Quick Collard Greens
These collard greens are quickly cooked in olive oil and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice. You're going to love these healthy, bacon-free collards!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 9, 2024
I’m having a moment with cooked greens. I know, this is thrilling news, right? I’ve put cooked kale in my mashed potatoes, and now I’m sautéing collard greens for every dinner.
These collards are a little garlicky, a little lemony, and seriously irresistible. They’re the perfect quick and healthy side dish, and they’re exactly what I’m craving as we get a taste of spring weather.
You might associate collard greens with West African cuisine (I put collards in my peanut soup). Maybe you have tried Southern collard greens, which are slow-cooked with bacon or the like. Southern-style collard greens were inherited from Africa, and so were Brazilian collard greens, called “couve à mineira.”
I cooked these collards greens in the Brazilian style—quickly in hot oil, with some garlic and chili flakes. In Brazil, these collards frequently accompany the national dish, called “feijoada,” which is a rich black bean stew cooked with pork, and rice on the side. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, take note that these collard greens would go great with black beans and rice.
Now that our brief history lesson is complete, want to learn how to make this delicious side dish?
How to Cook Brazilian Collard Greens
My friend Matt introduced me to this cooking style years ago. I think it makes the best collard greens! Here’s how to do it:
- Cut the thick central ribs out of the collard greens, and stack the leaves on top of one another. Starting at one end, roll them up into a cigar-liked shape, then slice across the roll to make skinny rolls of collard strips. Use a sharp chef’s knife for this, and make your slices as thin as possible—ideally about 1/8-inch wide. Give the collards a few extra chops to break them apart.
- Warm a large, heavy-bottom skillet (cast iron is great) over medium-high heat. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil (the oil will later help your body absorb the nutrients in the greens). Then add the greens and some salt. Give the greens a good stir so they’re all lightly shimmering from the oil and turning darker green.
- Let the greens cook against the pan in 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Thanks to the hot oil in the hot pan, some of the collards will eventually develop crisp, browned edges—these taste so good!
- Once you see a little browning action, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. I suggest adding the garlic at this point, rather than before, because otherwise it’ll burn by the time your collards are done.
- Transfer the collards to plates so they stop cooking. Serve with a wedge of lemon, and you’re done.
Watch How to Make Quick Collard Greens
How to Serve Brazilian Collard Greens
Honestly, the flavors in these collard greens would go well with almost any hearty main dish. Here are some ideas:
- Thanks to the lemon and garlic, these greens taste Mediterranean. Serve them with pasta, lasagna, or other Italian/Greek entrées. Here’s a simple spaghetti dish with these collards.
- As I mentioned, these collard greens go great with cooked black beans and rice.
- Take inspiration from West African cuisine and add chopped peanuts.
Change It Up
Kale is a great substitute for the collard greens, if you can’t find collards or have an extra bunch of kale.
These quick-cooked collard greens are also surprisingly fantastic with Asian flavors. If you’ve ever made my kale fried rice, you might appreciate this idea because kale and collards are similar greens.
For an Asian spin, you can simply reduce the salt (we’re adding salty sauce later) and substitute 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger for the garlic. Once the collards are done cooking, add a drizzle of store-bought teriyaki sauce to the pan, or add 1 teaspoon tamari or other soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil. (Skip the lemon.) So good.
Looking for more simple, healthy side dishes? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Greek Broccoli Salad
- Celery Salad with Dates, Almonds and Parmesan
- Gaby’s Cucumber Salad
- Parmesan Roasted Broccoli with Balsamic Drizzle
Please let me know how these collards turn out for you in the comments! Cooked greens can be surprisingly addictive.
Quick Collard Greens
These collard greens are quickly cooked in olive oil and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice. You’re going to love these healthy, vegetarian collards! Recipe yields 2 side servings. To make multiples, simply repeat the ingredients and instructions below (cook each batch separately for best results).
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch (about 10 ounces) collard greens
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, scale back or omit if sensitive to spice)
- A couple lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- To prepare the collards: Cut out the thick center rib out of each collard green. Stack the rib-less greens and roll them up into a cigar-like shape. Slice over the “cigar” as thinly as possible (⅛″ to ¼″) to make long strands. Shake up the greens and give them a few chops so the strands aren’t so long.
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add all of the collard greens and the salt.
- Stir until all of the greens are lightly coated in oil, then let them cook for about 30 seconds before stirring again. Continue stirring in 30-second intervals until the greens are wilted, dark green, and some are starting to turn brown on the edges (this is delicious). This will take between 3 to 6 minutes.
- Once the collards are just about done, add the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir to break up the garlic and cook until it’s fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Immediately divide the cooked collards onto plates, and serve with a lemon wedge each.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my lemony collard greens pasta.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I dont know.. the collards werent anywhere near done after 6 minutes. They needed 20min to get even half way soft. I must be doing something wrong, or I bought really thick collards.
Hi, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you use a large enough pan?
These were so good! I’ve never really liked collards, but went back for seconds on these. And my kid ate them too.
Hooray! That’s great, Lesley.
They the collar green are very good I will be cooking 4 again soon.
These are delicious and my new go-to for collards!
Thank you for your review, Lisa! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
I have never cooked collards before and came to your site on a search of how to cook collards after a friend gave me some of her bounty from her organic garden. I followed your recipe, cooking for myself only, and cooking as I do, mostly on instinct/the fly. I did everything you laid out, except I added about 2 tbsp. organic peanut butter to the very end of the cooking process for the collards, stirring it in continuously at a bit lower heat until fully incorporated. The oil from the PB assisted the continuing crisping of the collards, (just a few minutes, really) and resulted in the most delectable taste/texture imaginable to be incorporated with the basmati rice and topped with just-toasted sesame seeds. A Winner! Thank You! I’m so inspired!!!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved it.
Hello Kate – this Collard recipe is SO delicious! It somehow brings out the natural flavor of the green, without spoiling and overcooking it. Such a beautiful way to eat some nutritious greens, thank you!
Great to hear you enjoyed it, Cece! Thank you for your review.
Yummy! So different from the Southern-style collards which I like but this was such a nice fresh change.
Hi Kate, I love all your recipes. For the collardgreens can I use swisschard? I have a lot in my garden.
Hi! That would be a good option or kale too. I hope you enjoy it.
This was an easy and tasty way to use up the collard greens that I got in my CSA box.
Very tasty and not fussy — thank you!
You’re welcome, Kim! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Loved the Collard Greens recipe!!! Ironically, I was making a side dish for Brazilian people; this fit the bill !!
Thanks for the simple and tasty share!!
Hug to you and the cookie catcher :)
Thank you, Phil!
Followed the recipe exactly, with one small exception. I diced fresh red and yellow bell peppers to sauté with the greens. It was as gorgeous as it was delicious! I loved everything about it. For awhile, I just admired the deep emerald ribbons flecked with ruby and gold.
No leftovers. No regrets. I don’t think I can make greens any other way from now on. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’ll be 85 in March, have NEVER eaten Collard greens before, but your recipe was amazing. It will be a regular part of my diet from now on! Chuck Wray, Topeka, KS
This was an awesome recipe and a great alternative to slow cooked collards. We’ve been making them all winter.
I made these to go along with a pasta dish and they were so good that we mixed them into the pasta dish! Great way to get more greens into our diet!
I’m glad you enjoy it, Lisa! I appreciate your review.
Hello! Thank you for sharing this recipe. We bought a house recently and there are lots of collard green planted in the garden. I never eat or cooked greens before trying your recipe, but I enjoyed it. I just added some roasted pine nuts and sesame to the recipe, for some crunchiness. I will definitely repeat it. Thanks a lot for posting. Michelle
You’re welcome, Mihelle!
I enjoyed this a lot, thanks for sharing it.
We really liked this one and used it on some leftover greens that I didn’t want to go to waste (so it was a healthy snack.) I liked the crunchy bits and would push it farther next time to get more of them. Has me curious about making collard green chips, actually . . .
Soo yum!!! I added lime juice at the end then decided I was too lazy to make the rest of my dinner so I threw in some leftover roast chicken and just kept moving the collards greens around until the chicken was warmed thru. I think it’s my new favourite “easy dinner”! Thx for such a great, easy intro to collard greens!!
I’m glad you love it! Thank you for your review, Deneen.
Delicious! I added a dollop of tomato paste for an acid, as I had no lemons in the house.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Janet!
A super easy and delicious way to serve collards. Thanks so much!
You’re welcome, Hettie!
Thank you. This quick collard greens recipe is delicious. As you said, it’s very adaptable and tonight I added another two ingredients at the end: half an avocado and a small tin of sardines in spring water. Add chopped avocado and drained sardines at the end while everything is still hot. The avocado goes lovely and warm and soft. Wow! Love it. And even healthier.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Sue! Thank you for your review.
a palmfull of dried cranbereries when the garlic goes in is the bomb. and a splash of chicken boullion at that time will make them more tender
Thanks for an awesome recipe!
They were quick and tasty.
I appreciate the nutritional info, as well.
Thanks from Ottawa, Canada.
Hi,
Recipe looks great— gonna try tomorrow God willing. Question: is it necessary to blanch the greens before sautéing?
Hi! I find this recipe is best as written. Let me know what you think, Prisca!
Excellent! I’ve always cooked collards low and slow, maybe with some bacon, but this is my new favorite way to eat them, and as they come from a local farm, it feels like the right way to treat them. Fast and delicious. Thank you.
You’re welcome, LCC!
This was great—thank you!
You’re welcome, Julia! I appreciate your review.
Got fresh leafy collards fr the Asian gardens
Too long to cook
Do not like long cooking
Why can’t you chop and eat like lettuce
Why do they need cooking
I recently made Collard Green Quesadillas from your cookbook. It’s one of my favorite breakfasts (or lunch or dinners)!
We never had collard greens growing up; now I usually have them every week. I use them in making “wraps,” too.
I had never tried collard greens before, tried this recipe and now I am hooked!! Delicious!!
Easy to follow recipe and so delicious!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Kay!
First time eating collards, this looked like an easy recipe to try. But I think the temperature is too high for a thorough wilting. It was getting burned. I set the timer for turning every 30 seconds but it wasn’t wilting so much as burning. I added the garlic and a pinch of red pepper at the end as instructed but had to turn the temperature down so the garlic wouldn’t burn. In the end, they tasted crunchy mostly, barely tasted the garlic or heat of the peppers. The collards are crunchy and rather bitter tasting, some sea salt helped. Maybe the leftovers will taste better tomorrow. After this, I won’t be eating collards again.
I love the super thin slices! FYI, freezing fresh collards for 20-30 minutes before cooking bursts the rigid cell walls making it chewable before it’s overcooked. Some massage it, sometimes I do both.
The olive oil would have burned, and the collards scorched, on medium-high, but they cooked well a tick below medium.
It’s all about the lemon!
This was such a hit! Collard leaves are huge, so slicing them into ribbons was such a game changer. I’m also not a fan of stewing collards till they’re brown, so this solved all my issues. Omitted the red pepper flakes (not necessary, imo) and finished it off with a bit of ume vinegar (Macro-diet friendly) in place of the lemon. This will definitely be a dinner staple. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Lareina!
I made these again tonight years after discovering your recipe. This time I added slivered almonds just before they started browning. Amazing addition!!! Also I made some black beans and rice, just because I had those on hand and after dinner I read your note of serving with black beans and rice! Great minds think alike. ☺️
Thanks again for this recipe! It’s always a crowd pleaser!
You’re welcome, Jenessa!
Quick, simple tasty. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
So delicious! I used bacon fat, those red and green chili flakes from Trader Joe’s, and doubled the garlic. I like the technique of adding garlic at the end so it doesn’t burn. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
Thanks for the recipe & prep instructions. We were out of red pepper so I tried jerk seasoning. My uncle liked it, so I’ll print it out.
This is my first time cooking collard greens. We had some leftover collard greens after my daughter used it in a soup recipe. Made it with red pepper flakes, added fresh ginger instead of garlic, added Bragg’s liquid aminos, and a bit of sesame oil. Almost forgot the lemon juice which balanced everything nicely. So helpful having a GF, DF, low FODMAP recipe that’s easy, quick and delicious!
I’m glad you enjoyed them, Susan! Thank you for your review.
These collard greens are tasty, and the recipe is less fussy & time-consuming than other collard green recipes. I am printing this to add to my family meal rotation.
I picked up collard greens from my CSA in Lexington KY today and cooked them for the first time tonight using your recipe. Thanks so much! They came out great. I will definitely keep choosing collards in the future and following your recipes.
Very simple and good; just what I was hoping to find. Even my husband, nearly dwarf-like in his avoidance of green food, went back for more. I only used salt and garlic (testing the recipe for those in our family who have to avoid pepper).
Thank you for sharing, Stacy!
Your site has become my first stop when I look at an ingredient and need a little inspiration. Thanks!
In fact, I just ordered your book.
That’s great to hear, Larry! Thank you for sharing.
Disappointed, but I wonder if the problem was using gigantic collards – three leaves from our local farm market. When they started to turn color, I tasted them and found they were still very tough, so went another two 30-second rounds, then figured I’d better get the garlic in there. They were half burned before the garlic could get cooked. Still tough, bitter, and now burned.
I’m not a novice with collards. My collard recipes involve steaming a bit beforehand, or braising in the main recipe – cooking in liquid on med-low for 15-20 minutes then raising to high for 5 minutes to boil off the liquid. It’s hard to see how they can get tender from 5-6 minutes of frying on medium with no liquid – unless you’re supposed to start with baby collards? My collards were about a foot long and 9 or 10 inches across.
I’m sorry to hear that! It sounds like your pan was too hot. I appreciate your feedback.
I guess vinegar is an acceptable substitute for lemon in the collard greens?
Sure, you can try it!
Kate,
I am all about nutrition and healthy cooking and eating. Searched for “healthy” collard greens recipes and saw yours! And it took less than 10 minutes. Just made them and they are fabulous. I mixed them in with my soba noodles, which added a bit of a crunch and flavor.
Thank you for knowing that collards can be cooked quickly, easily, and retain their nutrition value, and for the “how to prep” info. I had them cleaned, rolled, sliced and ready to go.
Thank You!
Elaine
“I appreciate this article! Living in southern Georgia, it’s hard to find greens like escarole, which I really love. I often see collard greens at the grocery store, but I never bought them because I thought they needed to be cooked in animal fat.
This recipe is fantastic!
I do have one question: My greens turned out a bit tough to chew, maybe a bit dry.
Could it be that I overcooked them, or do they need more oil? I used a heavy cast iron skillet, but I got distracted while cooking, so they ended up in the pan for longer than 10 minutes.
Hi Linda, Did you remove the tough ribs?
Followed the instructions exactly. It was tasty but like eating uncooked leaves; hard and endlessly chewy. Steamed the next time.
Hi Doug, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this recipe. I appreciate your feedback.
I made this recipe on 7/3/2024 because I had a CSA share box with collard greens in it which I have never eaten. It was surprisingly tasty. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I was just wondering if leftovers can be reheated, and if so, the best way to do so?
It’s best right away, but you can reheat it. Gently in the microwave or on stovetop.
I tried your recipe for the Brazilian collards and it was delicious. I sprinkled the lemon juice on after cooking. I taste tested before putting away for tonight’s dinner and I could have eaten the whole dish right then and there but I exerted ALOT of self control.
Holy cannolis! That was delicious. I receive collard greens on occasion in my weekly farmer’s veggie box. I had no idea what to do with them. Steaming em was…not successful. This is so much better! Thank you thank you, you rock star, you.