• Recipe Box
    • All Recipes
    • Low Carb & Keto
    • Whole30
    • Paleo
    • 30 Minutes or Less
    • Ninja Foodi
    • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Copycat Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Desserts
    • Side Dish Recipes
    • Drinks
    • Dips, Salad Dressings & Sauces
    • Web Stories
  • Cooking Tips
  • About
    • Work With Dr. Davinah’s Eats
    • Contact
  • Keto Blog
    • Product Reviews & Guides
    • Recipe Collections
    • Keto Guide for Dummies: A Introduction to Keto
    • Get Exclusive Discounts
    • 360 Cookware
    • Amazon Favorites
    • Shop

↑

Dr. Davinah's Eats

Keto, Low Carb & Air Fryer Recipes for Foodies

  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Cast Iron Skillet Recipes
    • Cauliflower Recipes
    • Chicken Recipes
      • Chicken Breast Recipes
      • Chicken Leg Recipes
      • Chicken Thigh Recipes
      • Chicken Wing Recipes
    • Copycat Recipes
    • Sauce Recipes
    • Beef Recipes
    • Five Ingredient Recipes or Less
    • Keto & Low Carb Recipes
      • 30 Minutes or Less
      • Dessert Recipes
      • Pizza Recipes
      • Breakfast Recipes
      • Game Day Recipes
      • Lunch & Dinner Recipes
      • Drink Recipes
    • Holiday Recipes
      • Christmas Recipes
      • Thanksgiving Recipes
    • Spice Mixes & Blends
    • Ninja Foodi Recipes
    • Paleo Recipes
    • Pork Recipes
    • Seafood Recipes
      • Salmon Recipes
      • Scallops Recipes
      • Shrimp Recipes
    • Side Dish Recipes
    • Whole30 Recipes
    • Web Stories
  • Keto Blog
    • Product Reviews & Guides
    • Recipe Meal Idea Lists
  • Shop
    • Exclusive Coupon Codes
    • 360 Cookware
    • Amazon Shop
  • Cooking Tips
  • About
    • Work with Us
    • Contact Us
Home » Healthy Recipes » Collard Greens With Bacon Recipe

Collard Greens With Bacon Recipe

Last Updated July 31, 2022. Published July 26, 2022 By Davinah Cenou Montezuma

  • Share
Jump to Recipe
pinterest image for collard greens with bacon recipe

This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and highly recommend. You can read my full disclosure .

Make Southern Collard Greens with Bacon using this easy recipe. It’s the perfect way to cook fresh collard greens year-round without worrying about how you’ll access other smoked meats. Learn how to cook collard greens with thick cut bacon and get tips on how to use vinegar as well as prepare your collard greens so that they don’t taste bitter.

Collard Greens with Bacon on a bowl

Why Make Collard Greens With Bacon

  • Easy access to bacon: collard greens with ham hocks and collard greens with smoked turkey are delicious, but access to those meats can be limited to holidays like Thanksgiving. By cooking collard greens with bacon, you can get the smokey flavors that those other meats provide with an easy to find ingredient.
  • Mostly Dump and Go: collard greens take a while to cook, but that doesn’t mean they’re hard to make. This easy collard greens with bacon recipe is perfect for all levels of cooks.

Ingredients Needed

  • Collard Greens: I’m using chopped collard greens with the thick stem ends removed.
  • Butter: I use salted butter, but unsalted butter works too, especially if salting to taste is important to you
  • Onion: I used a yellow onion. You can dice it or thinly slice it
  • Bacon: I used thick-cut pork bacon that can be sliced or cubed.
  • Garlic Cloves: Fresh minced garlic works best, but jarred minced garlic is also a good option
  • Chicken Broth: low sodium broth works best for being able to salt the greens to taste
  • Red Pepper Flakes: I use this to add a little heat to the dish, but you can omit this or add more to taste if you like spicy collard greens.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: vinegar helps to balance the bitter taste that collard greens sometimes have. So, be sure to include it.
  • Sea Salt: I’m using fine sea salt. You can add this taste at the end.
  • 24 Herb & Spice Blend: this is one of my favorite spice blends because it is all-purpose and includes a wide range of spices thyme, garlic, lemon, tarragon and more. For me, that means more flavor, without requiring an entire pantry of different spices.
  • Brown Sugar: I‘m using a keto-friendly brown sugar replacement because it tastes the same as regular brown sugar without the calories or carbs.
  • Chicken Broth Paste: this concentrated chicken broth paste is a great base for sauces and soups. Like the herb seasoning, I’m using it to add a lot of flavor without too many ingredients.
brown sugar, butter, garlic, chicken broth paste, herb & spice blend, salt, red pepper flakes, collard greens, chicken broth, bacon, apple cider vinegar on separate bowls

How to Cook Collard Greens With Bacon

  1. Sauté the onions and bacon: Melt butter in a pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and bacon. Cook until the onions are translucent & the bacon is browned.
  2. Add garlic & collard greens: Add garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add the broth, vinegar and collard greens. Stir and cook on medium until the leaves begin to wilt.
  3. Turn the heat to low. Cover the greens in the pot and allow them to cook for 75 minutes.
  4. Add remaining ingredients, stir and serve.
steps to make Collard Greens with Bacon

Top Cooking Tips & FAQs

  • Buy the collard greens washed and packaged to save time: the hardest part about making collard greens is actually cleaning them. So, making collard greens with bacon with pre-washed greens saves a lot of prep time.
  • Save the seasonings until the end for bolder flavors: since collard greens with bacon take a long time to slow cook, I save many of my seasonings and spices until the end. This allows me to salt and season to taste, but also helps with keeping the flavor of the spices bold.
  • Be sure to remove the hard stem ends: like vinegar, removing the hard stem ends helps collard greens to not taste bitter.
How do you get the bitterness out of collard greens?

Removing the stem ends and adding apple cider vinegar to your collard greens help with getting rid of collard greens’ bitter taste. I also find that they become less bitter as they cook. So, be sure to cook them slow (like in this recipe or with crockpot collard greens) or make pressure cooker collard greens.

What do collard greens pair well with?

Southern Collard Greens pair well with comfort food. Some traditional options might be macaroni and cheese and fall off the bone ribs. Lighter options include my keto cornbread, cauliflower mac and cheese, and baked bbq chicken wings.

What does adding vinegar to collard greens do?

Adding vinegar helps to remove some of the bitter taste from collard greens. As an acid, it also balances out some of the richness provided by the butter and bacon grease.

What to add to greens to make them taste better?

Preparing your greens by removing the hard stems ends is the first step to how they taste. After that, making collard greens with bacon and vinegar helps. The bacon provides grease and a smokey flavor. The vinegar reduces the bitter taste. Besides that, collard greens are forgiving so adding any other spices and blends will help them taste great.

Can you overcook collards?

It is hard to overcook collard greens. The longer they cook, the softer they become.

Collard Greens with Bacon on a large bowl

Recipes to Enjoy This With

  • Keto BBQ Baby Back Ribs Recipe
  • Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast
  • Keto Mac and Cheese
  • Keto Cornbread Recipe

If you try this recipe, please stop back and leave it a star rating and/or a review in the comments. Stay connected & share photos of your creations with me & others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! 

Collard Greens with Bacon

Easy Collard Greens with Bacon Recipe

Learn how to cook Southern Collard Greens with Bacon using this easy recipe!
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 1 hr 25 mins
Ready in: 1 hr 30 mins
Cuisine: American
Course: Side Dish
Servings: 12
Calories: 217kcal
Author: Davinah
Pin Rate Print

Use DRDAVINAHS at checkout to save on some equipment & ingredients!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Collard Greens, chopped, about 12 cups, end stems removed. I buy these packaged to save time
  • 1/4 cup Butter, salted, but use unsalted to salt to taste
  • 1 cup Yellow Onion, diced
  • 1 lb Bacon, thick cut, about 6-8 slices
  • 2 tbsp Garlic, minced
  • 1.5 cup Chicken Broth, low sodium
  • 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar, or more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/2 tsp Natural Ancient Sea Salt
  • 1 tsp 24 Herbs Sprinkle Seasoning (Salt-free)
  • 1 tbsp Keto Brown Sugar Replacement
  • 2 tsp Chicken Better than Bouillon

Instructions

  • Melt butter in a pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Add onions and bacon. Cook until the onions are translucent & the bacon is browned.
  • Add garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant (about 1 minute).
  • Add the broth, vinegar, and collard greens. Stir. Cook on medium until the leaves begin to wilt (about 10 minutes).
  • Turn the heat to low. Cover the greens in the pot and allow them to cook for 75 minutes.
  • Add remaining ingredients, stir and serve.

Recipe Notes

  • Buy the collard greens washed and packaged to save time: the hardest part about making collard greens is actually cleaning them. So, making collard greens with bacon with pre-washed greens saves a lot of prep time.
  • Save the seasonings until the end for bolder flavors: since collard greens with bacon take a long time to slow cook, I save many of my seasonings and spices until the end. This allows me to salt and season to taste, but also helps with keeping the flavor of the spices bold.
  • Be sure to remove the hard stem ends: like vinegar, removing the hard stem ends helps collard greens to not taste bitter.

Nutrition Details

Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 475mg | Potassium: 212mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2057IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used. The keto sweeteners I use have 0g net carbs & are not included because sugar alcohols do not impact most people. This is provided as a courtesy, but you can do your own calculations if you wish!

Share this RecipeIf you enjoy this recipe, share a link to it via email or Facebook, pin it, or leave a rating. Please don’t copy/paste the instructions to other websites. Thanks for helping the website grow!

Related Posts

  • A glass of Mixed Berry Smoothie
    Keto Mixed Berry Smoothie Recipe
  • two keto mudslides in tall glasses
    Keto Frozen Mudslide Recipe
  • keto raspberry sauce in a jar
    Keto Raspberry Sauce Recipe
  • Cranberry Sauce on a white bowl
    Keto Cranberry Sauce

Filed Under: Christmas Recipes, Clean Eating Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Side Dish Recipes, Thanksgiving Recipes

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

close up photo of Davinah - the blogger behind Dr. Davinah\'s Eats welcome text that reads, \"I\'m Davinah\" I'm an educator & hardcore foodie who realized eating "all the things" couldn’t last forever. After getting my PhD in Education, I decided to make eating healthier my next big goal. Here, you'll find my collection of keto, low-carb and whole food comfort food recipes. Read More

Search this Website

Free Keto & Low Carb Recipes Delivered Weekly!

Subscribe for amazing recipes, giveaways, discounts and more.

Holiday Favorites

cabbage cooked in a crockpot

Easy Crockpot Cabbage Recipe

getting a slice of strawberry cheesecake

Best Keto Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

close up of slow cooker turkey tenderloin recipe on a plate with gravy

Crockpot Turkey Tenderloin

Keto Stuffed French Toast topped with blueberries and maple syrup

Healthy Stuffed French Toast with Cream Cheese

a close up of surf and turf with steak and shrimp scampi on a plate

Surf and Turf (Steak & Shrimp) Recipe [+ Video]

close-up shot of Turkey Tenderloin

Air Fryer Turkey Tenderloin [+VIDEO]

Most Popular Recipes

two air fryer salmon filets on a plate topped with garlic butter

Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Herbed Salmon Recipe

crispy air fryer whole chicken wings and sauce on a plate

Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe [+VIDEO]

air fryer chicken legs recipe on a plate

Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Chicken Legs (Drumsticks) [+VIDEO]

pan seared scallops in a bowl with cauliflower risotto

Seared Scallops and Cauliflower Rice Risotto

a close-up photo of a garlic parmesan wing on a plate

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings [+VIDEO]

keto coleslaw in a bowl with a fork

Easy Low Carb & Keto Coleslaw Recipe [+VIDEO]

a close-up of Keto Bang Bang shrimp in a bowl

Low-Carb Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe (Grain-free, No-Added Sugar)

Shrimp Scampi on a white oblong plate

Keto Garlic Shrimp Scampi Recipe [+VIDEO]

close-up of Pressure Cooker Pot Roast in a bowl

Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker Pot Roast Recipe

Menu Planning Ideas

  • Chicken Recipes
  • 30 Minutes or Less
  • Side Dishes
Close up of a roast chicken on a plate with a lemon slice

Air Fryer Roasted Whole Chicken [4 Ingredients]

air fried chicken sausage on a cutting board

Perfect Air Fryer Chicken Sausages

crispy baked chicken wings on a parchment lined baking sheet

Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings Recipe [+VIDEO]

frozen wings cooked in an air fryer on a plate with celery and bbq sauce

Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings

A plate of baked wings, celery, carrots, and a ramekin of ranch dressing.

Spicy Dry Rub Chicken Wings Recipe [+Video]

close-up of keto chocolate chip peanut butter fluff cookie bars

Keto PB Fluff Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars

close up shot of a air fryer Pork Chop

Juicy Parmesan-Crusted Air Fryer Pork Chops [+VIDEO]

stacked Cauliflower Hash Browns with green onions

Easy Cauliflower Hash Browns

cauliflower rice risotto in a bowl

Cauliflower Rice Risotto

pouring Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing to the chicken and lettuce

Creamy Caesar Dressing Recipe

cabbage in a pressure cooker cooking pot

Instant Pot Cabbage Recipe [+VIDEO]

air fryer mushrooms with roasted garlic butter sauce and roasted garlic

Air Fryer Mushrooms

close up of browned air fryer sausage patties on a plate

Air Fryer Breakfast Sausage Patties [+Video]

cabbage cooked in a crockpot

Easy Crockpot Cabbage Recipe

roasted butternut squash in the air fryer

Air Fryer Butternut Squash

Featured on:

list of magazines and online blogs that feature Dr. Davinah\'s Eats recipes

@DrDavinahs Follow On Instagram

Free Keto & Low Carb Recipes Delivered Weekly!

Subscribe for amazing recipes, giveaways, discounts and more.

By using this website, you agree to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Disclosures

Browse by Category

Recipes by Course

  • Recipe Index
  • Breakfast
  • Main Course
  • Side Dish Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Drinks
  • Dip, Salad Dressing & Sauces

Recipes by Diet

  • Keto & Low-Carb Recipes
  • Paleo Recipes
  • Whole30 Recipes

About Davinah Policies Work With Us

Search this Website

Copyright ©2023, Dr. Davinah's Eats. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Pixel Me Designs
  • Pin
  • Share