One of the great ironies of writing a food blog and a cookbook is that the nights I think I’ll enjoy cooking the most—the ones when I’m not following or testing a recipe and thus can toss in a pinch of this and a handful of that without even (GASP!) measuring—end up being the ones I most wish I’d documented our meal with my usual rigor. Such was the case with this Sweet Potato, Kale, and Chicken Skillet with Goat Cheese and Cranberries.
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Ben and I both loved this dish so much, my immediate reaction is to want to share it with you all here!
This easy chicken dinner is my favorite kind of meal and the way I cook most often: a one-pan dinner that offers both protein and veggies so I don’t need to cook a separate side.
I also always make sure I add a few flavor boosters so that even though the ingredients are simple (ahem, whatever I could dig out of my fridge), the recipe tastes special, intentional, and like something that really could have come from a cookbook, instead of its actual source—my moderately sleep-deprived brain after a glass of Cabernet.
WELL, perhaps I do some of my best work after a glass of red, because what started as a throw-it-all-in, see-what-happens stand-up dinner turned out to be a meal that we truly loved and that I was ecstatic to eat a second time.
About This Easy, Healthy Chicken Recipe
The core base ingredients (the ones I found in my fridge) are:
- Chicken. Originally I made the recipe with leftover Thanksgiving turkey, but since I only have that in my refrigerator once a year, I updated today’s version to use cooked, shredded chicken instead. If you need an easy way to make it, check out my How to Cook Shredded Chicken for my favorite easy, foolproof method. Crock Pot Shredded Chicken and Baked Chicken Breast are also great.
In an ideal world, I cook my shredded chicken in advance, but if you follow my method above, you can start the chicken cooking when you begin the recipe and it will be ready by the time you need to add it to the skillet with the veggies.
For an even greater shortcut, you can try this recipe with shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Sweet Potatoes. I almost always have one or two of these sweet orange beauties in my pantry. They are a quick and healthy add to almost any fall or winter dinner.
- Kale. Sturdy kale is ideal for stir-fry and skillet-type recipes like this because it can hold up to the heat and other bold flavors. The amount called for will seem like a lot at first, but it will cook down significantly.
Next, the flavor boosters! Don’t miss these. They make the recipe.
- Goat Cheese. Crumbled goat cheese melts into the nooks and crannies, makes the recipe creamy, and gives the dish just enough indulgence to make it taste satisfying. I like to stir in half, then leave the rest to crumble on top so that I get delightful little pockets of it with every forkful.
- Balsamic Vinegar. When I was first cooking this dish, I tasted it at the end and felt it lacked a little pop. A splash of balsamic vinegar did the trick! It brightens up the ingredients and balances the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
- Fresh Herbs. Use any mix of sage, rosemary, and thyme, all of which seem to make their way in and out of my refrigerator this time of year. I really recommend fresh over dried (dried doesn’t have the same wonderful effect). Look for the poultry herb mix, which usually offers all three.
- Dried Cranberries or Pomegranate. I love adding a handful of these little jewels anytime I’m doing a fall-themed recipe. The first time I used pomegranate seeds because we happened to have some leftover. The second I used dried cranberries, because we always have them around and I wanted to see how the dish would taste with more of a pantry staple. Answer: both are delicious! Feel free to choose your favorite.
Pomegranates feel fancier; dried cranberries are easier and still taste great.
What to Serve with This Sweet Potato, Kale, and Chicken Dinner
- Rice. This dish is yummy on its own, but I loved it most with a brown and wild rice mix blend like this one. If you’re looking to keep things low carb, try cauliflower rice.
- Bread. I also suspect this recipe would be delicious paired with thick slices of good-quality crusty bread.
More One-Pan Healthy Chicken Recipes
- Harvest Chicken Skillet with Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts
- Butternut Squash Gnocchi
- Sheet Pan Italian Chicken
- Sausage and Peppers
- Mexican Chicken and Rice
- Plus, all of these healthy one-pan recipes! I have dozens waiting to be on your dinner menu.
Here’s to dinner improv turned dinner staple. I hope this chicken sweet potato kale skillet becomes a regular on your menu too!
One Pan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes Kale and Cranberries
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium sweet potatoes scrubbed, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large bunch kale stemmed and roughly chopped (about 8 cups)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 3 cloves
- 2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded or diced (about 2 1/4 pound raw chicken or 3 cups cooked, diced/shredded; you can use rotisserie chicken or use this easy guide for how to cook shredded chicken; for another option, check the recipe notes*)
- 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage**
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or rosemary**
- ¼ cup dried cranberries or fresh pomegranate seeds
- 4 ounces goat cheese
For serving:
- Prepared brown and wild rice blend, brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a very large, very deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium high. Add the sweet potatoes, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften and turn golden, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in the kale a few handfuls at a time, until it is all wilted and fits in the skillet (this may take a few minutes). Let cook, stirring very frequently, until the kale is tender, about 6 additional minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 additional minute.
- Stir in the chicken. Next, stir in the balsamic vinegar, sage, thyme, and cranberries. Crumble half of the goat cheese over the top, then stir so that it melts and becomes creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Sprinkle the remaining goat cheese over the top, then serve hot over rice.
Notes
- *In place of shredded chicken, you can also cube the uncooked chicken and saute it in about 1 tablespoon olive oil at the beginning of the recipe. Remove it from the skillet, proceed with the recipe starting at Step 1, then add the chicken at the end. You can also use Instant Pot Chicken, Baked Chicken Breast, or Crock Pot Shredded Chicken.
- **For the sage, rosemary, and/or thyme, I suggest buying the “Poultry Blend” fresh herb packet, as it contains all three. You can also use one or all three of the herbs, depending upon what you have leftover.
Nutrition
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My husband and I both loved this recipe! Excellent.
Now he only asked that the “gravy” be tripled, so I tried to make more. It would be far better if you told me how.
Hi Beth! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit for you both! If you’re wanting to triple the goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, and cranberry mixture, then I suggest that you triple the quantity of each of the ingredients included. I hope this helps!
This was so delicious. I even used the leftovers made into a salad (over arugula with some shredded cabbage, avocado and olive oil w balsamic—delicious that way too!).
I roasted the sweet potatoes in the oven to eliminate some of the problems mentioned in other reviews. I also noticed the final dish was a little dry when all cooked, so I just added a cup or so of chicken broth, which solved that problem!
Absolutely yummy recipe and I will be making again for sure!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed this recipe, Kate! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
Great flavors! Used dried herbs and feta cheese, and served in mini whole wheat tortillas as street tacos. Definitely a bit dry as presented as others have said. Would be a 5 star except for that. Will add a little broth next time.
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the flavors, Karen! Thank you for taking the time to try this recipe!
I made this again (my original review was in March.) I found this dry when I made it this the first time, so this time I used chicken thighs (uncooked, added with the sweet potatoes) and doubled the amount of kale. Delicious! My kale-avoident husband loved it, and I did, too.
YAY! Thanks for taking the time to share this kind review, Eileen! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
Hi Erin! Excited to try this recipe, quick question though, what brand of cast iron skillet do you use/recommend? I’m in the market for a new one! Also any tips on cleaning/seasoning it? Thanks so much!!
Hi Kristin! I use and love this cast iron skillet, and this is another great, affordable option. If you’re ever interested in learning more about my favorite kitchen tools, you can find everything here. Also, this article has some great tips for cleaning and seasoning your pan. I hope this helps!
This was very good. Quite yummy, in fact. I The flavors worked well together. I followed the recipe exactly until the very end when I made some slight modifications. I found it a bit dry while cooking and, like others, added some extra olive oil a couple of times. I also added a splash of chicken broth right before adding the goat cheese at the end.
Was in a hurry and just eye balled the goat cheese. I was probably a bit heavy handed with the dried cranberries and cheese — really can’t have too much of either! :) After a quick taste before serving, I added an extra splash or two of basalmic vinegar and was glad I did.
I will make this again. My husband liked it.
Because I don’t want the sweet potatoes to get soft with moisture from the kale next time, I might take the sweet potatoes out of the pan before adding the kale and would not add them back until nearer the end after adjusting moisture. Might up the garlic depending on size of cloves. I could also imagine using a small amount of red onion.
I used all three herbs. This recipe is a keeper and it is one that is easy to adjust depending on a family’s preference for seasonings.= and vegetables. Thanks for another good one, Erin.
Oh, just a thought — for those cooks who said it was dry, stirring in the goat cheese until it melts makes a big difference. Cindy
I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit, Cindy! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review and your helpful tip!
This recipe was SO good and SO easy – would definitely recommend trying it out. A staple recipe of mine now.
I’m SO pleased that you enjoyed it, Kate! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
We loved this! Didn’t think it was unpleasantly dry at all. I did cook the sweet potatoes a little longer that suggested. Highly recommend.
I’m so happy that it was a hit, Lauren! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
A little taste of autumn/thanksgiving :) I enjoyed the dish, next time I’ll probably up the goat cheese to 6 oz and the balsamic to 2 tbsp. Yum!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Matthew! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Made it and loved it! I used feta and I added peas just because I’m on ‘pea’ kick – but I was really surprised at how the thyme and balsamic flavours popped. It was so tasty and really easy to make.
I just got myself a cast iron skillet, so I’ll be cooking all of your amazing skillet dishes.
Thanks Erin for another winner!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Olivia! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I tried this recipe last night and it was a big hit with everyone! I was worried it would be on the bland side, but it was packed with flavor. As other commenters have noted, I added a cup of chicken broth to get a little more of a sauce to pair well with the rice. Thank you to everyone who recommended this adjustment! I have been sharing this recipe with family and friends this morning so they can try it, too.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Kristin! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
We loved it but I added another bunch of kale, doubled the amount of dried cranberries, cooked the sweet potatoes far longer and with more oil and added chicken broth for moisture. Next time I will make it with 3 sweet potatoes. Took longer than I expected. I wish I didn’t have to make so many adjustments.
Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your results, Alice!
Step 1 of this recipe should say to cook the chicken!!!
Hi Andrew! In the ingredient list it says 2 chicken breast and then these notes: cooked and shredded or diced (about 2 ¼ pound raw chicken or 3 cups cooked, diced/shredded; you can use rotisserie chicken or use this easy guide for how to cook shredded chicken (https://www.wellplated.com/how-to-cook-shredded-chicken/) ; for another option, check the recipe notes*) Hope that helps!
Loved this dish and made it several times. I increases the sweet potatoes to three. I found that the amount of olive oil wasn’t nearly enough so added chicken broth. The kale cooked up so much better and didn’t have to use so much oil. Also increased cranberries to 3/4 of a cup. Yum
Hi Alice! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
The flavors were really good. I added 2 sliced apples I had sauteed – they blended well with the other flavors. I have made this twice. I did not have kale this time so used roasted Brussels sprouts- they worked well.
Thank you for the recipe as it’s a great way to use my garden herbs!
Hi Fran! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I loved this recipe. It contains a lot of my favorite foods (kale, sweet potatoes, chicken, and goat cheese), and they came together so well!
Hi Shon! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
WOW! Hands down one of my favorite recipes!
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Lauren!