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Southern-Style Slow Cooker Neck Bones

Southern-style neck bones cooked low and slow until perfectly tender, juicy, and deeply flavorful. This recipe delivers rich broth, fall-off-the-bone meat, and that classic Southern comfort with almost no effort. Perfect with rice, greens, beans, or cornbread.
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Prep Time 2 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs pork neck bones cleaned
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 3 celery stalks chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp seasoned salt
  • 1 ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper optional
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil for browning

Method
 

  1. Season the neck bones with seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Pat dry before seasoning so everything sticks well.
  2. Brown the neck bones in hot oil for 2–3 minutes per side until lightly caramelized. This builds deep, savory flavor.
  3. Build the slow cooker base by adding diced onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to the bottom of the slow cooker.
  4. Layer the browned neck bones over the vegetables. Add chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and apple cider vinegar.
  5. Add bay leaves, then cover and cook on LOW for 7–9 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours until fork-tender.
  6. Taste and finish. Remove bay leaves, skim excess fat, adjust seasoning, and serve warm with broth spooned over the top.

Notes

  • Browning the neck bones is optional but highly recommended for richer flavor.
  • If your broth tastes flat, add a pinch of salt or a splash of vinegar at the end.
  • Add potatoes only in the last 2 hours to prevent them from breaking down.
  • Leftovers thicken as they cool — reheat with a splash of broth to loosen.
  • Works great with turkey necks if you want a lighter version.