Sheet Pan Chicken, Kale & Sweet Potatoes
Sheet Pan Chicken, Kale & Sweet Potatoes is made with juicy chicken thighs roasted together with crispy kale and tender sweet potatoes. A super-simple 5-ingredient sheet pan recipe perfect you’ll want to make on repeat!
5 star review
“I make chicken this way regularly. Basically, this is the only way I make chicken now, and it’s a bonus if I make sweet potatoes to go with it. I’ve made broccoli this way instead of kale. So interchangeable and so easy. I’m so grateful to have found you, Robyn.”
– Anna
This Chicken Kale Recipe is the Ultimate in Simplicity
Don’t we all need more sheet pan recipes in our lives? As a healthy habits expert, I’m all about keeping it easy in the kitchen, because when it’s easy to do, it’s easy to make a habit! Sheet pan meals in particular are such a game changer, because I know we can all stand to do fewer dishes (can I get an amen?!?), and also just spend less time fussing with dinner in general.
When it comes to sheet pan recipes, I am absolutely in love with this combo of flavors, from the bright and sweet potatoes, to the meaty and satisfying chicken thighs, similar to my sheet pan chicken sausage & sweet potatoes. These ingredients are so much my jam, in fact, that I created a slow cooker chicken, kale, and sweet potato soup recipe based on the same combo!
The soup version has been so wildly popular with my readers, in fact, that I decided to turn it into a sheet pan version. The trick here is to roast the kale first, so that it gets crispy and almost nutty flavored. Trust me, if you think you don’t like kale, give it one more chance: roasting it is a total game-changer. Just be sure to keep a careful eye on it, as kale can go from perfectly crispy to burnt in a matter of a few minutes.
Next up comes the sweet potatoes and chicken thighs, which roast in about the same amount of time. You’ll just want to avoid overcrowding the pan so that so that things don’t steam and instead get nice and golden brown. Make sure your oven is good and hot, too, to ensure proper roasting. Add some simple spices and you’ll be amazing at how delicious simple can be!
Simple Tips for Making the Juicy Chicken Thighs with Kale & Sweet Potatoes
- Roasting the kale first and then setting aside is the key to crispy, addictive kale, without over cooking the chicken.
- Don’t forget the fresh lemon juice, it really elevates the rest of the flavors and brightens the dish.
- If you’d rather skip the kale, just roast the sweet potatoes and chicken, then serve with some lightly dressed greens of your choice.
- Feeding a hungry family? Add some crusty loaf of bread on the side to round out the meal.
- Want to bump up the greens? Serve atop some baby spinach dressed in fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
This Recipe Is
gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, mayo-free, nut-free, grain-free, soy-free, paleo, and whole30 friendly
Sheet Pan Chicken, Kale & Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ¼ plus ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups packed chopped kale
- 4 cups 1-inch chopped pieces sweet potatoes
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ teaspoon salt-free Italian seasoning
- Fresh lemon juice for serving
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Add the kale to the sheet pan, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon salt, and toss to combine.
- Roast for 10 minutes, tossing mid-way through, until crisp and lightly browned. Set aside.
- To the same pan, add the sweet potatoes and chicken. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and the Italian seasoning, tossing to combine.
- Spread into an even layer and roast for 30 minutes, tossing mid-way through, or until the chicken and sweet potatoes are golden and cooked through.
- Serve the chicken, sweet potatoes, and kale with additional salt and a squeeze of lemon if desired.
Notes
- If you’d rather skip the kale, just roast the sweet potatoes and chicken, then serve with some lightly dressed greens of your choice.
- Feeding a hungry family? Add some crusty loaf of bread on the side to round out the meal.
- Want to bump up the greens? Serve atop some baby spinach dressed in fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
How many calories?
Corrina, we don’t do calorie counts for recipes. You can enter the recipe into an online calculator if that’s important to you!
I make chicken this way regularly. Basically, this is the only way I make chicken now, and it’s a bonus if I make sweet potatoes to go with it. I’ve made broccoli this way instead of kale. So interchangeable and so easy. I’m so grateful to have found you, Robin.
Annay, so happy to hear this had become a go-to for you, and love that you can switch things up depending on what you have on hand. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!