One Pan Chicken with Potatoes, Kale, Apples and Figs

I love chicken baked with fruit, adding a touch of natural sweetness. to the meal The kale is a great balance, totally cooked down for those who are afraid of a leathery texture—no need to fear! This is a really easy dish to make. I prepped it ahead of time, put it in the refrigerator and then in the oven when I wanted to make it for dinner, making it perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. It is also absolutely nice enough for company or a special weekend meal. The crunchy baby potatoes are such a delight. Make double if you have potato lovers around the table!

One Pan Chicken with Potatoes, Kale, Apples and Figs

Serves 4

Spices

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 bone-in, skin on chicken pieces, breasts or thighs

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound baby potatoes, halved

1-2 apples, cored and sliced (no need to peel)

5-6 figs, halved

1 lime or lemon, thinly sliced

4-6 ounces kale, de-stemmed and rough chopped

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Mix spices in a bowl. Reserve
Halve pieces if large. Brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place pieces in spice bowl and rub to cover. Put chicken on a parchment lines sheet pan.
In a large bowl add the potatoes to spice bowl. Add more spices and oil if necessary. Toss to cover each piece of potato. Add apples and figs and toss.
Place the potatoes, apples and figs on the sheet pan around the chicken. Tuck in slices of lime or lemon around the chicken. (I used limes as I had them on hand. Either limes or lemon will be fine.)
Bake chicken mixture in the oven for 35-40 minutes until chicken is golden brown, measures 160 F on a meat thermometer and potatoes are crispy and fork tender.
While chicken is baking, place the kale in the spice mixture bowl. Massage the spices and oil into the kale. I always use my hands—you can literally feel the kale softening under your hands.
When chicken is done cooking, remove it from the oven and place the kale around chicken. Put the pan back in the oven for 10-15 minutes until kale begins to wilt and crisps up.
To serve, squeeze some extra lime or lemon juice.
If not serving immediately, cool and then refrigerate. Reheat in oven until war before serving.

Note: I found that I could have used more kale as it shrinks so much. If you are a kale lover, you can easily put in double.

Expandthetable suggestions

Other hearty greens: If you don’t like kale, you can use collards or mustard greens. Sspinach can be used, but reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes, as spinach cooks more rapidly.

Salt: I had been given Pink Himalyan Salt as a gift and used it here. I’m not sure the taste was any different from regular salt, although it was fun to grind into the spice mixture!