Instant Pot Collard Greens are a southern tradition served alongside Hoppin' John and Garlic Herb Roasted Pork Loin all three of which are Lowcountry staples and must-haves on New Year's Day!
There is nothing better than starting the year off right with some good ole’ country cookin'.
These Instant Pot Collard Greens are what southern living is all about: filling your bellies with rich meals and sharing traditions with friends, family, and colleagues.
Here in the south, collard greens, hoppin’ john, roasted pork, and cornbread are traditionally served on January 1st because they bring forth good luck and fortune in the new year.
New Year's Day Recipes for Good Luck
There are plenty of traditions surrounding New Year's day, but Lowcountry Legend is all about getting rich...which is totally fine by me.
As the saying goes:
- Peas are for pennies
- Greens are for dollars
- Cornbread is for gold
- Pork is for making progress in the months ahead
My mom didn’t actually make collard greens very often growing up because they truly are a painstaking task. They can take upward of 2+hrs to cook on the stovetop, and they stink your house up to high heaven!
My mama didn't mess with all that nonsense so I had to rely on my Nanny or my friend's parents to bring forth my fortunes.
Instant Pot Collard Greens
Lucky for us these Instant Pot Collards are as good as gold! They don’t stink up your house, and you won’t be slaving away in the kitchen all day because they cook in just 25 minutes!
There is one special ingredient which, I believe, takes this collards recipe over the top.
Do you have leftover holiday ham still stashed away in your fridge or freezer? Well go ahead and get your hands on that ham, baby, because it makes these greens absolutely legendary!
When purchasing collard greens, you can choose to get a bunch in bulk and wash, trim, and chop them yourself, or you can buy the prebagged kind. Whatever works best for your family is key!
I like to buy them in bulk and completely remove their super thick stems. Collard green stems are super tough and aren’t always removed if they’re pre-washed.
Some recipes call for adding sugar to collards, but you won’t see me doing that here. There is enough naturally occurring sweetness from the onions to cut the tang of the vinegar, and the holiday ham adds to those flavors as well.
A traditional New Year’s Day spread would be an excellent ministry meal to serve to a family in need. I don’t know about you, but warming the souls of others facing hard times fills me with another kind of wealth that money just can’t bring.
Instant Pot Collard Greens
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Collard greens Washed, trimmed, and chopped
- 2 TB Bacon grease Or oil of choice
- 1 Large Sweet onion Finely chopped
- 4 Large Garlic cloves Minced
- 6-7 Ounces Holiday ham Diced
- 4 Cups (32 oz) Chicken stock
- ⅓ Cup Apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to sauté (HIGH) and add the bacon grease when the display reads hot. Add the onion and cook until slightly brown and tender, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. About 5-6 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute. Then toss the ham in the pot and saute for another 1-2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan by slowly pouring in the chicken stock and scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper then add in the collards, pushing them down into the liquid with your spoon to make sure they’re all covered.
- Turn off saute, lock the lid into place and set the valve to sealing. Set the instant pot to high pressure/manual and set the timer for 25 minutes. Press start.
- Once cooked, naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes then manually release the steam and remove the lid.
- Serve your Instant Pot Collard Greens on New Year’s Day w/ Garlic Herb Roasted Pork Loin and Hoppin’ John or with a thick slice of buttery cornbread any other time of year!
Nutrition
Craig Simons says
12 cups = 96 oz = 3/4 gallon. Surely you meant 4 cups, or 32 oz. chicken stock.
Amber says
OMG, Craig! Yes!!! 4 cups! Thank you so much for catching that! Glad I put the 32 oz in there. Yes, the recipe calls for 4 cups of chicken stock. Thanks for letting me know about the typo!!!
Kristen says
Amazing!!!!!
Amber says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them!!!
Nikole says
These are amazing! I love these so much. One question, we usually eat them all, but my husband had to travel at the last minute- can I freeze them?
Amber says
Yay! So happy you love them! You know, I’ve never frozen them myself, but it might work? You will probably have to remove all of the cooking liquid though and squeeze them dry. Then reheat w/ more stock and ham when ready to eat again. That’s what I’d do. Try following this method for freezing. Remember I can’t vouche for the results though! https://freshbitesdaily.com/freezing-greens/