Lemon Garlic Braised Chicken with Kale

If you love tender chicken, this braised chicken is a must make! Serve this Lemon Garlic Braised Chicken with kale and rice or mashed potatoes for a healthy and delicious dinner! The perfect recipe for cooking a whole chicken or chicken pieces. 

Have you ever tried braising chicken?

Braising is a cooking method that uses both dry heat and wet heat. We star by pan-searing the chicken for crispy skin, then add cooking liquid (in this case, wine) and other goodies to add moisture and flavor to the dish.

Braised chicken is often started on the stove top then finished in the oven. However, the whole process can be done on the stove top as well.

This simple cooking method results in tender meat for a delicious and nutritious dinner any night of the week.

To prepare this easy braised chicken recipe, you’ll need a large thick-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven (this is what I use) or a large skillet with a deep lip and a lid. 

Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for braised chicken!

Ingredients for Braised Chicken with Kale:

Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Pieces: The first time I made braised chicken, I bought a whole chicken and butchered it into pieces. I love going this route but I also find buying pre-butchered pieces to be quicker and easier.

For this reason, I recommend picking up a few pounds of your favorite bone-in pieces. Bone in chicken breasts, bone-in chicken thighs, or drumsticks all work great and any combination therein. You’re guaranteed great flavors with bone-in pieces due to the added richness.

While boneless chicken breasts and boneless skinless thighs work, I recommend sticking with bone-in pieces for the best results because they hold lots of flavor, making the whole dish taste extravagant.

If you do go with boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, just be sure to keep an eye on the internal temperature so that the pieces don’t become overcooked.

Avocado Oil: We need a quality high-temperature cooking oil to brown the chicken and sauté the onion.

I like using avocado oil because it has neutral flavor and withstands high temperatures.

I don’t recommend using olive oil because we need to sear the chicken over high heat and the olive oil will surely burn.

Yellow Onion and Garlic: Fresh onion and garlic cloves boost the flavor of the chicken.

White Wine: We need some form of braising liquid, and I like going with white wine because it exudes enticing flavor.

One cup chicken stock works great too. Red wine also works; however, I prefer white wine with chicken.

Lemon (lemon zest and lemon juice): Lemon zest and lemon juice give the chicken lovely vibrant flavor. For less lemon flavor, stick with just the zest and omit the juice.

Head of Kale: A lovely low-carb one-pot meal, we add kale to ensure we’re getting some fresh veggies and greens with our meal. Feel free to swap it out for Swiss chard if you prefer.

Sea Salt and Pepper: Add kosher salt and black pepper to your personal taste. Add red pepper flakes for a little heat if you’d like.

If you want to add fresh herbs or dried herbs, feel free to do so!

What to Serve with Braised Chicken:

Mashed Potatoes: Whip up your favorite mashed potatoes or prepare my Caramelized Onion Roasted Garlic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes. 

Rice: Serve it with regular steamed rice or brown rice, or make my Lemon Garlic Rosemary Rice. 

Roasted Vegetables: While there is already kale involved in this recipe, you can add more vegetables to the meal by making my Garlic Herb Roasted Vegetables. 

Side Salad: Prepare your favorite green salad, or make my Shredded Brussel Sprout Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes. 

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s make this healthy braised chicken recipe!

How to Make Lemon Braised Chicken with Kale:

Remove the chicken from its packaging and place it on a large plate or cutting board. Pat chicken with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large thick bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat on the stove top. Wait a few minutes for the pot to become sizzling hot.

Sprinkle both sides of the raw chicken pieces with salt and black pepper and place them skin-side down on the hot surface in a single layer. 

Cook until the chicken becomes crispy and golden brown, about 4-6 minutes. Flip chicken to the other side, and cook another 2-3 minutes. There is no need to cook the chicken all the way through just yet. Using tongs, transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Reduce the heat to medium and transfer the chopped onion to the bottom of the pan. Sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another couple of minutes, until fragrant.

Arrange the pieces of browned chicken in the pot so that they are skin-side up.

Pour the chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, and lemon zest over the chicken.

Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven, add the kale leaves, stir them into the chicken and broth, replace the cover, and place pot back in the oven for another 5 to 8 minutes, or until kale has softened and the chicken breasts reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the thigh pieces reach 180 degrees F.

The exact cooking time depends on many factors, including the temperature of the chicken going into the pot, the type of sauté pan you’re using, and the elevation at which you cook. For exact results, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat to get an accurate read.

Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Serve kale and chicken with mashed potatoes, crusty bread, brown rice, or any other side dishes you’d like. Drizzle the braising liquid over everything. 

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

The chicken becomes even more flavorful the next day so feel free to make the recipe well in advance. 

And that’s it! A great chicken dish for weeknight meals that you’ll want to keep on constant rotation.

If you love chicken recipes like this, you may also love these reader favorites.

More Healthy Chicken Recipes:

• Lemon Rosemary Braised Chicken Thighs  
• Ginger and Turmeric Braised Chicken  
• Creamy Caramelized Onion Chicken  
• Crispy Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Thighs  
• Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore  

This may just be your new favorite way of preparing chicken! Enjoy!

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