A hearty and flavorful one pot meal featuring tender braised chicken thighs cooked with nutritious kale and creamy white beans in a savory broth.
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups chopped kale, tough stems removed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Season the chicken thighs evenly with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides.
Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken thighs skin-side down and sear until the skin is golden brown and crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for 3 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion to the pot and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes to the onions. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes with their juices. Stir to combine and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Return the seared chicken thighs to the pot, nestling them into the liquid.
Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Remove the lid and add the drained cannellini beans and chopped kale to the pot. Stir gently to combine.
Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes until the kale is wilted and beans are heated through.
Stir in fresh lemon juice, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
Serve the braised chicken hot, spooning the kale and white beans with the flavorful broth over the top.