I love this recipe because in my house, I only cook one meal for everyone, but I have different dietary preferences to accommodate. My husband doesn’t eat meat, and my daughter only eats some meat, so I can get one meal for everyone on one sheet pan! Although this sheet pan dinner requires a little more effort, I promise it is worth it! Marinating the chicken thighs gives so much more flavor so don’t skip this step. You can even marinade the chicken overnight if it makes it easier for you. This entire dish is bursting with flavor, from the sweet and salty sticky chicken to the naturally sweet and tender delicata squash and the tangy citrus dressing that makes the flavors pop. Serve this as it is, or over rice.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ tsp ginger
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs*, approx. 5
- 1 delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeded, sliced crosswise ½ inch thick
- 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 14.5- oz. can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
- 1 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias for garnish
For the Sesame Citrus Dressing:
- 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp sliced scallion (use some from the garnish)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, honey, garlic and ginger in a small pot.
- Use half of the sauce (set aside the rest) and marinade the chicken thighs for 20-30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Heat the rest of the marinade on medium, until it thickens to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off and set aside.
- Toss squash and 2 tbsp. oil on the prepared baking sheet, lining them up around the edges to make room for the chicken in the middle.
- Place the marinated chicken in the middle of the pan and brush on some of the reduced marinade. Drizzle the chicken with 1 tbsp oil and season the squash and chicken with ½ tsp salt
- Roast until squash is golden and nearly tender, and chicken is almost cooked, about 15 minutes.
- Brush the chicken thighs with more marinade, add chickpeas, 1 Tbsp. oil and 1 tbsp marinade to baking sheet, being sure to coat chickpeas well. Continue to roast 10 more minutes.
- Then turn oven to broil for 2-3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk fresh orange juice, lime juice, scallion, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil & olive oil in a bowl. Set Aside
- Serve chicken, squash and chickpeas over rice, drizzled with the sesame citrus dressing and garnished with scallions.
Notes
*I like using boneless skinless chicken thighs for sheet pan dinners because they cook so quickly and don't get dried out. If you are using bone-in thighs, you will have to start cooking them first, or cook them on a separate sheet pan
