Name: Instant Pot Southern Greens
Prep time: 28 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 8 min
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 1 pound mixed greens or turnip greens, well washed and chopped; 2 smoked ham hocks, about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds; 1 shallot, sliced, or small onion; 1 1/2 cups chicken stock; 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste; Generous dash crushed red pepper flakes; 1 to 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, optional

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·Leave a Review

by Diana Rattray

Southern greens are comfort food! Greens are usually cooked for at least 2 hours, but using a pressure cooker—in this case, an Instant Pot—your greens and ham hocks are perfectly cooked in just 40 minutes! I used a 1-pound bag of chopped and washed mixed greens—a mixture of collards, turnip greens, and mustard greens. I added 2 smoked ham hocks to the pot along with basic seasonings, some Sriracha, and a dash of crushed red pepper. Feel free to cut back on the crushed red pepper and Sriracha or add more. A milder crushed pepper, such as Aleppo pepper (Amazon), is a good alternative.

About the Greens

Southern Greens usually consist of one or all of the following:
Collard Greens: The leaves of collard greens are flat and sturdy. They are excellent chopped and braised or added to long cooking soups or stews. Collard greens can be bitter if not cooked properly. Salt helps temper the bitterness.
Turnip Greens: The leaves and roots of the turnip are edible, but the greens are most tender when harvested before the root has had time to develop. The flavor of turnip greens is similar to the root—peppery and less bitter than collard greens.
Mustard Greens: Mustard leaves are curly and taste slightly spicy and peppery. Mustard greens can be sautéed, braised, or added to beans, soups, or stews.

You can buy fresh greens in bunches or chopped and washed in 1-pound bags. Because greens are notoriously sandy, they must be thoroughly rinsed in several water changes. Even if the bag states they are washed, thoroughly rinse before you cook them.

What are Ham Hocks?

Ham hocks are the joint between the tibia and fibula and the foot of a pig, the part that attaches the hog’s foot to the leg. With their salty, smoky flavor, ham hocks are an excellent cut to flavor greens, beans, or stock. Some other cuts that would work in greens are smoked hog jowl, bacon, pork shanks, smoked sausage, or a meaty ham bone.

What is Pot Likker?

Pot likker is the incredibly flavorful broth left in the pot. You’ll want to have lots of cornbread on hand to soak up all that deliciousness! Chicken broth is my preference for liquid, though you can use plain water, vegetable, or beef broth.

Preparation Notes

Add the greens and ham hocks to the instant pot

Add the fresh chopped greens to the Instant Pot with the ham hocks, sliced shallot or onion, chicken stock, and seasonings. Lock the lid in place and choose the pressure cook setting (high pressure). Set the timer for 40 minutes. When the time is up, let the pressure come down for 10 minutes, then do a quick release.

shred the ham hock meat and discard the bones

Remove the ham hocks to a plate and shred the meat. Discard the bones.

Add the shredded ham hock meat back to the instant pot greens

Return the shredded meat to the pot and add the vinegar, if desired. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

closeup of instant pot greens and shredded ham hock

Transfer the greens and liquids to a serving bowl. Enjoy!

What to Serve With Southern Greens

A skillet of freshly baked cornbread is essential, but what else goes with southern greens? Here are some ideas:

How to Store Instant Pot Greens

Refrigerate leftover greens within 2 hours of cooking and consume within 4 days.
To freeze cooked greens, let them cool and then transfer them to a freezer container or resealable freezer bag. Label with the name and date and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Reheat greens in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave. The USDA advises a minimum safe temperature of 165 F for leftovers.