• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
Farm Life DIY

Farm Life DIY

  • DIY
  • Recipe Index
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dish
    • Side Dishes
    • Dessert
  • Garden
    • Seasonal Produce Guide
Home / Food / Mustard Greens with Bacon

Mustard Greens with Bacon

Food, Side Dishes

Jump to Recipe

These Mustard Greens with Bacon make the best quick, healthy side dish! Learn how to cook mustard greens perfectly with this low-carb recipe and step-by-step guide.

mustard greens with bacon in a bowl

Mustard Greens Recipe

Healthy, sweet and savory mustard greens are the perfect side dish with so many meals! The bold, spicy greens are balanced with sweetener for a delicious, full-bodied flavor. Crispy bacon adds the salty boost that everyone will love! It’s a well-balanced side that works with pork, chicken, fish, or tons of other veggies.

Why you’ll love this side dish:

  • Quick – Mustard greens are fairly delicate, so they cook fast in a pot with a secure lid! You don’t need to bring out the slow cooker or pressure cooker to get perfectly tender mustard greens. This recipe is ready in under 20 minutes.
  • Healthy – This side dish has under 200 calories and about 3 net carbs. It’s not high in cholesterol, sodium, or fat, either! If you’d like to make this even healthier, use turkey bacon instead.
  • Versatile – This dish goes with so many different proteins and flavor profiles. You could pair this with nearly any entree, and you can even freeze individual portions to pair with meal prepped meats later.
mustard green leaves on a table

Ingredients for the BEST Mustard Greens

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this recipe. Exact measurements are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

  • Mustard greens – Remove the tough stems and chop into roughly 2-inch square pieces. The more similar in size and shape, the more even the cook!
  • Bacon – Chopped into small pieces. Feel free to use turkey bacon if you prefer. You can use thick or thin slices; thicker will result in meatier pieces while thinner will result in crispier pieces.
  • White onion and Garlic – Feel free to use a yellow onion instead of white, but you’ll have a milder, slightly sweeter flavor. Jarred minced garlic will save you time.
  • Chicken broth and Apple cider vinegar – Store-bought broth is fine, but homemade stock has more flavor. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar would be the best substitute.
  • Brown sugar sweetener – If you’re low-carb or keto, use brown sugar monk fruit instead. This has under 3 net carbs per serving with that substitute!
  • Salt, Pepper, Paprika, Garlic powder – These general seasonings help bring out the best in everything, balancing the bitter and sweet flavors.
roughly chopped mustard leaves in a bowl

What are mustard greens?

Mustard greens are a leafy vegetable in the same family as kale, collard greens, broccoli, and cauliflower (the Brassica family). They can be a bit bitter and taste quite peppery. Mustard greens are spicier than collard greens but aren’t as tough. They have a very bold flavor that many people describe as “zesty.” You don’t need to cook them to death which is why these are great on the stovetop versus the Instant Pot or slow cooker.

How to cook mustard greens

You’ll need a Dutch oven or large pot with a lid and a stovetop or hot plate for this quick side dish! This mustard green recipe is ready in less than 20 minutes with this step-by-step guide!

bacon, onion, and garlic in a dutch oven
broth and apple cider vinegar added to onion, garlic, and bacon in the dutch oven

Cook bacon and onions

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven to medium-low heat. Add the chopped bacon and onion, and cook until the bacon has begun to crisp and the onions are soft and translucent about 6-10 minutes. When the bacon is crisp add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.

mustard greens added to pot with bacon, onion, garlic, and broth
bright green cooked mustard greens with bacon

Cook the greens

Add the broth, vinegar, brown sugar, and spices, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.Add in the chopped greens. You may need to add half the greens and stir so they begin to wilt before you can fit the remaining greens in the pan. Cover and cook the greens for 5 minutes.

Remove the lid and stir well. The greens should have wilted significantly. At this point, you can enjoy them immediately, or you can continue to cook them uncovered if you prefer your greens more tender. Simply stir often and serve when they have reached your desired consistency.

finished mustard greens with bacon in a bowl

How to Serve Mustard Greens

You want mustard greens hot and tender, right out of the pot. They pair perfectly with Instant Pot Pork Chops with a side of Roasted Acorn Squash! For the perfect southern keto comfort food, serve these up with Keto Oven Fried Chicken, some Keto Bacon Cheddar Biscuits, and a scoop of Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole.

More sides that pair well with mustard greens:

  • Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
  • Jalapeno Cornbread
  • Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes
  • Easy Corn Fritters
bowl full of 20 minute mustard greens and bacon

Store

Allow your cooked greens to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. You can even freeze these for longer storage! Simply store in a freezer bag (we prefer individual portions for less waste), press out as much air as possible, and then freeze. They will last for about a year, but the texture is best the sooner you eat them. Thaw overnight in the fridge for the best texture and flavor.

Reheat

Reheat these in a skillet or pot on medium low heat with 1-2 tablespoons of chicken broth per serving. Stir frequently until heated all the way through. These aren’t as tough as other greens, so be careful to not overcook them while reheating. Avoid the microwave–It turns the greens to mush and doesn’t smell great, either.

wooden bowl with tender mustard greens, bacon, and onion

If you like this side dish, you’ll love these healthy recipes!

  • How to Cook Swiss Chard – Another green with bacon! (but what isn’t better with bacon, right?) This low-carb, gluten-free side dish is milder than mustard greens.
  • The BEST Instant Pot Collard Greens – If you worry about tough greens, the pressure cooker will help solve that issue! These are amazingly tender and go so well with any entree.
  • Crock Pot Collard Greens & Black Eyed Peas – A great southern recipe that takes little effort on your part! Spicy jalapenos and salty ham make it a full meal that satisfies.
  • Bacon Wrapped Cabbage – This easy side dish is perfect for beginners or cooks who don’t have time to stir a side dish frequently. You can easily prep these ahead of time, too.
  • Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon – Another downhome classic you’ll love! The cabbage cooking in the bacon grease is the key to an extremely flavorful dish.
mustard greens with bacon in a bowl

Mustard Greens with Bacon

Farmlife DIY
These Mustard Greens with Bacon make the best quick, healthy side dish! Learn how to cook mustard greens perfectly with this low-carb recipe and step-by-step guide.
4.50 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 6 minutes mins
Total Time 16 minutes mins
Course Side Dishes
Cuisine Side Dish, Southern
Servings 4 servings
Calories 176 kcal

Equipment

  • La Cuisine 2175MB Premium Enameled Cast Iron Covered Dutch Oven, Casserole, Pot, French Oven, 5-Quart (QT) – Matte Black enamel coating finish Interior, Pale Blue Porcelain Enamel Exterior

Ingredients
  

  • 4 slices bacon chopped
  • 1/2 cup white onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons golden monk fruit or brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 pounds mustard greens tough stems removed, chopped into roughly 2 inch pieces

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large pot or Dutch oven to medium-low heat. Add the chopped bacon and onion, and cook until the bacon has begun to crisp and the onions are soft and translucent about 6-10 minutes. When the bacon is crisp add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.
  • Add the broth, vinegar, brown sugar, and spices, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Add in the chopped greens. You may need to add half the greens and stir so they begin to wilt before you can fit the remaining greens in the pan. Cover and cook the greens for 5 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and stir well. The greens should have wilted significantly. At this point, you can enjoy them immediately, or you can continue to cook them uncovered if you prefer your greens more tender. Simply stir often and serve when they have reached your desired consistency.

Notes

This recipe can be low carb and keto friendly by using golden monkfruit instead of traditional brown sugar. Nutrition information below is calculated based on using monkfruit, and each serving has 2.9 net carbs when made low-carb.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25 of recipeCalories: 176kcalCarbohydrates: 10.9gProtein: 9.7gFat: 11.8gCholesterol: 18.8mgSodium: 455.8mgFiber: 8gSugar: 1.3g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

November 29, 2023 ·

Previous Post: « Slow Cooker Short Rib Tacos
Next Post: Installing CalTrend Dura-Plus Seat covers in a Ford Maverick »
4.50 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Primary Sidebar

NEVER MISS A POST

Search by Category

Get on the List

Get easy recipes and fun DIY projects delivered right to your inbox!

Footer

Categories

  • Recipe Index
  • DIY
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Thyme Theme by Restored 316

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.