Roast Chicken With Crispy Chickpeas And Kale Recipe
For the chicken and sheet pan lovers out there
Leave it to Melissa Clark to know exactly what we want in a dinner recipe: a sheet pan chicken that's simple but elegant. The New York Times food writer roasts chicken alongside chickpeas and lemon slices before wilting baby kale for a quick and healthy meal, perfect for any night of the week.
This is a quick and easy sheet pan recipe that can be adjusted as you see fit. If you can't find a Meyer lemon, substitute a regular lemon. You can also use baby spinach instead of baby kale if you prefer. It's the perfect recipe format to use as a base for an infinite amount of roast chicken dinners.
To learn more, read "Family Meal."
Recipe adapted from 'Dinner: Changing the Game,' by Melissa Clark
Roast Chicken with Crispy Chickpeas and Kale
For a bright and easy sheet pan dinner, roast chicken alongside chickpeas and lemon before wilting kale in the pan drippings.
Ingredients
- One 4½-to-5-pound chicken, patted dry with paper towels
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- Small bunch mixed fresh herbs (such as rosemary, thyme and sage)
- 1 Meyer lemon, halved lengthwise
- 1½ cups cooked chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika
- 6 cups baby kale
Directions
- Place the dry chicken on a sheet pan and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, to let the seasoning sink in and the skin firm up for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 450°. Stuff the cavity with the small bunch of herbs and truss the legs. Place in the oven and roast until the skin just begins to brown, 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Slice one of the lemon halves lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise to make small wedges. Add to the water and boil until softened to remove any bitterness, 1 minute. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl.
- To the lemon slices, add the chickpeas, olive oil, both paprikas and a large pinch of salt.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and baste with any juices that have begun to collect in the pan. Scatter the chickpea mixture around the chicken and return to the oven to cook until the chickpeas are crispy and the chicken is golden brown and has an internal temperature of 165° when inserted into the thigh with an instant-read thermometer, 20 to 25 minutes more.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, add the kale to the hot pan and toss with the chickpeas until wilted. Squeeze the remaining lemon half on top and season with salt and pepper.
- Divide the kale mixture between plates, then top with carved chicken and serve.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 966 |
| Total Fat | 63.8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16.9 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.4 g |
| Cholesterol | 274.7 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 21.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6.4 g |
| Total Sugars | 3.7 g |
| Sodium | 1,495.1 mg |
| Protein | 74.7 g |
