BJ's 20-Minute Collard Greens with Bacon

Chef's notes

Some people use sugar in their collard greens, but I don’t eat sugar, so I have substituted apple cider vinegar or balsamic along with the tomatoes to add a bit of sweetness and help to further tenderize the greens in this fast preparation, and give some nice tang to counterbalance the fatty bacon and chicken broth which add the nice salty and smoky flavors.

In place of crushed red pepper flakes, I sometimes use 1 teaspoon Huy Fong Foods chili garlic sauce, which is basically the chili pepper mash they use to make sriracha, before it’s been strained/pulverized.

This recipe originally appeared at my site: https://ketolish.us/20-minute-collard-greens-with-bacon/

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 10 min
• 🍳 Cook time: 20 min
• 🍽️ Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons bacon fat, divided
• 4 oz uncooked bacon, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 to 1 1/2 lbs fresh collard greens
• 16 oz chicken or veg broth, or dissolve a cube of bouillon into 2 cups hot water
• 10 oz canned diced tomatoes, with the liquid (optional, add 1 cup liquid if not using)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic or apple cider vinegar
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Wash, dry, and chop the leaves of the collard greens into 2" strips, removing the stems.
2. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes and their juice with the vinegar and red pepper. Set aside.
3. In the electric pressure pot, add 1 tbsp of the bacon fat and the chopped raw bacon, set pot to 'Saute' mode for 5-6 minutes.
4. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon pieces to a paper towel once crisped.
5. Add in the remaining bacon fat and diced onions, then stir them into the still-hot fat.
6. Add the chopped greens, and slowly pour in the broth. Don't worry if the pile of greens exceeds your pot's "max" fill line, they will wilt down quickly!
7. Toss the greens around in the pot gently with a pair of tongs or a long-handled spoon.
8. Pour the tomato/vinegar mixture over the top and cover the pot, set to 15-20 minutes cook time.
9. Lock the lid and make sure the pressure valve is down.
10. After the cooking is done, manually release the pressure valve or let the pot do it on its own.
11. Remove the greens and liquid to serving bowls, top each serving with the bacon pieces, and season to taste with salt & pepper to taste.
12. Serving tip: I love to eat these as a side dish alongside a chicken or turkey entree. A few drops of hot sauce gives them a kick!