Slow Cooker Turnip Greens Recipe (2024)

Slow Cooker Turnip Greens makes easy work of a delicious Southern dish. This turnip greens recipe is a favorite and perfect for busy weeknights, Sunday suppers and New Year’s Day!

Slow Cooker Turnip Greens Recipe (1)

Turnip greensand cool weather go hand in hand, don’t they? And slow cooker turnip greenssure do make cooking this turnip green recipeeven easier!

For Sunday suppers or lunches after church, it is just hard to beat having the slow cooker out on the countertop doing as much of the work for you as possible. As a matter of fact, most Sunday’s I’ll have more than one just working away to make our day run a whole lot more smoothly. Slow cookers are always great for that extra help in the kitchen.

Slow Cooker Turnip Greens Recipe
Slow Cooker Turnip Greens Recipe (2)

A few years ago, I’d planned to make a traditional Southern supper one Sunday but knew we were going to be out of the house most of the day with various activities. I knew the turnip greens needed to cook low and slow to produce tons of pot liquor like my husband likes for eating with his cornbread. Otherwise, I could’ve made quick skillet turnip greens like I’ve shared before and that we love to make for easy weeknights. But, this particular Sunday, I wanted the style my Grandmother would’ve made and cook all day.

So, I decided I’d give them a try in my slow cooker. Goodness gracious if they didn’t produce some of the best tasting, traditional Southern turnip greens I’ve ever tasted! The best part, I didn’t have to worry with them all day long. I popped them into my slow cooker, added water and seasonings and set the timer. My slow cooker did all the work.

I love it when things come together like that. Don’t you?

How to Make

Fill your sink or a large stockpot with lukewarm water. Then, chop your turnip greens and add to the water. Agitate the water to clean the turnip greens and remove any dirt or grit that may be on the greens. Drain away the water and repeat until the turnip greens are cleaned and there is no dirt in the bottom of your sink or stockpot when cleaning the greens.

Spray the insert of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and then add half of your turnip greens with about 1 cup of clean water. Add any peeled and quartered turnips if you are using along with a ham hock or olive oil. If you are using the sugar and red pepper flakes, add those as well. Set the timer for 1 hour at the low setting.

Once the timer has completed for the hour, add the other half of the turnip greens to the slow cooker and set the timer for 4 hours on the low setting.

Once they are done, serve with cornbread, mashed potatoes, black-eyed peas (especially for New Year’s Day) and other southern favorites! So delicious!

And remember, never discard your pot liquor from your turnip greens. For many, that is the very best part! You can always add a few more ingredients to left over turnip greens for my Pot Likker Soup or just have a simple meal of turnip greens and cornbread.

Here’s my Slow Cooker Turnip Greens recipe. I think you’ll love how easy they are to make in the slow cooker!

Slow Cooker Turnip Greens Recipe

Robyn Stone

5 from 6 votes

Slow Cooker Turnip Greens makes easy work of a delicious Southern dish. This turnip greens recipe is a favorite and perfect for busy weeknights, Sunday suppers and New Year’s Day!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours hours

Total Time: 5 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • 2 large bunches fresh turnip greens
  • 3 medium turnips, peeled and cut into quarters
  • 1 (1/2 pound) ham hock, or 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional
  • pinch red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

  • Fill clean sink about halfway with lukewarm water. Chop turnip greens and place into the sink to clean. Agitate the water and turnip greens with your hands to dislodge any dirt and grit from the turnip greens. Drain water and repeat once or twice until the greens feel clean and no dirt remains in the bottom of the sink when rinsing.

  • Spray insert of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.

  • Add half of greens to the slow cooker with about 1 cup of water, peeled and quartered turnips, and ham hock or olive oil. If you are using the sugar and red pepper flakes, add those as well.

  • Cook on low setting for about 1 hour until greens have reduced. Add remaining greens to the slow cooker and set time on low for 4 more hours.

  • Note: The longer turnip greens cook, the better the flavor, in my opinion.

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 1144mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 42046IU | Vitamin C: 225mg | Calcium: 700mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Slow Cooker Turnip Greens Recipe (4)

Originally published 2012.

Categorized as:All Recipes, By Cooking Style, By Special Diets, Cooking, Dairy-Free Recipes, Egg-Free Recipes, Gluten-Free Recipes, Grain-Free Recipes, New Year Recipes, Recipes, Side Dish Recipes, Simple Recipes, Slow Cooker Recipes, Southern Favorites, Vegan Recipes, Vegetable Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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Slow Cooker Turnip Greens Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What takes the bitterness out of turnip greens? ›

Braise them. For sturdy greens with a bite, like rapini, collards, kale, and turnip greens, consider braising. Not only will this slow-cooking cut the bitterness, but it will also soften the otherwise tough leaves.

What vegetables should not be added to a slow cooker? ›

Tender vegetables

Vegetables such as peas, asparagus and peppers can become a flavorless, mushy mess in a slow cooker.

Why add baking soda to turnip greens? ›

Wash greens and roots well. Some suggest soaking the greens in a little salty water. One turnip website from the United Kingdom notes that if you boil them, add a little sugar to tame the scent and add baking soda to reduce bitterness.

What makes turnips taste better? ›

How do you get the bitterness out of turnips? Smaller turnips tend to be sweeter and less bitter, so start by selecting fresh, small, tender turnips and peeling them. Adding a little sugar to your turnips after cooking can also help to counteract any bitterness.

Should liquid cover vegetables in slow cooker? ›

Reduce liquid when using a slow cooker

It should just cover the meat and vegetables. Don't overfill your slow cooker, or it may start leaking out the top, and the food won't cook so well.

Can you overcook vegetables in a slow cooker? ›

1. Adding Delicate Vegetables Too Early. Due to the slow cooker's lengthy cooking time, most vegetables will become overcooked and mushy if they're added too soon, says Stephen Chavez, chef instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in Los Angeles.

What are the disadvantages of a slow cooker? ›

Food texture changes: Canned foods, such as vegetables, can become too mushy in a slow cooker. It's better to use them fresh or frozen. But, frozen veggies tend to make the texture of the dish more “watery”. Defrosting and draining the extra liquid before cooking can help minimize this.

What meat goes well with turnip greens? ›

This version contains salt pork, but you can use another kind of pork cut—bacon, streaky bacon (pork belly), ham hocks, hog jowl, smoked pork chops, or similar meat.

Are turnip greens good for you? ›

Turnip greens are healthy and rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Turnip greens can be eaten raw and added to salads, but since the fiber content is high, it is better to eat them cooked. Turnip greens have a spicy flavor similar to mustard seeds.

How to counteract bitterness? ›

Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish.

Does sugar take bitterness out of greens? ›

Your secret weapon: salt. Although sugar may seem like a natural antidote, your taste buds won't think so. Try this: Sprinkle a bitter green like radicchio or endive with sugar and eat it. Most likely, you'll get a punch of sweetness followed by a disturbing bitterness.

How to get rid of bitterness? ›

Join a support group or see a counselor. Acknowledge your emotions about the harm done to you, recognize how those emotions affect your behavior, and work to release them. Choose to forgive the person who's offended you. Release the control and power that the offending person and situation have had in your life.

Why are my garden turnips bitter? ›

Stress may cause them to go bitter (lack of water, to much heat etc) Frost will not remove bitterness as all frost can do is sweeten them some by changing some carbohydrate to sugar and carbohydrates are not the cause of the bitterness.

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