Get ready to make an amazing chicken and kale recipe that’s packed with flavour. I’ll show you how to transform simple ingredients and end up with a juicy chicken dish that makes for a perfect weeknight dinner.
This great recipe is gluten free, grain free, top 9 free, top 14 free, and more. However, don’t let that free-from status fool you. People without food allergies have raved about this chicken and kale recipe. In fact, one taster told me: “Wow. I’m surprised this is kale. It doesn’t even taste like it.”
So, if you’re not a huge kale fan, or have someone in your life that’s learning to like kale, this chicken and kale recipe is a great way to introduce the hearty green veg.
Choosing the Right Kale
If you’re not normally a kale fan, you may enjoy a recipe like this. Additionally, I’m told that it tastes good cold, making it perfect for lunch leftovers. There are a lot of varieties of kale to choose from before you set out to make this chicken and kale recipe. Now, I did use frozen kale, however, you can use fresh kale. Here are some fresh kale options to choose from:
- Lacinato Kale (aka Dinosaur Kale or Tuscan Kale)
- Curly Kale
- Red Kale
- Italian Kale
- Russian Kale
- Baby Kale (can be different varieties)
Now, this little list only scratches the surface. These are the types of kale leaves you’re most likely to see at grocery stores, but there are over 20 different varieties you can grow at home in your garden.
When it comes to choosing fresh kale, I always reach for dino kale, or baby kale leaves. That’s because where flavour is concerned, these are the two most kid friendly kale varieties, at least from my personal experience.
If you’re new to eating kale, I’d suggest taking a trip to your local farmer’s market. Find a booth that has several varieties of kale, and ask to sample each before choosing a bunch of kale to purchase. You can also talk to the farmer about different flavour notes and so on.
Allergy Status
Free From: Wheat/Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Tree Nut (including Coconut), Peanut, Fish, Shellfish, Sesame, Top 9 Allergens, Top 14 Allergens, Alliums, Avocado, Banana, Beans & Lentils, Berries, Buckwheat, Cane/Refined Sugar, Carrot, Celery, Cinnamon, Citrus, Garlic, Legume, Lupin, Mushroom, Mustard, Nightshade, Oat, Onion, Pea & Pea Protein, Potato (Nightshade Variety), Red Meat, Rice, Seeds, Strawberry, Squash & Gourd, Sweet Potato & Yam, Tapioca/Cassava/Yuca/Manioc, Tomato, Yeast
Friendly To: AIP Paleo, GAPs, GERD, Paleo, SCD
Compatible With: Peppercorn Free
Peppercorn Free: Swap the black pepper with ground ginger.
Tools to Make This Kale and Chicken Recipe
- Large Skillet
- Wooden Spoon for Cooking
- Cutting Board
- Knife (my current fave knives)
Chicken and Kale Recipe Ingredients
Part 1 Ingredients
- 5 TBSP Oil of Choice for Cooking (I use EVOO)
- 200g Organic Medjool Dates, weighed w/o pits, (12 dates/7 ounces)
- 250g Organic Fuji Apple (9 ounces), diced
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Applewood Salt (see notes)
Part 2 Ingredients
- 280g Frozen Organic Kale (10 ounces)
- 670g Organic Boneless Chicken Breasts (24 ounces/1.5lb), cubed
- 2 tsp Smoked Applewood Salt (see notes)
Part 3 Ingredients
- 1 tsp Organic Ground Turmeric
- Organic Ground Black Pepper to Taste
More Easy Weeknight Meals
When it comes to making easy weeknight meals for the whole family, personally, I think sheet pan dinners are an excellent choice. Second to that, pressure cooker meals are a fantastic option. If you’re more of a slow cooker fan, that works as well. All three of these methods are hands off cooking methods, and that frees you up to do other things
- Beef & Broccoli Sheet Pan Dinner
- Bacon & Potato Sheet Pan Meal
- Easy Salmon & Potato Sheet Pan Dinner
- Pressure Cooker Salsa Chicken Recipe
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Important Ingredient Notes
About the Salt: You can use a smoked salt to enhance the overall flavour, or a standard sea salt. I get my Applewood Smoked Salt from a local farm (Allstar Organics) that’s top 8 allergy free. They make it right on the farm and sell other products as well. Redmond’s Real Salt sells a line of smoked salts that are fantastic, as does SF Salt Co.
Chicken: I use organic boneless skinless chicken breasts that I purchase at Costco. You could also use skinless chicken thighs that have been trimmed. Skinless thighs will naturally have more flavor since it’s a darker meat.
Cooking Oil: You can use any oil you enjoy. My go to choice is organic extra virgin olive oil, followed by avocado oil, then organic tiger nut oil (tuber, not a tree nut).
Kale: I used frozen kale for ease. You can use fresh chopped kale instead. Any variety of kale will work, so long as you like the taste. You can also use a blend of varieties.
Nutrition Tip: Turmeric and Black Pepper work together. You can read an interesting article about it here.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes (All GF + Allergy Friendly)
The next time you’d like to make a tasty chicken recipe, be sure to consider one of the recipes below. These are all awesome top 9 free options!
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Flavoured Rice
- Gluten & Dairy Free Buttermilk Fried Crispy Chicken Recipe
- Whole Roast Chicken & Vegetables Recipe (a great hands-off meal to make on busy weeknights)
- Italian Roasted Potatoes & Sausage (a fantastic sheet-pan meal that’s easy to make)
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Directions
Start by preparing your apples, dates, and chicken. For the dates (nut free dates), pull them apart in half lengthwise to remove the pit. Then cut each half in half lengthwise, then cut a few small pieces from each quarter. Your apple can be small cubes (remove pieces that are mostly skin), and the chicken can be medium-sized cubes.
Prep time for this recipe is about 10 minutes, and your total cook time is 20 minutes.
Heat a large pan or heavy skillet on medium-high heat (7/10 for me). Add your cooking oil, and once hot, add your dates, apples, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt (Part 1 Ingredients). It’s OK if you only have sea salt on hand. Smoked salt will enhance the flavour. Cook for 7 minutes stirring as needed to prevent burning (but not too much as you want some browning).
Next, add your frozen kale, chicken, and 2 teaspoons of salt (Part 2 Ingredients). Mix everything together well and continue to cook for 6 minutes. Now, add your turmeric and black pepper. Mix again to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook for an additional 3 – 5 minutes (or until your chicken is done).
You can use an instant read meat thermometer to check your chicken. The center of a large piece should be at least 165f/74c. That’s it. Your chicken and kale recipe is ready to roll. Below are serving ideas you can try.
Serving Ideas
This chicken and kale recipe is fantastic standalone, however, you can pair it with a range of side dishes and carbs. Here are a few ideas:
- Serve on top of cooked rice (jasmine rice, brown rice, sushi rice, etc.)
- Add a side of roasted carrots or green beans.
- Season cauliflower rice with fresh lemon, parsley, and black pepper. Serve your chicken and kale on top.
- Sauté zucchini noodles and mix in caramelized red onion for extra flavor. Serve your chicken on top.
- Oven roast sweet potatoes or Japanese yams and serve on the side.
- Serve with a side of crispy rice and grilled lemon wedges.
One of the best things about making meals at home is that you can customize to your heart and taste buds’ content. Take these ideas and run them. Happy cooking!
Answering Your Questions About This Chicken and Kale Recipe
Would this recipe taste good with Parmesan cheese?
Absolutely yes! This recipe would be fabulous with Parmesan cheese. A lot of people don’t realize that apples and Parm are a fantastic combo, as are dates and cheese. This recipe is like… a layup waiting to happen where Parm comes in and grabs the ball and scores a point. Pretty sure I got that basketball reference right.
In terms of how much to use, that I can’t tell you. I’d say add it to taste. If I were making this with Parmesan cheese, I’d add it towards the end of cooking so it’s good and melty all over the whole dish. However, there’s no crime in grating it after plating like you would with some pastas.
If someone in your home has a milk allergy, like one of my kids, check out this article where I walk about different dairy free Parmesan cheese options.
Is this a low carb recipe?
The dates and apple in this recipe will add to the carb count. Depending on if you count all carbs vs net carbs, that will impact the answer. The nice thing about making recipes at home is that you can adjust them as needed.
In the case of this chicken and kale recipe, you can reduce or omit the dates and/or apples. This will absolutely impact the flavour, but if it’s what you need to do to have a low carb meal that meets your needs, go for it.
Should you opt to remove those ingredients, I encourage you to add mushrooms or mushroom powder for a little more flavour, or perhaps red pepper flakes to make it more interesting.
Can I cook this recipe in a cast iron skillet?
Yes, you absolutely can. I’ll add this: if you plan to serve chicken and kale recipe to a guest, make sure they don’t have food allergies. If so, read this article on cast iron and the potential for cross-contact.
If you’ve used your cast iron skillet for ingredients someone else can’t have, you’ll need to use a different pan.
Would this recipe taste good with garlic powder?
I think this is an excellent recipe for all things garlic. Personally, I’d lean towards having you tap into fresh garlic flavor which will be more present. If you’d like to give that a go, you’ll need garlic cloves and a garlic press (this is the one that I love). Sure, you could chop garlic but honestly, once I got a press I never looked back. Literally one of the best small kitchen purchases I’ve ever made.
If you don’t have time for that, you can purchase chopped/minced garlic in a jar at a lot of grocery stores these days. The flavour will be punchier than garlic powder, but not as present as fresh garlic.
If you opt for garlic powder (it is the easiest option for sure), start with 1/2 teaspoon. Taste when the whole dish has finished cooking, then add more if needed. Also, look into garlic granules. It’s an alternative to garlic powder with a more intense flavour.
Can I cook this recipe in a Dutch oven?
Yes, you can cook this in a Dutch oven, however, you’ll need to monitor the heat. A Dutch oven is phenomenal at maintaining heat, and I often cook things on medium heat that I would have normally cooked on medium-high or even high heat.
Outside of that, know that this recipe won’t be put into the oven, and it doesn’t have a long simmer time, like a lot of traditional recipes that call for a Dutch oven. So yes, you can use it like a large pot, but just know that it’s not necessary.
Will bone-in chicken thighs work for this recipe?
For this particular recipe, no, bone-in chicken thighs won’t be the best choice, unless you plan to remove the bones and make them boneless chicken thighs yourself. If you want to cook your chicken on the bone, I suggest following a different recipe. Look online for a braised bone-in chicken thigh recipe. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of great options. Most likely you’ll sear the chicken, then allow it to cook in chicken broth or something of that nature.
In order to have success with this recipe, without having to cut down chicken too much, you’ll want to start with boneless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs.
Is this considered a healthy meal?
Personally, I’d call this a healthy meal. When you look at what’s sold in the average American restaurant, this is miles and miles ahead. There’s a healthy fat from the cooking oil, lean meat, fiber, good carbs, and awesome leafy greens packed with vitamins and minerals.
You could boost the nutritional content by adding micro greens before serving. Alternatively, add them when your cooking time is up, and cook for one additional minute if you don’t like cold/raw micro greens. One minute cooking is good because the nutrients will mostly still be intact.
Overall though, it’s a great meal to have if you’re wanting to have more health-focused recipes.
Could I cook this in the oven rather than on the stove top?
To get the intended results, no you wouldn’t be able to cook this in the oven in a glass baking dish like a casserole, or on a baking sheet like a sheet pan meal. However, notice I said intended.
Here’s what you could do: prep up all of the ingredients and place them in a large mixing bowl. Mix everything together very well. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper, then transfer the contents of the bowl to the tray. Spread it out all over the baking sheet evenly.
Roast in the oven at 400f/205c until the chicken has cooked all the way through. Use your instant read meat thermometer to confirm the internal temperature is 165f/74c. When the chicken is done, the complete meal is ready. Pull the tray out and serve as you see fit.
In my humble free-from opinion, you’ll still enjoy this easy recipe, it just won’t be the same. The chicken won’t be the same golden brown and the kale won’t cook up the same. You’ll have something closer to a roast chicken dinner if I had to guess, which isn’t the end of the world.
Is the kale in tis recipe crispy, or is it soft?
The kale in this recipe isn’t overtly crispy like you’re eating a bag of kale chips. There’s some crispy kale bits here and there that you’ll enjoy though. If you’re looking for serious crunch, you could cook your kale in the oven to get it mega crispy. Cook the chicken and other ingredients together, then serve it up more like a warm kale salad.
