It was a few months ago that when the lockdown began, I focused on buying veggies that I would be able to store in my fridge or pantry for a long time so that I would still be able to eat a well rounded meal without frequenting the grocery store.
I bought collard greens the first time I ever bought any food in the refrigerator.
They hold up well and they are extremely inexpensive, and I love them so very much! I pulled out a bottle of jerk seasoning on a whim when I first made collard greens in my pantry.
I was looking through the pantry looking for something to season them with and found something in my pantry called jerk seasoning.
Upon tasting these jerk seasoned collard greens, I was blown away at how amazing the flavor combination was, and I knew I had to share them with you all.
A delicious dish, is for everyone to know and try the recipe together, right? Apronese understands that and quickly shares it with you here.
Erk Seasoning: What Is It?
A jerk seasoning, if you haven’t heard of it, is a wonderful combination of herbs and spices that are used to create jerk style cooking in Jamaica.
It is a spicy, sweet, and savory blend of herbs and spices.
The marinade usually contains fresh ingredients such as Scotch Bonnet peppers, onions, ginger, scallions, allspice, garlic, and thyme, among other spices, as well as other herbs and spices that are used in Jerk cooking.
A flavorful marinade is used to cover chicken, beef, pork, fish, or vegetables and then baked over an open flame.
This collard greens recipe was created by simmering these collard greens in a broth filled with a dry jerk seasoning, flavored with orange juice for sweetness, and flavored with some jerk seasoning that can be found in nearly any grocery store.
Jerk Seasoning: Where to Find It
There are a lot of big grocery stores that offer either wet marinades (in jars) or dry spices, however I used a dry spice mix for this recipe. You should be able to find either one at your local grocery store.
This is a brand from Jamaica known for producing both a wet marinade as well as a dry spice mix.
The product is available for purchase on their website, on Amazon, and in most large retail stores such as Kroger. You may also wish to try the Immaculate Bites recipe for making your own spice mix, if you want to try it.
Jerk Seasoned Collards: What to Serve?
I love collard greens because of their unique sweet-savory-spicy flavor, which makes them a perfect complement to a variety of dishes.
For some reason, I especially enjoy them with mac and cheese, and I have been eating them piled on top of my mac throughout the first few weeks of lockdown.
It is my intention to show how these would go along with Quick BBQ Chicken and Mac and Cheese in the photo above.
There are also a lot of southern comfort foods that you could pair them with, including potato salad, cornbread, BBQ meatballs with cheese grits, and even red beans and rice.
Leftover Collard Greens: How to Store Them
It is one of those things that tastes even better the next day than it does the first time.
When you are ready to serve these collard greens, make sure you store them in the refrigerator along with the leftover broth, so that they can continue to marinate in all of the flavor.
When you have leftovers (with broth), you can reheat them on the stove on medium, stirring often, or in the microwave until hot.
Make sure to remove the greens from the broth before serving (use a slotted spoon to lift them out).
Collard Greens Seasoned with Jerk
Whether you are eating these Jerk Seasoned Collard Greens as a side dish or for a snack, these are a deliciously flavorful and satisfying side dish that makes excellent leftovers as well.
Author: Beth
Prep Time: 5 mins/ Cook Time: 35 mins/ Total Time: 40 mins
Servings: 8 (¾ cup each)
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 2 tsp jerk seasoning ($0.20)
- 1/2 cup orange juice ($0.52)
- 3 cups chicken broth ($0.36)
- 1 lb. chopped collard greens ($2.50)
Instructions
- I recommend slicing the onion into thin rings and mincing the garlic beforehand. Place the onion, garlic, and cooking oil in a large pot and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes), then remove them from the pot.
- Pour the jerk seasoning, orange juice, chicken broth, and collard greens into a large pot. Stir together. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the pot and cook for about 20 minutes.
- If you wish to use the collard greens for a more robust flavor, let them simmer on medium-low until they are tender, stirring occasionally, until you have achieved the type of tenderness you desire (about 30 minutes, or to your liking). Keep the lid on while not stirring.
Nutritional
Serving: 0.75 cup ・ Calories: 51.94 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 7.43 g ・ Protein: 2.46 g ・ Fat: 2.15 g ・ Sodium: 385.44 mg ・ Fiber: 2.65 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer .
Collard Greens with Jerk Seasoning – Step by Step Photos
If you prefer not to have large pieces of onion, you can finely mince the onion instead of having large pieces.
Slice one yellow onion and mince one clove of garlic (if you do not want large pieces of onion, you can finely mince it as well).
When the onions and garlic are cooked, add them to a large pot with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and sauté until they are soft and translucent (about five minutes).
I added 2 tsp of jerk seasoning, 1/2 cups of orange juice, and 3 cups of chicken broth to the pot that has the onions and garlic in it.
The collard greens taste great when paired with a pot of rice. I used pre-washed and chopped collard greens that came in a bag.
If you’re chopping your own collard greens, make sure you wash them well, cut out the stems, and chop into strips.
The broth should boil before the collard greens are tender. Once the mixture has reached a boiling point, place the lid on the pot and bring it to a boil on medium heat, stirring it occasionally as it boils.
Once the collard greens have reached a boiling point, lower the heat to low and let them simmer for a short period of time.
I let my collard greens simmer for 30 minutes, but you can cook them for more or less time depending on how tender you want the greens to be.
It is best to serve the jerk seasoned collard greens at room temperature, with a slotted spoon to drain away as much of the broth as possible.
A dish that is not too fussy when cooking as well as when preparing is what Apronese will prioritize to introduce to everyone.
Moreover, it is very easy to store without fear of damage overnight. If you like sweet, spicy and salty, you will love this when you try it for the first time, trust me.
Let us know in the comments about your experience.
