This Skillet Chicken with Beans and Greens is an elegant French-inspired and extremely flavorful meal that is made easy in just one pot. The chicken, beans, and kale are braised in a wine mustard sauce that gives you lots to enjoy over mashed potatoes, polenta, or for dipping in a rustic country bread.
Disclosure: I was compensated for this post by Alberta Pulse Growers. All opinions and experiences are my own.
Other great chicken bean recipes are our Healthy Chicken Burrito Bowl and our Buffalo Chicken Chili; both are perfectly spiced and are easy and quick too. Need help to season that cast iron plan? We have a great post for you. Or for just the love of beans try this Drunken Beans recipe with beer and bacon it is a winner.
Helpful Items for This Recipe
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Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet with 2 Loop Handles – 17 Inch
Today we are working with Alberta Pulse Growers and have included in our recipe these lovely pinto beans. Pulses are the dry edible seeds of pod plants, and when they are harvested dry from the field. The French love to use beans in recipes like in a traditional cassoulet. Pinto beans are gorgeous in this recipe and add the perfect flavor and texture to the dish plus, they complete the meal. We love to use them in recipes like this Crockpot Ham and Beans.
In Alberta, we grow a variety of peas, lentils, beans, and chickpeas. The third largest crop is beans which are grown in Southern Alberta between Taber, Vauxhall, and Bow Island. We grow pinto beans, Great Northern beans (our white bean!), and black beans. Of all the beans, pintos are the most widely grown in Southern Alberta.
People can support Canadian pulse farmers by purchasing pulses labeled “Product of Canada.” It was pintos beans that I selected for the recipe, and you have to agree they are absolutely gorgeous in color.
What Ingredients are in Skillet Chicken with Beans and Greens?
Simple ingredients that result in amazing flavor. You won’t have issues finding these everyday ingredients at your local store. I don’t like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, as you get so much more flavor with the bone-in skin-on thighs. Also, I think the chicken thighs are a better option than chicken breast for the recipe too.
Ingredients
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
8 chicken thighs (bone-in skin-on chicken)
1-2 Tbsp canola oil
2 large shallots, minced
¼ cup white wine
1 ¼ cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried tarragon
4 cups kale, stems removed, roughly chopped
1 – 398 mL can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
5 cups of baby spinach
How to Make Skillet Chicken with Beans and Greens
Who says that on busy weeknights you can’t make an excellent-tasting meal? This quick and easy recipe gives you time to put your feet up and relax while it cooks away, making delicious tender chicken, beans, and kale. Before you know it, you have an excellent weeknight dinner that is fit for company too.
In a small bowl, mix together the granulated garlic, sea salt, and black pepper.
Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season them on both sides with the garlic mixture.
In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil over medium heat.
Cook the chicken by placing 4 thighs into the heated skillet, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue to cook the other side until browned about 3 minutes.
Transfer the browned thighs to a plate and repeat with the remaining thighs, adding more canola oil if needed.
Remove the second set of thighs and add the shallots and white wine to the pan. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, scraping up the brown bits from the pan with a wooden spoon. The wine should be evaporated in this step.
Add the chicken stock and Dijon mustard to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Continue to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon.
Simmer over medium heat until the mixture has reduced to about ¾ of a cup or close to half the volume, about 5 minutes.
Finishing This Amazing Meal
Turn the heat off and stir in the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the lemon juice and tarragon and mix to combine.
Add the chopped kale and pinto beans to the skillet, stirring to coat the kale with the sauce.
Add the chicken back to the pan, tucking it into the kale, pour in any chicken juices from the plate, and put the lid on.
Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add the baby spinach to the skillet, don’t stir, and cover for 2 minutes or until the spinach is slightly wilted.
Transfer to a large serving bowl or platter.
Enjoy as is with a crusty loaf of country bread for dipping or over creamy polenta or mashed potatoes.
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it HERE!!
Skillet Chicken with Beans and Greens
Ingredients
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 8 chicken thighs bone-in skin-on
- 1-2 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 large shallots minced
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 ¼ cups chicken stock
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dried tarragon
- 4 cups kale stems removed, roughly chopped
- 1 – 398 mL can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 5 cups baby spinach
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the granulated garlic, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season them on both sides with the garlic mixture.
- In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil over medium heat.
- Cook the chicken by placing 4 thighs into the heated skillet, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue to cook the other side until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer the browned thighs to a plate and repeat with the remaining thighs, adding more canola oil if needed.
- Remove the second set of thighs and add the shallots and white wine to the pan. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, scraping up the brown bits from the pan with a wooden spoon. The wine should be evaporated in this step.
- Add the chicken stock and Dijon mustard to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Continue to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon.
- Simmer over medium heat until the mixture has reduced to about ¾ of a cup or close to half the volume, about 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and stir in the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the lemon juice and tarragon and mix to combine.
- Add the chopped kale and pinto beans to the skillet, stirring to coat the kale with the sauce.
- Add the chicken back to the pan, tucking it into the kale, pour in any chicken juices from the plate, and put the lid on.
- Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add the baby spinach to the skillet, don’t stir, and cover for 2 minutes or until the spinach is slightly wilted.
- Transfer to a large serving bowl or platter.
- Enjoy as is with a crusty loaf of country bread for dipping or over creamy polenta or mashed potatoes.
Comments & Reviews
Bob Ogorzaly says
I loved this recipe. It’s very forgiving.
My doctors have been telling me to eat more leafy greens, and I was hoping to find a recipe that I could cook completely in one pan on the stove top.
My grocery (HEB) has these large combo packs of collard, mustard and turnip greens that I used. Didn’t have any white wine or tarragon, so I used rosemary. Forgot to put in the mustard and lemon until it got to the table.
Easy and delicious!
Tara Noland says
So glad you enjoyed it Bob! Next time up the game with a little mustard and lemon and you will find it even better!!
Joseph Smith says
Thank you, Tara, for sharing this delectable dish! Skillet chicken with white beans and kale is a healthy, substantial, flavorful, and easy midweek chicken supper that you will like. This is a terrific dish for busy weeknights or a special date night to impress your family and friends. Thank you for sharing again.
Tara Noland says
So glad you liked it, Joseph, we really enjoy meals like this and loved creating this recipe.