This roast chicken and kale comes together all in one pan, making it really easy to make any night of the week and a breeze to clean up! Seasoned chicken roasted on a bed of kale and other vegetables is a hearty and complete meal, perfect for serving to the family, or have leftovers for another night! Delicious and nutritious, this is definitely a recipe you will want to keep in rotation!
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- Chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on (see Recipe Notes below on other options)
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
For the vegetables:
- Common curly kale
- Cauliflower
- Sweet potatoes
- Onion
How To Make Roast Chicken and Kale
The Vegetables
Prepare the kale by ripping the leaves off the center rib of each leaf. Tear the kale into bite-sized pieces, rinse and drain.
Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into chunks. Cut the cauliflower into chunks.
Toss the vegetables with extra light olive oil (or any neutral flavored oil) and spread out into a baking dish. Top with thinly sliced onion.
The Chicken
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a small dish.
Lay the chicken thighs skin-side down on the vegetables and sprinkle half the seasoning on the underside of the chicken pieces.
Flip the chicken thighs over, skin-side up, and sprinkle the rest of the seasoning over the pieces.
Cover the baking pan with a lid or foil and bake in a preheated 400F/200C oven for 25 minutes. Remove the lid or foil from the baking pan and bake for another 35 minutes.
How To Serve the Roast Chicken and Kale
One of the best things about this meal is that you can take it straight from the oven to the table! Add some lemon wedges for anyone who wants a bit of fresh tang to their dinner! It is a complete meal in itself, with all the chicken and vegetables in one pan.
That being said, if you wanted to add more to the meal, it would also go great with some rice, homemade Easy Ciabatta Bread, Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup, Fresh and Simple Apple Coleslaw, Chewy Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão De Queijo), or Gluten-Free Yorkshire Puddings.
A Heartier Version with Rice
For a heartier version, you can add rice to the pan to cook right along with the chicken and vegetables!
Spread 1 ½ cups rinsed and drained long-grain rice in the bottom of the empty baking dish. Add 2 cups chicken broth. Add the vegetables that have been tossed with oil and continue with the recipe as stated. You will end up with perfectly cooked rice that has soaked in all the flavors and juices from the chicken and vegetables!
More Recipes You Might Like
For more chicken recipes, you might want to try:
- Dry-Brined Roast Chicken - Dry-brined means you get crispy flavorful skin and you don't have to deal with all the liquids required for wet brining.
- Crispy Crunchy Cornflakes Chicken - So simple to make, full of flavor, and who can resist crunchy chicken?
- Chicken Skewers with Thai Curry Dipping Sauce - Perfect for serving a crowd and fun to eat!
- Hearty Chicken and Kale Soup - Chicken and kale work together again in this recipe that is a definite winner in soup form.
- Skillet Lemon Garlic Chicken - A delicious low-carb meal that can be cooked and served all from one pan.
- Curry Chicken Rice Bake - Another one-pan roast chicken dish that is flavorful, hearty, and comforting.
Commonly Asked Questions
Yes!
Yes! Reduce the roasting time to 25 minutes after removing the lid/foil from the baking pan.
Yes, this recipe will still be delicious with skinless chicken pieces. I happen to like using bone-in chicken thighs because they cook up juicier and I like how the seasoned chicken skin gets crispy.
Use whatever vegetables you like! I like combining the leafy kale with chunky vegetables for texture. Carrots, broccoli, regular potatoes, butternut squash, bell peppers are all good options! Throw in some cloves of garlic (skins on) and squeeze out the creamy roasted garlic to eat with your meal!
Leftover roast chicken and kale is delicious and can simply be reheated in the microwave.
This roast chicken and kale dish is sure to become one of your go-to recipes for weeknights...or any night! It's easy to make, delicious to eat, and easy to clean up...how can you not want to make this? It's also ticks all the boxes if you're on a gluten-free or low-carb diet. This is a total winner winner chicken dinner!
~ Lisa.
One-Pan Roast Chicken and Kale
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
Seasoning for chicken:
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Vegetables:
- 3-4 large bunches of kale, washed, leaves removed from ribs, and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into chunks
- ½ medium sized cauliflower, cut into small chunks
- ½ onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup extra light olive oil (or any neutral flavored oil)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Serve with:
- Lemon wedges (optional)
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven 400F/200C.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder for the chicken seasoning. Mix and set aside.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Set aside.
Vegetables:
- Toss kale leaves, sweet potato, and cauliflower together with the extra light olive oil.
- Spread vegetables evenly in a large baking dish. Do not worry if it looks like a lot; it will sink as it cooks.
- Layer sliced onions on top of the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
Chicken:
- Lay the chicken on the vegetables, skin side down and sprinkle half of seasoning over the chicken pieces.
- Flip the chicken pieces over so they are skin side up and sprinkle the remaining seasoning over them.
- Cover the baking dish with foil or a lid and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil or lid and roast for another 35 minutes until chicken is cooked (internal temperature should be 165F/74C) and vegetables are tender. Serve immediately.
- Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Notes
- You can substitute the bone-in chicken thighs with boneless chicken thighs.
- If using boneless chicken thighs, adjust the baking time to only 25 minutes after removing the foil from the baking dish.
- You can use other chicken pieces besides thighs.
- Using chicken with the skin on makes for more flavorful chicken, but you can do skinless, boneless chicken, if desired. .
- Toss in other vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, etc. or stick with all kale if you do not want a vegetable mix.
- Add garlic cloves with the skins on to roast with the chicken and vegetables and you'll have creamy roasted garlic to go with the meal!
- Do not worry if the pan is really full when it's ready to go in the oven. Everything cooks down and will be about half the height it was when it went in!
- Rice Option: Rinse 1 ½ cups long-grain rice and spread in bottom of baking dish. Add 2 cups chicken broth. Continue with the recipe as stated with the vegetables and chicken and cooking time.
**This post was published on January 7th, 2019 and republished January 30th, 2024 with new photos, instructional photos, and updated recipe notes.
Meg says
This is so awesome! Thank you! Love how simple this is yet, so many options and possibilities with this! Really like that you can use whatever veggies and even rice!!!! So neat 🙂 I’m making this a staple for sure 👍 Appreciate the directions for boneless chicken too.
Thank you, Meg! I’m so glad you liked the recipe! I think you’re going to love it with rice, too!
TAMMY says
Wow! Amazing! I will definitely make this again.
Thank you, Tammy!
Jeanne Talbot says
I made this tonight for my 96 year old father who’s on a salt restricted diet. (I left out the salt) Oh my gosh this was fabulous! I loved it and so did he! Thank you for this great recipe! I struggle with finding something that’s not to hard for me (because I’m not a cook but when I come to NY and take care of my father, every couple of months, I have to be. The directions were so easy to follow and it was perfect! Thank you! We will be enjoying this many times.
Hi Jeanne! Thank you so much for making the recipe...I'm so glad you and your father liked it!
Deanna says
Love this recipe! so easy to make, doesn't have a bunch of dishes to clean up after, easy to improvise if you don't have all the ingredients.
Adding the rice was a great idea since the rice soaks in the flavours from the dish.
I so glad that you tried it and liked it, Deanna! I love it with the rice on the bottom, too!
Caitríona says
Do you think it would be possible to use quinoa or something instead of rice?
Yes, this would absolutely work with quinoa!
Robyn says
Delicious. Lovely flavours and simple to prepare. Will cook again, and next time try with rice combo
Thanks, Robyn! I'm so glad you liked it, and you will love it with the rice!
Robyn says
Lisa, I made this last night with the rice. Very tasty.Used chicken breasts, just removed them a little earlier to 'rest' and allow the sweet potato to continue cooking. Clean plates all round!
Clean plates are a great sign! Thanks so much for the update!
Melinda Clark says
Hi! How would I adjust the time if I'm using boneless skinless chicken breast?
Hi Melinda! Just like for boneless chicken thighs, I would bake them for 25 minutes after removing the foil from the pan. Thanks for the question!
Millie J. says
Oh, I want to cook this - I have a half-chicken that I was planning to roast, and a bunch of kale, and this would be a great way to combine them! One question: To me a "sheet pan" has a very low rim, whereas a baking dish has a higher rim like a cake pan. Which one do you use, and what are its dimensions (more or less)? Thanks!
Thanks for the question, Millie. I used a baking dish with higher rims to keep everything contained, similar in size to a lasagna pan...about 9x13. My niece uses a big turkey roasting pan when she makes this recipe. Hope that helps!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking says
One pan dinners really are life savers, especially this time of year! The last thing I want to do during a busy week is fuss with a lot of clean up after dinner. Love that you added some sweet potatoes in there with the kale and chicken!
Thanks, Leanne! I find using a mix of vegetables not only provides flavor, but it also offers variety for those who may not like kale as much!
Denise@urbnspice says
Your Chicken and Kale one-sheet dinner looks amazing,Lisa! I am all about adding more veggies like you did and am so inspired to try this dish. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks, Denise! I hope you enjoy it!
Philip - Chef Sous Chef says
A perfect healthy and simple weeknight meal. That chicken skin looks crispy!
Elaine says
Sheet pan dinners are the BEST! So easy, so good and such easy clean-up as well. This chicken looks delicious!
Jessica says
LOVE one-pan dinners! And really am enjoying the kale you've added into this recipe - goes so well with the other flavours!
Thanks, Jessica!