Southern Mustard Greens
on Jul 03, 2025
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Tender mustard greens with smoky bacon, garlic, and a splash of vinegar — an easy, authentic Southern side dish that's packed with flavor and comfort.
Mustard greens are strongly flavored greens that become tender and savory with slow cooking and a bit of fat to mellow them out. In the South, they are often braised until very soft, but I like to cook them long enough for them to become tender and lose their very assertive edge, but not so long that they turn to mush.
In the South, braising strongly flavored, robust greens with pork is very traditional. The pork adds saltiness, smokiness, and a deeper flavor to the greens, and cuts through the bitterness. One of the easiest ways to cook greens with pork (since many of us don’t have leftover ham bones lying around, which is a traditional Southern ingredient) is to add bacon. Use the best thick-cut bacon you can buy, which will give you toothsome chunks of bacon sprinkled amidst the softened greens.
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Once the greens are cooked, there will be liquid in the pan that is highly flavored with all of the ingredients. This is called “pot likker,” and it can be spooned over the greens or used as a soup base. Serve these greens with Chicken Fried Steak, Hoppin’ John, Bourbon Brown Sugar Pork Loin, along with Grits and/or Cornbread.
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Kitchen Smarts
Mustard greens belong to the brassica family, the same family that includes collard greens, cabbage, kale, and spinach. Their peak season is winter through early spring. Look for smaller leaves: very large or thick leaves will have a very sharp flavor and can be tough, even with low, slow cooking.
How to Clean Mustard Greens
It’s critical to wash any greens thoroughly before cooking them. They can be very dirty, and even a little bit of grit can spoil the dish. For instructions on washing and prepping mustard greens, see Vegetarian Mustard Greens.
How to Make Southern Mustard Greens
- Cook the bacon: Line a plate with paper towels. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and sauté until crisp, about 4 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon onto the paper towels. Leave the fat in the pan.
- Sauté the veggies: Sauté the onions, then stir in the garlic. Add the chopped mustard greens to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to wilt, about 5 minutes.
- Simmer: Pour in the broth. Add the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. When the broth is simmering, lower the heat and cover the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until the collard greens are fairly tender but not super soft. (Or cook for more or less time! Your call!)
- Sprinkle the greens with the vinegar and crisped bacon, stir to combine, and serve hot, spooning up some of the pot likker to serve with the greens.
What to Serve With Southern Mustard Greens
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Southern Braised Mustard Greens with Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 slices bacon (preferably thick cut; sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces)
- 2 pounds mustard greens (very well rinsed and coarsely chopped; see Note)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 1 cloves garlic (very thinly sliced)
- ½ cup chicken broth (preferably less-sodium)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Line a plate with paper towels. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and sauté until crisp, about 4 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to the paper towels. Leave the fat in the pan.
- Add the onions and stir for about 3 minutes until they start to turn golden. Add the garlic and stir for another 2 minutes, until the garlic turns golden. Add the greens to the pot and stir to coat them with the oil and onions. Cook, stirring, occasionally until they begin to wilt, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the broth. Add the red pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper, then turn the heat to medium-high and bring the broth to a simmer. When the broth is simmering, lower the heat to medium and cover the pot. Cook, lifting the lid and stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until the collard greens are fairly tender but not super soft. (Or cook for more or less time! Your call!)
- Sprinkle the greens with the vinegar and crisped bacon, stir to combine. Serve hot, spooning up some of the pot likker to serve with the greens.
Notes
- Make sure there is no grit in your greens — wash very well in cold water.
- Leftover braised mustard greens can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Warm in a pot over low heat, or in the microwave.
