Pork neck bones might not be fancy, but chile, they’re straight-up soul food comfort. Listen, not everybody grew up eating pork neck bones, but where I’m from, they’re a staple. This is real-deal Southern cooking, taking a cut that’s often overlooked and turning it into something rich, hearty, and worth every single bite. My family has been cooking them this way for generations, and I promise this recipe will give you the same melt-in-your-mouth results.
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Why You'll Love These Southern Neckbones
These neckbones are straight-up comfort food. The kind that takes you back to Sunday dinners, paper towel–lined plates, and a pot that’s been simmering low and slow all afternoon. They’re tender enough to fall apart with a fork, rich without being greasy, and swimming in a gravy that you’ll absolutely want to spoon over rice, buttermilk mashed potatoes, or Southern cornbread.
Southern Neck Bone Ingredients
- Pork Neck Bones: Just like ham hocks, you may find packages of neck bones with little to no meat, which are mostly bones. Pay close attention and look for packages with meatier bones. I find them readily available in local grocery stores. You can also check specialty markets, even some Asian grocery stores.
- Olive Oil
- Broth
- Onions
- Smoked Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Salt and Pepper
How to Cook Neck Bones
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare the neck bones.Pat the neck bones dry with paper towels. This helps remove any excess bone fragments.
- Sear the meat. Heat 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the neck bones place them in the pot. Sear until browned on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove the browned neck bones and set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables. In the same pot, add the chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and fragrant.
- Season. Sprinkle in smoked paprika and Creole seasoning, stirring the spices into the vegetables so they bloom and release their flavor.
- Deglaze and add broth. Pour in enough broth to cover the bottom of the pot and scrape up any browned bits. Return the seared neck bones to the pot, then add enough broth to nearly cover the meat.
- Simmer low and slow. Bring the pot to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and let the neck bones simmer, stirring occasionally. The meat should become tender and start pulling away from the bone.
- Adjust and serve. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with a little more Creole seasoning or salt if needed. Serve the pork neck bones hot, with some of the rich broth and vegetables spooned over them.
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Pork Neck Bones
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also grab your FREE ebook with my best 30-minute one-pot meals! Dinner stress stops here.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ - 2 pounds pork neck bones Raw, not cooked or smoked.
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cups broth Any broth: chicken, pork, vegetable or simply water. Use enough liquid to cover the neck bones.
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup chopped onions I used white onions.
Instructions
- Pat the neck bones dry and season both sides of each with the spices.
- Place a Dutch oven or large pot on medium-high heat. When hot add the olive oil along with the seasoned neck bones.
- Sear each side of each neck bone.
- Add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
- Add the broth to the pot and deglaze the pot by scooping up any brown bits (leave them in the pot for flavor) with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Add the bay leaf. Adjust the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and simmer for 2-4 hours. The longer the neck bones cook, the more tender they will be. Fall-off-the-bone neck bones typically take 3-4 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Pork neck bones are exactly that, the meat and bone from the neck of a pig or hog. They have a small amount of meat on them and when simmered, the meat is tender and juicy. Neck bones are very inexpensive and are often served for Southern meals along with Southern Collard Greens and Southern Cornbread.
Neck bones are also great stocks, soups, and gravy. You can make bone broth using neck bones.
First things first, don’t skip the sear. Browning those neck bones in a little oil before you slow cook them makes all the difference. It locks in flavor and builds a rich base that takes the whole dish up a notch.
Now for the secret: low and slow is the name of the game. Neck bones aren’t a quick fix meal, they need time to break down and get that fall-off-the-bone tenderness. Plan for at least 2–4 hours of cooking, sometimes longer depending on how meaty or thick your bones are.
And don’t forget, keep it moist. You’ll want enough broth or liquid in the pot so the meat doesn’t dry out. That steam and liquid are what work together to tenderize the meat while it cooks.
Cooked neck bones can be stored in the fridge tightly covered for 3-4 days.
You can freeze leftovers tightly covered and sealed. For best taste, they will last up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat.
Neck Bone FAQs
Pork neck bones are exactly that, the meat and bone from the neck of a pig or hog. They have a small amount of meat on them and when simmered, the meat is tender and juicy. Neck bones are very inexpensive and are often served for Southern meals along with Southern Collard Greens and Southern Cornbread.
Neck bones are also great stocks, soups, and gravy. You can make bone broth using neck bones.
The potatoes will cook faster than the neck bones. I like to add them after the neck bones have cooked for a couple of hours.
I love to use smoked paprika to add smoked neck bones flavor. You can also add a teaspoon of liquid smoke to the broth.
You can save your neck bone drippings once the neck bones have cooked, and use it to make gravy. You can follow the steps from my Turkey Gravy with Drippings recipe.
Pork neck bones are so cheap because they come from a less-in-demand cut of the hog, not because there’s anything wrong with them.
Here’s the real breakdown.
First, they aren’t a “pretty” cut. There’s a lot of bone and connective tissue and not a big slab of meat like chops or ribs. Second, they take time to cook properly. Pork neck bones need low-and-slow cooking to break down the collagen and connective tissue.
You can rinse them under cold running water to wash away any bone fragments, residue from processing, or excess blood. That’s it. No soaking, no vinegar baths, no lemon juice, no scrubbing. Just a quick, thorough rinse.
Flavoring greens and beans: Neck bones are perfect for collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, Southern cabbage, Southern black-eyed peas, pinto beans, navy beans, and lima beans. As they simmer, they release collagen and seasoning into the liquid, giving you that deep, savory pot liquor people fight over.
Slow-cooked main dishes: When cooked low and slow, pork neck bones become tender and rich, with meat that pulls right off the bone. They’re great served over rice, mashed potatoes, or with cornbread soaking up the gravy.
Building broths and gravy: All that bone, marrow, and connective tissue means incredible body. Neck bones naturally thicken sauces and gravies without needing flour or cornstarch, especially when cooked for a few hours.
First things first, don’t skip the sear. Browning those neck bones in a little oil before you slow cook them makes all the difference. It locks in flavor and builds a rich base that takes the whole dish up a notch.
Now for the secret: low and slow is the name of the game. Neck bones aren’t a quick fix meal, they need time to break down and get that fall-off-the-bone tenderness. Plan for at least 2–4 hours of cooking, sometimes longer depending on how meaty or thick your bones are.
And don’t forget, keep it moist. You’ll want enough broth or liquid in the pot so the meat doesn’t dry out. That steam and liquid are what work together to tenderize the meat while it cooks.
Cooked neck bones can be stored in the fridge tightly covered for 3-4 days.
You can freeze leftovers tightly covered and sealed. For best taste, they will last up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat.
More Ways to Season Neck Bones and Add Flavor
- Cajun Seasoning
- Bell Peppers
- Fresh Herbs (Thyme, Basil, Rosemary)
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Brown Sugar
- Hot Sauce
- Beer or Red Wine
- Fresh Lemon Juice
Pair With These Dishes
Creamy Butter Beans
Cornbread Muffins
Southern Turnip Greens
Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
Cornbread Dressing with Chicken
Southern Soul Food Baked Mac and Cheese
Hog Maw
Thanksgiving Chicken
Soul Food Southern Oxtail recipe
Bone-In or Boneless Garlic Prime Rib
Eye of Round Roast Beef
Want to make it in a slow cooker? Check out our Slow Cooker Crockpot Neck Bones recipe.
Felicia says
If you want to outdo your daddy or your grandma from the south this recipe is for you!!
Took me forever to find neck bones (finally, went to a butcher shop in Detroit). This didn’t disappoint. My daddy swore I had someone else make them 😂. I made black eye peas(froze them from New Year’s Day) and greens to go with it. My daddy says they’re almost as goo as his, but also kept asking me what I put in them. This is how I know the recipe is fire!! Now let me take some to my grandma because she called about them because my daddy was still talking about them!
staysnatched says
haha! Love that!
Kim says
Just like my Mother used to make!! Definitely made from Love! ❤️❤️❤️
staysnatched says
Yes!