Chicken Thighs with White Beans and Greens ~ this recipe is easy enough for a weeknight dinner, and perfect for when you want your company to feel like family.
This chicken thighs with greens and beans is inexpensive and nutritious, with roots in peasant food from the Italian countryside. The ‘beans and greens’ (scarola e fagioli) combination’s been a favorite of Italian immigrants here in the US, and it’s been made into soups, stews, and warming meals for generations. It’s quite quick to prepare, too, especially when you use canned beans, and prewashed greens will make it even faster. The Italians traditionally use escarole, but there are so many other varieties ~ spinach, kale, watercress, endive, radicchio, chard, arugula, beet greens, collard greens ~ and that doesn’t even include all the Asian greens ~ pick one, or mix and match.
TIP: Beans are beloved across the Mediterranean, and they’re a big part of why the Mediterranean diet is so healthy. My EASY CASSOULET is an example of how the French love their beans, while HUMMUS and FALAFEL show them off Middle Eastern style.
I compromised and used prewashed baby spinach, but took the extra time to rinse a fresh bunch of kale and watercress in cold water. Watercress is my favorite green, and you won’t find it pre-packaged because it’s so delicate. I de-stemmed and chopped the kale, but left the tender watercress alone.
Tips for cooking with greens ~
- Almost any leafy green can be cooked, even greens you might normally toss, like the tops of beets.
- The darker the color the more nutritious your greens will be.
- Most greens require minimal cooking, and that preserves their nutrients best. I add them at the last minute and I like to heat them just until they begin to wilt. They will continue to break down from the residual hit in the food even after you turn off the heat.
- You need a LOT of greens to make a portion size serving. More than you think. While prewashed greens are super convenient, they won’t be your most cost effective choice. A giant tub of baby spinach will cook down to a single serving!
- You can add extra nutrition and color to all kinds of soups and pastas by adding a handful of greens just before serving.
- Greens benefit from a touch of something acidic like lemon, vinegar, or wine to bring out their flavor.
- Do all greens look alike to you? I love this visual guide to greens from Epicurious.
I brown the chicken thighs in olive oil on the stove top first, then finish cooking in the oven while I prepare the beans and greens. I’ll nestle the chicken back into the pot right before serving so the skin stays crisp.
TIP: If you want to make this meal ahead, keep the chicken separate and reheat in the oven before adding it to the casserole. I run the thighs under the broiler at the last minute for extra crispy skin.
The classic minimalist flavor profile of this dish reflects its peasant roots…fresh greens and creamy white beans are delicious and best without a lot of strong flavors to compete with. Here it’s mostly garlic, along with the heat of the red pepper flakes, and a final shower of really good shaved Parmesan cheese. It’s simple, and it’s perfect.
Beans are the darlings of the health news lately, and it makes sense to try to get as many of them into your diet as you can. You can use beans in so many different formats, from a great appetizer like my COWBOY CAVIAR (great for game days!) to a classic MEDITERRANEAN BEAN SALAD, to an uber comforting CREAMY HAM AND BEAN BROTH.
Add wine, cheese, and a warm crusty baguette…life doesn’t get any better!
“I made this recipe for dinner tonight using kale and Swiss chard. Delicious and easy.”
~ Suzanne
Chicken Thighs with White Beans and Wilted Greens
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in skin-on, chicken thighs
- salt, fresh cracked black pepper
- red chili flakes
- olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or thinly sliced
- 2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
- 2 cups chicken stock, or 1 cup stock and 1 cup white wine
- 30 ounces canned white beans, or cannellini beans drained and well rinsed
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
- 1 bunch watercress, stems trimmed
- 1 lb baby spinach
garnish
- shavings of Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Set oven to 375F
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste.
- Lightly coat the bottom of a large braising casserole or Dutch oven with olive oil and heat over medium high heat until the oil is quite hot, but not smoking. Brown the chicken, skin side down and in batches, for 3 minutes, then flip and cook for another minute. Remove to a baking sheet and finish baking in the oven, about 12-15 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 155F (it will rise to 165F while it rests. When done, cover loosely with foil.
- Meanwhile, saute the garlic, onion, and rosemary in the same pan the chicken was browned in. Add more oil if necessary and saute for about 5-7 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the stock, or stock and wine, to the pan and bring up to a bubble. Add the beans, and let simmer for a few minutes.
- Add the greens to the pan, a few handfuls at a time, stirring to wilt them.
- Smash some of the beans to thicken the sauce, and taste to adjust the salt, pepper, or red chili flakes. Add more fresh rosemary if you like.
- Nestle the chicken thighs back into the pan, and heat through.
- Serve topped with shavings of Parmesan.
Notes
- Add extra flavor by sauteing bacon or pancetta until crisp, then remove the meat from the pan and continue with the garlic and onions according to the recipe. Add the crispy bacon or pancetta back into the pan in along with the chicken.
- Sausage would be wonderful in place of the chicken thighs.
- Leave out the meat and make this vegan or vegetarian using wine or vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock. This makes a great side dish, too.
This was delicious. Thank you.
Another go-to excellent recipe! This along with your sheet pan salmon has become a favorite. Simple, healthful and delicious!
Thanks Laurie <3 You picked a couple of winners!
Loved the flavors, sadly I didn’t have any greens in the house so I added some marinated artichoke hearts for interest. This was delicious and it ended up almost like a stew. Next time I will have the greens, and maybe even try it with sausage! Husband gave it two thumbs up, and second helping! Thanks!
Glad it worked for you Moira, and good to know about the substitutions…I’m a big artichoke fan!
Hi! Have you made this using a crockpot instead?
I haven’t, but I suppose you could, if you put the greens and beans in toward the end so they don’t get over cooked. Remember that you won’t get that crispy crust on the chicken in the crock pot!
I made this recipe for dinner tonight using kale and Swiss chard. Delicious and easy.
I’m glad you liked it Suzanne, I actually made it for company this past week with sausage…yum!
We love escarole and beans ! Funny how we haven’t posted that recipe yet, but we love what you did in this dish with watercress , kale and spinach. I bet the chicken thighs with greens and beans taste amazing! Now I have a good recipe To make for dinner !
My mouth is watering, Sue. I don’t see watercress in our markets, but I am happy with just kale and spinach. A fabulous meal, Sue.
Thanks Angie, and watercress is sometimes tough to spot in the produce aisle, in my store it’s crammed into a little space between the parsley and the radishes and it’s so easy to miss!
My husband loves chicken thighs and I know this is a dish he would really enjoy.
My husband loves them, too, which is why I made this in the first place, actually 🙂
I’m with Jennifer – I love the beans, greens and those gorgeous chicken thighs 🙂 These one skillet meals are lifesavers and pretty enough for company. I bet my family would love this for a Sunday supper! Have a great weekend Sue
I don’t cook with greens enough, and I’m trying to do more of it lately. I used my leftover greens and a can of beans to make this again, without the chicken, last night and topped it with eggs.
What a great chicken dinner! Loving all the greens and beans, and especially the watercress. A favourite of mine, too 🙂
Watercress is so great, I bet this dish would be delicious if you just used watercress!