Some weeknights call for a dinner that feels like you put real effort in but does not leave you with a sink full of dishes. These one pan lemon chicken thighs with white beans and kale are exactly that kind of meal.
It starts the way every good chicken dinner should, with a hard sear on the thighs until the skin is deeply golden. Then the chicken comes out of the pan and the shallots go in, followed by a splash of fresh lemon juice to scrape up all those browned bits from the bottom. White beans go in next and soak up that bright, lemony sauce until they are creamy and full of flavor. Chopped Tuscan kale gets tossed in, the chicken goes back on top and everything finishes cooking together under a lid.
The result is a complete meal in a single skillet. Juicy chicken, tender greens and beans that taste like they have been simmering all day. I season in layers at every stage, which is what makes the beans and kale taste as good as the chicken. It is cozy enough for a cold night, simple enough for any weeknight and easy enough that it will quickly become part of your regular rotation.
One Pan Lemon Chicken Thighs with White Beans and Kale
Ingredients
- 3lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 5 or 6)
- kosher salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large shallots thinly sliced
- 1 lemon divided, one half sliced into round for garnish
- 1 15oz can of white beans cannellini or great northern, drained and rinsed
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale stems removed and roughly chopped
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season generously on both sides with kosher salt. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes, or up to overnight in the fridge for deeper seasoning.
- Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch deep skillet with a lid over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the chicken skin side down and sear for 6 to 7 minutes per side until deeply golden. The chicken will not be cooked through yet. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Add the shallots with a pinch of salt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and starting to turn golden.
- Pour in the lemon juice to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the white beans with a pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are coated in the sauce and nice and lemony.
- Add the kale in handfuls with a pinch of salt and toss until it begins to wilt, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Nestle the chicken back into the pan skin side up, along with any juices from the plate. Skin side up keeps the skin crisp. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165° and the kale is tender.
- Taste the beans and kale and adjust with salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Garnish with lemon slices and serve straight from the pan.