This One Pan Lemon Chicken with Kale is an easy, healthy and delicious meal you’ll want on repeat in your house! Juicy chicken thighs are seasoned, seared, and cooked in a creamy lemon sauce with kale for an extra punch of greens and flavor. It’s Paleo, Whole30 compliant, keto, and low FODMAP too.
One skillet chicken recipes have definitely been a thing lately! I’m very into bone-in chicken thighs right now.
For one thing, it’s incredibly easy to cook them so they’re juicy inside and crispy outside without a whole lot of help.
Plus, they’re perfect for one skillet dinners! Which is a total must for me on weeknights. They’re also one thing that no one in my family seems to complain about – so there’s that. If you also live with big-time picky eaters I’m sure you appreciate how special that is!
What You Need to Make Paleo Lemon Chicken and Kale
This is a truly simple chicken dinner that doesn’t require any bells and whistles – just good real food ingredients! Note that there are several ingredients that are optional – for extra flavor only. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Bone in, skin on chicken thighs
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Oregano
- Paprika
- Ghee, avocado oil, or garlic infused olive oil (for low FODMAP)
- Garlic (omit for low FODMAP)
- Chicken broth or bone broth
- Coconut milk (full fat) or cream
- Lemons
- Nutritional yeast (optional, for flavor)
- Kale
- Sage (optional)
- Thyme (optional)
How To Make Lemon Chicken with Kale in One Pan
First, season the chicken all over with sea salt, black pepper, oregano and paprika and preheat your oven to 425° F. If you follow a low FODMAP diet and need to avoid garlic, I highly recommend using a garlic infused oil to sear the chicken for extra flavor!
Sear the chicken on medium high heat on both sides until golden brown – 4 minutes each side. Remove the chicken to a plate so you can make the sauce, reserving a few tablespoons of the fat.
If using garlic, cook it now over medium heat for 45-60 seconds. Then add in the broth, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and zest. Bring it to a boil and then simmer until the mixture reduces.
Add in the kale and coat with sauce to wilt, then nestle the chicken back in the skillet over the kale. Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through – about 18-20 minutes. Then serve as you wish – it’s that simple!
How to Make this Recipe Low FODMAP and SIBO Friendly
I’m currently treating a case of SIBO with a diet that’s a mix of SCD (specific carbohydrate diet) and low FODMAP. By omitting the garlic in this recipe, it falls into both categories and is very git friendly!
Since staring this diet I’ve been heavily relying on garlic infused oil, and shallot infused oil from Fody Foods to add flavor to my food! This is in no way sponsored – I’m just grateful to have found these products since there are a lot of spices I need to avoid right now.
I bought both of my oils on Amazon and highly recommend them for anyone treating SIBO or with IBS. They also have great marinara and tomato basil sauces that have become life saving for my meals lately!
What To Serve with Lemon Chicken and Kale
To keep things keto, you can serve with a simple salad dressed in lemon and garlic oil or your favorite keto dressing, cauliflower rice, or roasted veggies.
For Whole30 friendly sides I highly recommend crispy roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes!
While they’re not on my plan right now – that would be my first option to go with this meal. There’s nothing like flavorful crispy chicken with savory roasted potatoes! My smashed potatoes would be so good too.
I hope you’re ready for an easy delicious meal that’s also healthy, low carb, gut friendly and family friendly too! Time to cook – get the oven started and let’s go!
Lemon Chicken and Kale {Paleo, Whole30, Keto}
Lemon Chicken and Kale {Whole30, Keto, Low FODMAP}
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- Sea salt and pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 Tbsp ghee or avocado oil use garlic infused oil for low FODMAP
- 3 cloves garlic minced (omit for low FODMAP)
- 1 cup broth of choice
- 2/3 cup full fat coconut milk or coconut cream
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast optional, for flavor
- Zest of 1 lemon grated
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice about 1 lemon
- 4 cups kale chopped (about 6 oz)
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp thyme optional
- 1/4 tsp sage optional
- Additional lemon zest and lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425° F. Season the chicken all over with sea salt and pepper, paprika, oregano.
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Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat and add the oil or ghee. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side; set aside on a plate. Lower heat to medium low.
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If you wish, drain excess fat but reserve at least 2-3 Tbsp in the skillet. Add garlic (or skip for low FODMAP) and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and zest.
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Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and cooking, stirring for 3-5 minutes. Add the kale and coat with sauce, stir just to wilt. Nestle the chicken back into the skillet over the kale.
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Place the skillet in oven and roast until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 18-20 minutes.
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Garnish with lemon zest and wedges and serve right away. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*These garlic and shallot infused oils from Fody Foods are great!
Nutrition
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Want More Paleo One Skillet Chicken Recipes? Try one of These!
Crispy Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
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thank you for the recepie, i just loved this helpful recepie website
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This is a wonderful recipe–my husband and I both loved it! i’m sometimes hesitant to use coconut milk–I like it but often I can taste it over the other flavors. But not this one! I can’t eat garlic so I substituted a leek and used just one tbsp of the nutritional yeast. We ate it over mashed celery root–trying to skip potatoes right now. My husband couldnt stop raving over this deliciousness and I agree! I love most your recipes and site–thanks!
I love this chicken recipe! I really like the fresh, lemon flavor. Going to make this again this week sometime. Thank you for the great recipe!
Great recipe!! The combination of coconut milk and zesty lemon is pure flavor heaven! You would never know that this recipe is keto. It tastes like a dish at a pricey restaurant. My husband could not stop raving about it. I sent the recipe to my brother, who is on the keto diet, and he loved it too. Bravo! Michele, you are amazing.
Delicious! Could not get enough of the creamy lemony kale.
Super easy to make! Enjoyed the way it made my house smell! Not to mention the flavor out of this world❤️
My son and I loved this recipe. When I made it I thought I had chicken thighs and drumsticks but when they defrosted I found out they where chicken thighs and boneless chicken tenders. I browned them both as recipe calls for and half way through the baking process I added the chicken tenders and they came out perfect. The only problem we had was we needed more kale. I think I will double the kale next time. Super delish! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Delicious! My family loved it… even my kids! We all think it would be really tasty with fish as well so I may try the exact same recipe with some tilapia fillets next time. I’m also going to use even more kale because it was so good!
wow thanks for posting
This is one of our families favorite recipes. This is truly delicious! Your website has been a godsend for us! We have made quite a few recipes and we have loved them all. We were on a 30-day reset and your recipes mostly fit our plan. We had very little if any adjustments to make and even my kids loved the recipes!
SO FANTASTIC! I am loving the coconut milk/broth/nutritional yeast combo and all of your recipes in fact. Accomodating a lactose free spouse, gluten free sister and egg free niece :0 Great thing is I’d make these aside from food allergies. Grateful for you as a resource
So easy and delicious! Subbed spinach since I didn’t have kale. There are no leftovers- greatest compliment in our household that includes 3 almost grown men! Michele always makes me look like a rock star- profoundly grateful for that! 😉
Lemon and chicken is such a classic combo — adding kale makes it feel extra nourishing!