From the roundup: 22 Easy High Protein Fall Dinners the Whole Family Will Actually Eat
On a Tuesday when two kids have soccer at 5 and one has a school pickup at 3:45, sheet pan chicken thighs with roasted butternut squash is what I get into the oven by 4:15 and pull out right as everyone is walking through the door. The prep is about ten minutes: pat the thighs completely dry before you season them, because that step is the difference between crispy skin and rubbery skin, and cube the squash so it fits around the chicken in a single layer. Everything goes into a 425-degree oven, and by the time the chicken fat renders down and pools around the squash edges, those pieces pick up a caramelized char you did not have to do anything extra to achieve. Leftovers reheat best in a hot skillet, not the microwave, and the squash holds up well enough that I have stirred cold pieces into scrambled eggs the next morning without complaint from a single one of the five.
Why you will love this
- One pan means the only real cleanup is the sheet pan itself, and a good soak handles most of it.
- Bone-in thighs are forgiving. If dinner gets pushed back 5 minutes, they do not dry out the way chicken breasts do.
- The squash caramelizes in the chicken drippings, so there is no sauce to make and no extra step to add flavor.
- Total time is about 50 minutes, but only 10 of those minutes require you to actually do anything.
- Leftovers are genuinely useful: cold chicken pulls apart for lunches and the squash works in grain bowls the next day.
Tips for success
- Pat the chicken skin completely dry with paper towels before you add any oil or seasoning. Moisture on the surface steams the skin instead of crisping it, and this is the step most people skip.
- Pull the chicken out of the fridge 15 minutes before it goes on the pan. A cold thigh straight from the fridge takes longer to cook through and the skin has less time to crisp before the meat is done.
- Keep the squash at the edges and the chicken in the center with some space around each piece. If you crowd the pan, everything steams. A standard half-sheet pan fits four thighs and 4 cups of squash without crowding.
- Use an instant-read thermometer rather than guessing by color alone. The skin can look deep golden at 35 minutes but the thickest part of the thigh may need another 5 to 7 minutes to hit 165 degrees F.
What to serve alongside
- A simple green salad is enough. The squash already acts as the starch and vegetable on the plate.
- Crusty bread to scrape up the drippings from the pan is worth it if you have it on hand.
- For a bigger spread, roasted broccolini or green beans can go on a second pan at the same oven temp.
- A spoonful of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream on the side cuts through the richness of the chicken drippings nicely.
Substitutions
Butternut squash can be swapped for cubed acorn squash or sweet potatoes and the cook time stays the same. If you are using boneless, skinless thighs, reduce the cook time by about 8 minutes and check the temperature early since they cook faster and can dry out. Smoked paprika gives the chicken a slightly smoky depth, but regular paprika with a small pinch of cayenne works fine if that is what you have.
Avocado oil holds up well at 425 degrees F if you prefer it over olive oil. For a lower-sodium version, cut the kosher salt to 1/2 teaspoon total and add a squeeze of lemon over everything right before serving to brighten the flavors without adding more salt.
Make-ahead and storage
You can season the chicken thighs and cube the squash up to 24 hours ahead. Store them separately in the fridge in covered containers, then build the pan right before dinner. Do not combine them ahead of time or the squash will release moisture onto the chicken skin. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat, a 375-degree oven for 10 minutes keeps the skin from going rubbery, or a skillet over medium heat works well for the chicken. The squash reheats fine in the microwave. Cooked chicken thighs can be frozen for up to 2 months. Skip freezing the squash, it turns watery and soft when thawed and is much better eaten fresh or within a few days from the fridge.
Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and position a rack in the center. Pull the chicken thighs out of the fridge about 15 minutes before cooking so they are not ice cold going into the oven.
- Pat each chicken thigh completely dry on both sides with paper towels. This is the most important step for crispy skin. Any moisture left on the surface will cause the skin to steam instead of crisp.
- In a small bowl, mix together the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, 3/4 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Rub 2 tbsp of the olive oil all over the chicken thighs, then press the spice mixture evenly onto both sides of each piece.
- Add the cubed butternut squash to the sheet pan. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with minced garlic, the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and the dried thyme. Toss everything right on the pan with your hands or a spoon to coat.
- Push the squash toward the edges of the pan and set the chicken thighs in the center, skin side up. The chicken needs space around it to roast, not steam. Crowding the pan is the number one reason the skin does not crisp.
- Roast at 425 degrees F for 35 to 42 minutes. The chicken is done when the skin is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165 degrees F. The squash edges should look caramelized and slightly toasted at the corners.
- Let the chicken rest on the pan for 5 minutes before serving. This keeps the juices inside the meat. Serve the squash spooned alongside, scraping up any roasted bits and drippings from the pan over the top.
Notes
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