Crispy Chicken Thighs are a perfect busy weeknight meal! Especially served over tender kale sautéed with bacon and garlic. With this recipe, you’ll have a delicious dinner on the table with just a few minutes of prep!
It’s curious that France and Switzerland, two countries with populations known for their high saturated fat consumption, have low rates of heart disease (less than half that of the United States). These countries also have low obesity rates compared to the United States, where 2 out of 3 people are overweight and 1 out of 3 are obese. (source: Adult Obesity, Harvard School of Public Health)
It’s also curious that these countries were left out of the 1950s ‘Seven Countries Study’ that introduced the notion that saturated fat was to blame for heart disease. More than 50 years later, the ‘saturated fat is bad’ mantra lives on. (More about Dr. Ancel Benjamin Keys and the ‘Seven Countries Study in this Wall Street Journal article.)
It was a conversation with a friend about eating chicken skin that got me to thinking about this. I said it was delicious, he said it was ‘deadly.’
I don’t believe it is.
However, I do believe that how animals are raised, i.e., what they eat, directly affects how nutritious their meat is. I also believe that too much of any food can damage your health and increase your waistline. But I’ll choose a crispy skinned chicken thigh as the ‘healthier’ option any time over a food with a title that begins with ‘low’ or ends in ‘free.’ So if I had to choose a mantra, it would be of the Andy Warhol variety:
Progress is very important and exciting in everything but food.
If you hang out in the chicken-skin-eating camp, have I got a recipe for you! With just a few minutes of prep, you can be eating these Crispy Chicken Thighs with Garlicky Kale in about 45 minutes. The thighs are seasoned simply with salt and pepper then baked until crisp. While they bake, you’ll cook a large bunch of kale with a couple of smoky bacon slices, loads of chopped garlic, a generous pinch of crushed red pepper and, at the very end, a squeeze of fresh lemon. I like to serve the thighs on top of the kale so that any dripping juices bring all of the flavors together.
Crispy Chicken Thighs with Garlicky Kale
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs skin-on, bone-in
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 slices bacon diced small
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- large pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 large bunches Italian Kale sliced crosswise into thin ribbons
- 4 lemon wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange chicken thighs in a single layer on prepared baking sheet and season generously with salt and pepper. Bake 40 minutes or until skin is crispy and meat is tender and cooked through to the bone.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon; cook and stir until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kale; cook and stir until kale is mostly tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Divide kale between 4 plates and top each with 2 chicken thighs. Serve with lemon wedges.
I’m with Maggie 🙂 PORTION SIZE!! I swear, the size of servings in the US at some restaurants is INSANE!!!!! Bring on the chicken skin, it is totally the best part. I love your photos Marissa, they are beautiful. Sharing! N x
Thank you so much, Nagi! And AMEN! It is the best part. 🙂
I wondered the same thing about France too. But I realized that when you eat that much fat, you don’t really need a lot of food to be full and feeling satisfied. So I guess their total calories consumption is still on the lower side. Chicken skin is the best part! Love these crispy chicken. So easy to cook and delicious 🙂
I think you’re right, Maggie!
This must be really delicious! And that photo is so beautiful
Thanks so much, Summer.
Yayy! Thanks for giving me another dinner idea to make asap!! <3 I am with you in the chicken skin-eating camp! I am also not a fan of the low-fat, fat-free etc. products. They're just replaced with sugar anyways, so whats the point? I think you hit the nail on the head when you said it's more important to know how the meat was obtained (i.e. how the animals were raised, what they ate, etc.). I think that's the big difference between America and many European countries in terms of what we're eating. I find I eat much more when I'm on vacation in France, but I always end up losing weight there. It's amazing.
This meal looks absolutely scrumptious. I love that it comes together so quick, and garlicky kale? Yes please!!! Fantastic, Marissa! <3
I completely agree, Beeta! I always wonder if I lose weight because of the food or because we walk so much when we’re there. Either way, it’s a great perk. 😉
I am definitely part of the Skin eating Club so I’m pinning this one!!
It’s a great club! 😉 Thank you…
Love this recipe! I can eat food like this any night 🙂
Thanks, Sabrina. You and me too! 😉
That garlicky kale looks incredible! Also loving your food philosophy 🙂
Thanks, Medha.xo
Chicken skin is my favourite part of the chicken! I can’t imagine eating the meat without the skin. I don’t think I’d eat chicken in that case 😛
hahaha, well said!! 😉
That gorgeously crispy skin is right up my alley! And I couldn’t agree more about the points you made…I feel like educating people on this really is the answer.
And I have to say, garlicky kale is calling my name too. You have outdone yourself with this meal!
Thanks so much, sweet Faith!
Agree on every note you made. If it’s rendered and crispy, hello? What’s deadly are chemicals I can’t pronounce and me likes this one, the entire plate. Now. 🙂
Come on over, Kevin…
Hi Marissa! I always buy thighs because in my opinion they are the tastiest part of the bird! Even if I’m making something like chicken chili I roast off the chicken first and then remove the skin and bone – it just plain tastes better, plus we get the crispy skin to snack on! 🙂 I don’t deny myself anything, I just don’t eat huge quantities (usually). I’ve always believed that our bodies are telling us what we need when we crave something.
They really are, Dorothy! Thighs are the best…I agree about trusting cravings too when it comes to ‘real food’ anyway.
these look incredible!
Thanks, Tux!
Great post, Marissa! I totally agree – like they say about us, ‘ you are what you eat’; the same I’m sure applies to animals. I have always embraced the notion ‘everything in moderation, including moderation’ – words from the Buddha. So crispy skin all the way! And I’m loving that garlicy kale! Cheers sweetie!
ooooh, I love that Kathleen. It’s true, even moderation needs a holiday once in awhile.
Yes! Preach girlfriend!!! When I was eating chicken I had exactly the same mentality. Even now…that my family still eats chicken and meat…I would rather buy a little piece of the best quality, humanely treated meat out there then double that quantity for half the price. And crispy chicken is probably one of the bet things in the world to eat…Love this 🙂
Mila, you always make me smile! Thanks… 🙂
Yum, simple and perfect!
Thank you, sweet Suz!