The most delicious crockpot collard greens recipe! You will love the smoky-sweet spicy taste from the bell peppers, onion, molasses, and balsamic vinegar paired with the andouille sausage - it really balances the tangy collard greens.
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You'll Love This Collard Greens Crock Pot Recipe
Best Flavor of any collard greens recipe! The perfect balance of flavors - salty, tangy, smoky, and sweet - pair wonderfully with the tanginess of the collard greens.
Simple and Easy. Brown the sausage to give it extra flavor (skip this if you're in a hurry), then pop the greens into the crock on high until wilted. Add in the rest of the veggies and sausage then cook on low for 4 to 6 hours until it's all tender.
Lot's of Veggies. I'm all about sneaking in extra veggies wherever I can! With this recipe, I added in colorful sweet bell peppers and onion for added flavor and nutrients.
Collard Greens in Crock Pot Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make crockpot collard greens:
- Collard Greens: I bought a large bag that was pre-cut to save time but they still usually have large stalks attached so I went through and trimmed them off. I ended up using about 10 to 12 cups of collard greens from a 32 ounce bag.
- Molasses: love that thick sweet molasses taste with collard greens!
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Chicken Broth
- Smoked Andouille Sausage: I used mild andouille sausage to add a slightly spicy kick. You can also just as easily use regular smoked sausage, kielbasa, even light turkey sausage.
- Sweet Onion: The sweet onion plays a key flavor so use it if you can, otherwise you could use what you have on hand.
- Yellow Bell Pepper: I used yellow for color and sweetness, but orange and red may also be used.
- Jarred Roasted Red Bell Peppers
- Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Variations and Substitutions
- Use any smoked sausage between 12 and 16 ounces.
- Use any color of sweet bell pepper (yellow, orange, or red).
- Substitute drained fire-roasted diced tomatoes (with or without green chiles) for the roasted red bell pepper.
- To increase the spice add hot sauce, red pepper flakes, or use hot andouille sausage; any greens (or a combination of) can be substituted for the collard greens.
How To Cook Collard Greens in a Crockpot
Here's how to make crockpot collard greens recipe. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. In a skillet, saute the sausage to give it color and add flavor to the collard greens.
2. Remove the sausage and transfer the remaining pot juices to the crock pot.
3. Turn the crockpot on high. Add broth, vinegar, molasses, and collard greens to the crockpot. Slow cook for 1 hour to wilt the greens.
4. Add onions, peppers, sausage, and salt to the slow cooker.
5. Turn the heat to low and cook until the greens and vegetables are tender.
How to Serve
There are several ways you can serve your delicious crockpot collard greens!
Salt and pepper to taste. Serve drained or with the broth.
Meal idea! Pair these collard greens with this slow cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork or pulled chicken served on buns with your favorite barbecue sauce.
What Goes with Collard Greens
- Side dishes like baked beans, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, or baked potatoes.
- Fried chicken or pork cube steaks with gravy.
- Grilled meats such as steaks, pork, and chicken.
- Roasts such as pork loin, tenderloin, prime rib
Top Tips
Tip #1: If the collard greens are still too bitter for you, add more molasses or other sweetener to offset this taste.
Tip #2: A 6-quart crockpot is very helpful to hold all the greens before they are wilted. If you have a smaller crock pot, it's okay - turn it to high and add a little bit at a time, cover, and cook until they are all wilted.
Tip #3: Browning the sausage adds a lot of flavor to the dish, but if you're in a hurry, you can skip this step.
Be sure to save this pin to Pinterest! 🙂
❓FAQ's
Store any leftover cooled collard greens in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. This recipe does not freeze well as the vegetables will become very mushy.
Reheat slowly on a stovetop over low heat, in the crockpot on low heat, or in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high.
It takes about 3 to 5 hours for collard greens to get tender in a slow cooker on low.
Yes, it is important you wash collard greens before cooking - even if you buy pre-cut collard greens that say they are washed.
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Collard Greens
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- ¼ cup molasses
- 10 cups collard greens (heavy stems removed, trimmed and chopped)
- 1 yellow bell pepper (cut in strips)
- 1 `large sweet onion (cut into half, then sliced)
- 1 (12-ounce jar) roasted bell pepper strips (do not drain)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 16 ounces smoked andouille sausage (sliced)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a medium-sized skillet, or crockpot with a browning function, preheat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook just long enough to brown both sides.
- Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon. Transfer the remaining pot juices to the crock pot (eave the juices in the pot if you used your browning feature).
- Turn the crockpot on high. Add broth, vinegar, molasses, and collard greens to the crockpot. Stir to combine, cover and cook for 1 hour to wilt the greens.
- Add onions, peppers, sausage, and salt to the slow cooker. Turn heat to low and cook 4 to 6 hours or until the greens and vegetables are tender.
Notes
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- VARIATIONS: Use any smoked sausage, between 12 and 16 ounces; use any color of sweet bell pepper (yellow, orange, or red); substitute drained fire-roasted diced tomatoes (with or without green chiles) for the roasted red bell pepper; to increase the spice add hot sauce, red pepper flakes, or use hot andouille sausage; any greens (or a combination of) can be substituted for the collard greens.
- TIPS: Browning the sausage adds a lot of flavor to the dish, but if you're in a hurry, you can skip this step.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Salt and pepper to taste. Add hot sauce to taste.
- STORAGE: Refrigerate for up to 4 days. This recipe cannot be frozen.
Nutrition
© 2023 Slow Cooked Eats
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