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Caprese Chicken + Kale Skillet

This one pan recipe is naturally low carb, gluten free, and all the ingredients just work together. Even if you're not a huge kale fan, the sweetness of the balsamic vinegar and the tomatoes really help balance out its bitterness here, so maybe give it another try. Plus, of course: A little cheese just makes everything better...
Course dinner
Keyword caprese, cast iron, chicken, kale, one pot meals, skillet
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4
Author Rachel Singer

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoon olive oil divided
  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • ½ a medium yellow onion (or one small one), diced
  • 2 teaspoon minced garlic about four cloves
  • 6-8 oz roughly chopped kale leaves about one bunch
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1.5 tablespoon balsamic vinegar divided
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • ¼ cup shredded Parmesan

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trim chicken and season it on both sides with sea salt and pepper.
  • Head 2 tablespoon olive oil in a 12" cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Brown chicken thighs for 4 minutes per side, then remove to a separate plate.
  • While the thighs are browning, strip the kale leaves from their stems and roughly chop (if not using bagged kale). Dice onion and mince garlic (if using cloves).
  • After removing the chicken, reduce heat to medium under the same skillet. Saute the onion for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the garlic and saute briefly, then add the grape tomatoes and continue to cook for about 7 minutes, until they just begin to wrinkle.
  • Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Stir in the kale and season it with crushed red pepper and basil, then saute for another 3 minutes or so until kale is just wilted and dark green. Stir in 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, then turn off the heat under the pan.
  • Arrange the browned thighs on top of the sauteed kale and drizzle ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar over the chicken. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the entire skillet, then top everything with the Parmesan.
  • Move skillet into the oven and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees and cheese is browned. 
  • Serve your Caprese chicken skillet with the tomatoes and kale.