The cooking order is what keeps this a true one pan meal: the squash and sauced-up chicken go in first, and the broccoli gets added on top for the last 15 minutes. We tested that timing a couple of ways. Fifteen minutes at 400 degrees leaves the broccoli crisp-tender with some bite, while 20 to 25 minutes makes it soft, so you can choose however your family likes it.
6-Ingredient Baked Chicken and Broccoli (One Pan)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil, divided, (or other cooking oil of choice)
- 2 tbsp butter or ghee, melted
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 medium butternut squash, seeds removed and cut into small cubes, (about 6 cups of cubed squash)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, (or breasts, see recipe notes)
- 4 cups broccoli, ends removed and cut into florets
- Salt and pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit and line a sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Chop up butternut squash into small cubes and spread out on baking pan. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil and season with salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp each).1 medium butternut squash, seeds removed and cut into small cubes, Salt and pepper, 2 tbsp avocado oil, divided
- In a small bowl, whisk together ghee, coconut aminos, chili powder and smoked paprika. Set aside.2 tbsp butter or ghee, melted, 2 tbsp coconut aminos, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Move the squash cubes around on your baking pan to make room for the chicken pieces. Place chicken in a single layer on baking sheet, and brush each chicken piece with the sauce mixture. Flip chicken over and brush the other side with sauce.4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Place into oven and roast until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit, about 30-40 minutes depending on the size of chicken pieces. See recipe notes.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare broccoli by cutting it into small florets and placing in a bowl. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil and season with salt and pepper or any other desired seasoning blend.4 cups broccoli, ends removed and cut into florets, Salt and pepper
- When the chicken has 15 minutes left to go (see recipe notes), take the pan out of the oven and add in the broccoli directly on top of the chicken and squash. Return to oven to cook for the final 15 minutes. See recipe notes.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you substitute chicken breasts in this recipe, you will need to increase the overall cooking time by 5-15 minutes depending on the size of breasts you’re using. We recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit.
- Cooking the broccoli for 15 minutes at 400° will result in crisp-tender broccoli. It will be cooked but still have some crunch. If you prefer your broccoli to be cooked to a softer state, add it in with 20-25 minutes of cook time left.
- Nutrition estimates are per serving and an estimate provided for reader benefit. See our full nutrition information disclosure here.
What our readers are saying
Loved this recipe! Great flavor, easy & even easier cleanup! ❤️
Debbie
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What makes this sheet pan chicken dinner work
The sauce: The coconut aminos go on like a thin glaze that keeps the thighs from drying out. The ghee gives it a buttery note and helps the chili powder and smoked paprika stick to both sides of the chicken.
Boneless thighs: They are forgiving and flavorful. They stay juicy even if you bake them a few minutes longer to soften the broccoli, which is why this has become a weeknight chicken thigh dinner we make on the regular.
Squash: There is no second pot of rice or potatoes to babysit because you roast the squash in the same pan next to the chicken and broccoli.
Want a couple more simple one-pan chicken dinners? Try our chicken, apple, and squash skillet and one-pan Greek chicken dinner.
What we learned testing this recipe
- Chicken breasts work too: Swap them for the thighs and add 5 to 10 minutes of cook time depending on thickness.
- No ghee, no problem: Melted butter or a neutral cooking oil can be swapped for the ghee. You lose a little of the buttery richness but nothing else changes.
- Coconut aminos: You could swap this for 1 tbsp soy sauce, but we like the coconut aminos for this recipe. They are a little more on the salty-sweet side, which we like.
- You can sub the squash out: Use cubed gold potatoes or sweet potatoes in place of the butternut squash and it works well. Cut them into small cubes like the pictures and you’re all good.
Similar flavor, different meal
If this becomes a regular recipe for you, w have a few other sheet pan chicken dinners in our library for you to try out. Our one pan Greek chicken dinner and the easy chicken and sweet potato bake both roast a full meal in a single pan, and our crispy chicken thighs with cauliflower have the same chicken thigh and veggie formula with a spicy kick.
Made this tonight because I needed something quick. Didn’t have the butternut squash so I used gold potatoes in its place. Delicious! Everyone loved it so much that there are zero leftovers and they requested it again for tomorrow night!
I didn’t have an onion and this recipe came out great anyway! The Rice was perfect!
Great to hear, glad you enjoyed it!
Mexican or Indian chili powder?
We used Mexican chili powder
I want to make this but have bone-in chicken breasts. Would it work well following your instructions for boneless breasts?
Yes, that should work. Bone in breasts can take longer depending on the size so I’d guess you’ll be at the higher end of the recommended additional cooking time.
Loved this recipe! Great flavor, easy & even easier cleanup! ❤️
Thanks for coming back to leave a review, happy to hear that!
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. It will definitely be in my rotation. Thank you!
So happy to hear this one was a hit! Thanks for trying and coming back to leave a review! 🙂
Outstanding dinner! Absolutely loved the flavor of this dish and it was so quick and easy. I will definitely keep this meal in our routine meal plan. I shared on IG and FB too!!! Yum!!!
Thanks so much for sharing! And for taking the time to come back and leave a review! We love hearing what recipes you try. 🙂