Preheat the oven to 375F.

In a small bowl, combine the thyme, salt, paprika, sage, and black pepper. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle with the spice mix and coat all sides. Set aside on a plate.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, deep skillet that’s large enough to hold all 7-8 thighs. Once shimmering, add the chicken thighs, one at a time, avoiding overlapping. Let cook until browned and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the shallot to the oil from the chicken and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Mix in the garlic and sage and cook for another minute, stirring continuously.

Stir in the nutritional yeast and rice and stir to coat in the shallot mixture. Season with a few pinches of salt. Let toast for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often, then add the kale, broth, coconut milk, and water. Stir to combine.

Place the chicken thighs back on top of the rice, then carefully place the skillet on the middle rack in the oven. Bake until the rice is fluffy and has absorbed almost all of the liquid, 14 to 20 minutes. Note: I don’t recommend covering the skillet in the oven, but if you don’t want your rice to be crispy on top you can cover it.

Optional: while the rice cooks, prepare crispy sage leaves for topping by heating a few tablespoons of oil to a small pan over medium heat, then carefully placing in leftover sage leaves to crisp up, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and set aside to serve on top as a garnish.

Let the skillet cool for about 5 minutes, top with the crispy sage, and serve immediately for best results with even servings of rice and chicken thighs on top.