Spicy Skillet Turnip Greens Recipe
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Turnip Greens don’t have to be cooked to death to be delicious. These spicy skillet turnip greens are perfect for a quick weeknight meal.
One of Bart’s favorite things to eat is turnip greens. Add roast beef, skillet cornbread, and maybe even some mashed potatoes and his rating of supper would most certainly be a 10.
The other night, I decided I would make his favorite meal to welcome him home for a long week of meetings, meetings and more meetings. I remember what those are like from my corporate days and immediately knew he needed some comfort food.
I remembered to start the roast cooking earlier during the day, but totally forgot the turnip greens while Sam and I were outside working spreading pine straw around the flower beds in the back yard.
Not realizing what time it was, it finally hit me as I heard the diesel engine of my husband’s truck lumbering down our long driveway.
Determined not to let my plans for a welcoming, comforting meal fall by the wayside, my mind quickly kicked into gear and I decided I’d make these spicy skillet turnip greens for him instead. It was my only shot at pulling the meal together with a little pizzazz.
I knew they had to be done fairly quickly.
I heated up my skillet, drizzled a bit of olive oil in the bottom and got busy peeling my onion. In the onion went and I started cutting up my turnip greens. I knew I needed a lot, because as they cook, turnip greens will cook down a lot. Not quite as bad as spinach, but they will cook down a good bit.
I added half of my pound of turnip greens to the skillet as the onions became tender and cooked them down before I added the remainder of my greens. Then, I added a little bit of water and a pinch or two of red pepper flakes for the heat.
In the same amount of time it took my cornbread to bake in the oven, my turnip greens were ready and my husband loved them.
I think you need to give them a try the next time you need a comforting meal. A plate full of turnip greens, cornbread, and roast beef definitely feels like home to me.
Spicy Skillet Turnip Greens Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, cut into wedges
- 1 pound turnip greens, cleaned and chopped
- 1/4 cup water
- pinch brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, adjust to preference
Instructions
- Drizzle olive oil into skillet over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Then add 1/2 of turnip greens. Allow to cook down and add the remainder of the greens.
- Add water, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Adjust the amount of red pepper to your personal taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Dear Robyn,
I cooked your turnip greens recipe and it was delicious! I especially like putting a pinch of brown sugar in it so it won’t be bitter. Thanks for this!
Thanks, Jan. I’m glad you loved these spicy turnip greens.