Southern Turnip Greens with Turkey Bacon
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Southern turnip greens with turkey bacon is sooo good! Turnip greens are a lovely switch up from collard greens. They are more tender and easier to prep and cook. This southern favorite is cooked with onions and green bell peppers, garlic powder and smoky turkey bacon for extra delicious flavor. Your Thanksgiving dinner will be complete with these southern turnip greens served with Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, my Grandpa’s Southern Cornbread Turkey Dressing and Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler!
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What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Turnip greens are easier to prep and cook than collard greens. Collard greens are king of the South, but turnip greens are just as delicious. On top of that, they are easier to cut and they cook in a fraction of the time of collard greens. They need minimal prep work and cook down beautifully!
- Use a bigger pot and double this recipe so you’ll have plenty of leftovers for Thanksgiving. 4 bundles of turnip greens might seem like a lot but trust me – these greens will cook down A LOT. If you are cooking for a crowd, wash and prep the greens the night before then as the greens start to cook down add more until they’re all in the pot.
- Southern-style turnip greens with turkey bacon taste sooo good! They are seasoned well but not to the point of overpowering the actual flavor of the greens. Turkey bacon is used in place of ham hock or smoked turkey legs typically used in greens recipes and it adds much of the same flavor.
How to Make Southern Turnip Greens
- Start by washing your turnip greens. Rinse turnip greens, then place into a large stockpot full of water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Soak greens for 10 – 15 minutes to get rid of any dirt and grit. Then rinse them again with fresh water.
- Discard the ends of the turnip greens, then roughly chop the stems and leaves into ½ – 1-inch pieces.
- On medium-high, heat a large pot with a drizzle of vegetable oil. Once hot add chopped turkey bacon. Cook the bacon until it starts to turn brown and crispy.
- Next, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, chopped onions, and green bell peppers. Cook the vegetables until they just start to soften then add in all the spices cooking for a a minute or so until fragrant.
- Add water and the washed and chopped turnip greens. You might need to add them to the pot in batches. However, the greens will cook down quickly. Mix everything together.
- Cook the turnip greens covered on medium-low heat for 1 hour or until tender.
- Serve with more olive oil or hot sauce with a warm slice of Polenta Cornbread. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between collard, mustard, and turnip greens?
The main difference between the three is the flavor and texture. Collard greens have a hard texture. They have a strong flavor but can taste slightly bitter when undercooked. Mustard and turnip greens, on the other hand, have a softer texture with a peppery flavor. They don’t need to be cooked as long as collards.
What will tenderize turnip greens?
If you cook turnip greens for long enough they will be tender. Add extra water or chicken broth to them and continue to cook until they are your desired texture.
Looking For More Southern Recipes?
- Rosemary Polenta Cornbread
- Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread
- Jalapeno Honey Cornbread
- Sweet Potato Cornbread
- Smothered Chicken Wings
- Chicken Sausage Gravy with Biscuits
- Pan-Seared Boneless Chicken Thighs with Pan Gravy
- Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese with Yogurt
- Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler with Fresh or Frozen Peaches
- Homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream
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Southern Turnip Greens with Turkey Bacon
Southern turnip greens with turkey bacon are the perfect side to any southern meal. They can be served with mac and cheese, creamy garlic mashed potatoes, and homemade peach cobbler for the perfect meal!
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 295kcal
Cost: $15
Equipment
- Cutting mat
- Chef knife
Ingredients
- 4 bundles or 3.5 – 4lbs fresh turnip greens
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 8 ounces Turkey bacon about 8 slices, chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon red crushed pepper flakes
- ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup water or chicken broth
Serving suggestions
- olive oil for serving
- hot sauce or lemon juice
Instructions
- Cleaning and Chopping the Turnip Greens
- Cut an inch off the bottom of the stalks. Fill a large bowl or stockpot with water, add in ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Soak the turnip greens for 10 – 15 minutes to clean the dirt and grit off of them. Finally, give them a rinse with clean water. 4 bundles or 3.5 – 4lbs fresh turnip greens
- Next, cut the turnip greens into 1-inch pieces and the stalks into ½-inch pieces. Put them in a large bowl or stockpot and set aside.
- Cooking the turnip greens
- In a large pot, heat vegetable oil on medium-high heat. Add the chopped bacon then cook until it is well browned. Turkey bacon is done when it starts to make a loud crackling noise. There will be a lot of brown bits at the bottom of the pot, which is what we want for added flavor. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 8 ounces Turkey bacon
- Next, to the bacon, add in the diced green bell peppers and yellow onion. Cook the vegetables until they start to soften, 5 – 7 minutes. Then add in the spices – salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground paprika, ground turmeric, mustard powder, red crushed pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Cook for another minute so the spices can become fragrant then turn down the heat to medium-low. 1 large green bell pepper 1 small yellow onion 1 ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon ground paprika ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric ¼ teaspoon mustard powder ½ teaspoon red crushed pepper flakes ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Now, add water and the chopped turnip greens. All of the greens may not fit at once, but they will cook down quite a bit. Mix everything together then cover the pot with a lid. Allow the greens to cook on medium-low heat for 1 hour or until soft and tender.
- Add in a drizzle of olive oil. Taste and adjust for seasoning if necessary. Serve with cornbread. Enjoy!
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Turnip greens can have dirt and grit on them. First rinse the greens, then soak them in a large pot with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar for 10 – 15 minutes. This helps to remove the dirt and grit from the greens. Then rinse the greens again with fresh water.
- Cut a ½ inch off the bottom of the turnip greens stalks, because it can have a woody texture.
- Turnip greens cook down quite a bit. You can use a large stock pot or add the greens into a smaller pot in batches.
- Reserve some of the crispy bacon as a topping for your bowl of turnips greens.
Nutrition
Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 2052mg | Potassium: 348mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 477IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 2mg
All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.
