
- Stir in 2 tbsp cider vinegar and divide into eight provisional side portions with some broth. Test salt from the smoked product, tenderness, bone removal and final yield.
Simmer gently
Soften onion, then bring broth, turkey and seasonings to a simmer. Add greens in batches as they wilt into the pot.
The proposed seventy-five to eighty-five minutes aims for tender leaves, but bunch age and strip width change the clock. A hard rolling boil may evaporate too much broth.
Remove every bone
Lift turkey out, pull meat from bones and return only boneless pieces. Inspect carefully before serving; small bones can hide among greens.
Reheat the returned cooked turkey in the pot to 165°F per FDA leftover guidance. Taste before adding extra salt because smoked meat and broth may already be seasoned.
Serve with vinegar
Add measured vinegar near the end and divide with a little pot liquid. Eight side portions are provisional and depend on stem waste and evaporation.
Refrigerate leftovers promptly. A precise quality interval has not been established for this smoked-meat braise.
Collard questions
Is there pork in the pot?
No. The specified smoky ingredient is fully cooked turkey.
Are bones served?
No. Pull meat and inspect for bones before it returns to the greens.
When does vinegar go in?
Near the end, after the greens become tender.
Further reading and related Chefly recipes: Alton Brown smoked turkey collard greens; FDA safe food-handling temperatures. These are relevant references and other dishes, not evidence that this proposed formula was tested.
Recipe-card handoff — preview, not a native plugin card
Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey. Category: Side Dishes. 8 side portions. Prep approximately 25 minutes; cooking approximately 85 minutes; additional cooling/chilling approximately 0 minutes; total approximately 110 minutes excluding preheat. Not kitchen-tested; nutrition not calculated.
Ingredients: 2 pounds Collard greens, stemmed and sliced; 1 pound Fully cooked smoked turkey leg or wing; 1 tablespoon Olive oil; 1 medium onion Yellow onion, diced; 4 cups Low-sodium chicken broth; 2 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon Ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes.
Instructions: Wash 2 lb collards thoroughly, remove tough stems and slice leaves. Check one pound fully cooked smoked turkey for packaging directions and bone shape. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot and soften one diced onion. Add 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, smoked turkey, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add collards in batches, pressing them down as they wilt. Cover and simmer roughly 75–85 minutes until leaves are tender. Remove turkey, pull meat from bones, discard bones and skin as appropriate, then return meat to the pot and reheat the cooked turkey/greens to 165°F. Stir in 2 tbsp cider vinegar and divide into eight provisional side portions with some broth. Test salt from the smoked product, tenderness, bone removal and final yield.
Allergens: Check smoked turkey and broth labels for soy, wheat and other allergens. Review packaged ingredients and cross-contact before serving.
Print
Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
- Total Time: 110 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Eight side portions of collard greens with smoked turkey.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Collard greens, stemmed and sliced
- 1 pound Fully cooked smoked turkey leg or wing
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 medium onion Yellow onion, diced
- 4 cups Low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Wash 2 lb collards thoroughly, remove tough stems and slice leaves. Check one pound fully cooked smoked turkey for packaging directions and bone shape.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot and soften one diced onion. Add 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, smoked turkey, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add collards in batches, pressing them down as they wilt. Cover and simmer roughly 75–85 minutes until leaves are tender. Remove turkey, pull meat from bones, discard bones and skin as appropriate, then return meat to the pot and reheat the cooked turkey/greens to 165°F.
- Stir in 2 tbsp cider vinegar and divide into eight provisional side portions with some broth. Test salt from the smoked product, tenderness, bone removal and final yield.
Notes
Recipe-development draft; not kitchen-tested. Timing and yield are estimates. Nutrition has not been calculated.
Untested estimate: about 75–85-minute gentle simmer after prep; smoked turkey is fully cooked packaged product.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 85 minutes
- Category: Side Dishes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: One eighth of greens and broth