Sautéed Kale With Hot Honey

By Ali Slagle

Published Nov. 1, 2024

Sautéed Kale With Hot Honey — David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 25 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 5(214)
Comments: Read comments

This kale gets its sweet heat from a floral and fruity combination of orange, habanero chile, honey and thyme. By cooking the kale in a covered pot, the flavors of the aromatics seep into each bite, and the kale stems soften, so you can skip the fussy step of stripping the leaves. This recipe doubles easily, and would work beautifully with brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots or winter squash; adjust cooking times accordingly and add more water or orange juice to keep the mixture from drying out. Eat alongside black beans, crispy potatoes and a roast chicken or turkey.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

1orange
3tablespoons unsalted butter
½ to 1habanero or other spicy chile, thinly sliced and seeds removed
5thyme sprigs
1large bunch kale (about 1 pound), thick stems removed, cut into roughly 1-inch pieces
Salt
2tablespoons honey

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Use a vegetable peeler to peel 5 wide strips of orange rind. Squeeze ¼ cup juice (from about half the orange).
Step 2
In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, combine the orange rind, butter, habanero and thyme. Stir until the butter and edges of the orange rinds are golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add a handful of the kale and pinch of salt and stir to wilt. Repeat with the remaining kale. Add the orange juice and honey, cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale stems are tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 3
Uncover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale leaves shift from bright to dark green, 3 to 5 minutes. The orange peel and chile are soft and edible, but pluck the thyme sprigs out before eating.

Ratings

5 out of 5

214 user ratings

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Comments

Laura7 months ago

Really yummy - paired with crispy roast potatoes and fried halloumi for a dinner, and I can definitely see myself making a big batch of this just to use the leftovers as a component in lunch bowls etc.

zoz6 months ago

I can't believe there are only 6 comments for this delicious, inspired recipe. I used fresh Lacinato Kale, but only about half of what was called for. I used the full amount of everything else, except the habanero, which I halved before de-seeding and slicing. In retrospect, I could've used the entire pepper, as the cooking with honey, orange peels and o.j. mellowed the pepper into a hint of heat. The only problem with this is that I ate the whole thing in one sitting. Great recipe!

Ndavid6 months ago

Very popular addition to our Thanksgiving dinner - led to much discussion of pros and cons of hot honey. We followed the instructions closely with the following changes: less salt, longer time for carmelization. Result: pleasantly orange scented, warmly heated by the habanero.

LAS1 month ago

Excellent. Subbed prepared hot honey for pepper and honey. Cooked in the microwave for a quick side dish. This is my new favorite way to prepare kale,

Sara B.1 month ago

Wow! A definite hit with the hubby Used a large bunch of lacinato kale Reduced butter to 2TBS Substituted half hot honey because I didn’t have a habanero. So good Will double the recipe next time. It was gone in a flash

Frances3 months ago

Cooked this twice, both times the kale was tough and chewy and overall very spicy (I used the whole habanero). If I try again I will simmer covered longer like 7-10min), and use half of a habanero

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