This Chicken and Butternut Squash Bake is a quick, delicious, and comforting meal for busy weeknights. It’s full of fall flavors and is a great way to enjoy a healthy, hearty meal without spending hours in the kitchen.
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
We love a good cozy family dinner meal. Here’s why we love this recipe:
- Easy to Prepare: While it looks and tastes gourmet, this recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare. It’s a great option for a special Sunday dinner or a holiday meal.
- Hearty and Satisfying: The combination of the tender chicken thighs and the sweet and savory butternut squash makes for a satisfying and hearty meal.
- Perfect for Fall: The flavors in this recipe are perfect for the fall season. It's a warm, comforting dish that's perfect for a cozy family dinner.
- Easy Cleanup: This recipe uses just one skillet and one baking pan, making cleanup a cinch!
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs – The bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs add a rich, savory flavor to the dish. The skin gets beautifully crispy while the meat stays tender and juicy.
- Butternut Squash – Butternut squash, with its slightly sweet, nutty flavor, pairs perfectly with the savory chicken. Make sure to peel and seed the squash, then cut it into 1-inch pieces for the perfect texture.
- Maple Syrup and Thyme—When combined, these ingredients add a sweet and herby flavor that complements both the chicken and the butternut squash.
- Shallots – Shallots, when quarter and roasted, add a mild, sweet flavor that is much more delicate than regular onions.
Substitutions and Variations
This Chicken and Butternut Squash Skillet recipe is already pretty flexible. Here are a few variations and substitution ideas to make it your own:
- Pumpkin or Acorn Squash: If you can't find butternut squash, pumpkin and acorn squash are great alternatives with the same texture and cooking time.
- Sweet Potatoes: For a different twist, try using sweet potatoes instead of squash.
- Different Protein: You can replace chicken with turkey or even pork chops. Or make it vegetarian by adding chickpeas or white beans.
- Herbs: If you don't have thyme on hand, rosemary or sage would be great alternatives.
- Vegan Version: To make this dish vegan, skip the chicken and add in more veggies like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or bell peppers.
- Without Bacon: The optional step in this recipe is to fry some bacon for an additional crispy and smoky bite. But even without bacon, this dish is delicious and perfect for cozy family dinner.
How to Make Chicken And Butternut Squash
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 F. Sear the chicken in a skillet and set aside.
Step 2: In a baking pan, arrange cubbed butternut squash. Season and mix well. Top with seared chicken and shallot wedges.
Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. Roasted the butternut squash and chicken for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Brush the chicken with maple-balsamic vinaigrette and drizzle the rest over the vegetables. Continue roasting for 10-15 minutes.
Step 5: While the bake is roasting, fry bacon in a skillet until crispy. Once the bake is done, sprinkle the bacon on top and serve.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
What to Serve with Chicken and Butternut Squash Bake
Rice and Grains
- This chicken and butternut squash recipe is already quite filling thanks to the squash, but if you want to add some grains to your meal, we recommend serving it with a side of fluffy white rice or some quinoa.
- You can also add some cooked grains directly to the roasting pan during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. Farro, bulgur, or wild rice would all be great choices.
Potatoes
- Potatoes are a classic side dish for chicken, and they work just as well with this recipe. Try serving it with some crispy roast potatoes or a side of mashed potatoes.
- If you're looking for a healthier potato option, you can also try these easy and delicious roasted sweet potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Butternut Squash is a winter squash with a dense fleshy pulp. It's very similar to pumpkin and sweet potatoes and has a sweet and nutty taste.
Yes, we recommend pre-cooking the chicken in a skillet before baking. This ensures that it cooks evenly and the skin becomes nice and crispy. However, if you're short on time, you can skip this step and cook the chicken in the oven.
The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165°F. You can use a meat thermometer to check this.
Yes, you can definitely make this recipe without the bacon. It will still be delicious and suitable for those who don't eat pork.
You can use any type of butternut squash for this recipe. Just make sure it's about 1 ¼ lb, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces.
This dish can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container.
Try These Recipes With Squash
Recipe
Chicken And Butternut Squash Bake
Ingredients
- 1 about 1 ¼ lb butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 5 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
- 4 slices bacon (optional) cut into ½ -inch thick pieces
- 3 shallots peeled and quartered
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoon Maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Precook chicken
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet and over a medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and place it skin side down in a skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes until skin turns light brown, then flip and cook for another minute. Transfer chicken to paper towel lined plate and remove skillet from the heat.
Arrange squash and chicken in a baking pan
- In a large 13 x 9 inches baking pan arrange cubed butternut squash. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of thyme, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Mix everything together. Top butternut squash with seared chicken and shallot wedges.
Make Maple-Balsamic vinaigrette
- In a small bowl whisk together 2 tablespoon of Maple syrup and 2 tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar.
Roast
- Roast butternut squash and chicken for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush chicken with Maple-Balsamic vinaigrette and drizzle the remaining of it over the vegetables. Roast for another 10-15 minutes until squash is tender and chicken is cooked (meat thermometer reads 165 F)
Optional - fry bacon
- In a medium skillet and over medium heat add bacon and fry until fat is released and bacon is crispy.
- Finish the dish
- Remove chicken and butternut squash bake from the oven, sprinkle with crispy bacon and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
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