I’m excited to share another quick and easy weeknight dinner! I served this with whole-grain wild rice, and it could not have been more perfect for the fall season. I used bone-in chicken thighs, but feel free to sub in your favorite cut of chicken. I also made sure to find butternut squash that was already cut up into cubes by the grocery store … a HUGE time saver (in my opinion)!
A sheet pan is a fun way to prepare dinner and is basically the same thing as your standard cookie sheet, but if you don’t have one, you can nestle all of this into your largest baking dish. I love to line mine with parchment paper for a super duper easy clean up when I’m done. I hope you enjoy these fall flavors as much as we do!
Sponsor Shoutout: Farmer Focus
We’re partnering with Farmer Focus organic chicken this year because we love how their operation is 100% organic from start to finish—something you almost NEVER find at other chicken companies! Just like I don’t want synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers in the produce I eat, I also don’t want them in the feed that the chickens, or any other animals, eat either. In addition, all of their products carry the Certified Humane animal welfare certification, another plus! We also love how Farmer Focus cares about their farmers, which means better working conditions, and in the end, a better product. They even have a Farm ID on every package that you can enter into their website to see photos and read stories about the farmers who raised the chickens! If you can’t make it to your farmers’ market for locally sourced meat, this is definitely the next best option! They have all different cuts of chicken (from whole to bone-in thighs to boneless chicken breasts) so definitely look for it next time you’re at the store! Find some at a store near you.
Sheet Pan Chicken and Fall Vegetable Dinner
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs I used Farmer Focus organic chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 small butternut squash peeled and cubed (I like to buy mine already diced for this dish!)
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts trimmed and sliced in half
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix together the spices in a shallow bowl. Dredge the top of each piece of chicken in the spices until coated.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken spice/skin side down in the pan, sprinkle with any remaining spices that didn't stick to the chicken, and sear until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over and sear the bottom of the pieces for another 2 to 3 minutes until brown. Transfer to the center of the baking sheet, turn off the heat, and reserve the remaining oil in the pan.
- Nestle the cubed squash, sliced sprouts, and garlic cloves around the chicken on the baking sheet. Drizzle the cooking oil over veggies and toss to coat. Bake until chicken is cooked all the way through (no longer pink in the middle) and the veggies can easily be pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.
- Wipe out the skillet and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sage leaves to the pan and cook while stirring until they just begin to darken in color and become crispy, and the butter browns. Immediately remove from heat. This sauce can overcook easily so sometimes I even immediately remove it from the pan so it doesn't keep cooking.
- Remove baking sheet from oven, pour brown butter sage over veggies, and serve.
We really enjoyed this recipe and will definitely make it again! We used boneless skinless breasts and we thought it still turned out great. Also added a sliced carrot to the squash and brussel sprouts. We quartered the brussel sprouts to make them a little less overwhelming for those who aren’t as big of fans :)
Not a big fan of brussel sprouts here – assuming other sturdy/fall veggies (potato, carrots, parsnips) would work just as well?
Also, curious how 6 pieces of chicken comes out to 5 servings, do you just divide the sixth thigh into fifths? I know this is a dumb question, I have a person who watches their caloric intake like a hawk, there are just the two of us, but of course when I adjust the recipe to 2 servings, I end up with really weird ingredient sizes.
It has to do with the weight of the chicken and how a typical serving size for chicken is 4 ounces. When you change the serving size, the ingredient amounts should be working now. – Nicole
Will this work with skinless chicken breast?
It would, but the seasonings on the crispy skin really makes this recipe. Let us know how you like it with chicken breast if you give it a try. – Nicole
This was a big hit with my guys who don’t love vegetables. Great flavor and chicken was so moist. I used squash, potatoes and carrots. Less scary than Brussel sprouts (which I love)
I can’t figure out what to do with the sage in this recipe. Am I supposed to chop it beforehand? I’m cooking it right now and using leaves it’s really just wilted sage instead of a sauce… I’m sure it will taste great without this but I want to know for next time!
Hi Sunni, the sauce is the brown butter and sage. While it’s not a lot, it will make just enough to pour over everything and give that great taste. No need to chop the sage, just cook it until it gets crispy. Hope it still came out great for you! – Nicole
wow, this looks so delicious and healthy, thanks alot for sharing this recipe. i’ll definitely try this. its a bit difficult to find Brussels sprouts where i live, hope i find some. :)