Sheet Pan Chicken with Balsamic Dijon Sauce
This Sheet Pan Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash with Balsamic Dijon Sauce is perfect for autumn/winter weeknight dinner. It takes just 30 minutes to make and is such a tasty all in one meal. This sheet pan recipe is Whole30, Paleo, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.
This is the perfect one pan dish for fall that I think you are going to love! Butternut squash, brussels sprouts, red onion and bacon are tossed in a delicious balsamic and mustard sauce and then cooked in the oven with chicken thighs. The sauce is so tasty that it’s sure to even win over brussels sprout haters. This is a great dish to prep a day in advance, get all of the veggies ready and make the sauce, and then simply combine everything no the tray and bake 20 minutes before serving, so easy!
Why you are going to love this Sheet Pan Chicken
- It’s the perfect all in one dish for fall: This sheet pan has all of my favourite autumn/winter veggies. Plus there is no need to worry about making side dishes, this really is an all in one meal.
- Minimal dishes! All you need is one sheet pan to make this recipe, which means dishwashing is reduced to a minimum!
- 30-minute meal: Start to finish the takes just 30 minutes to prepare (which includes just 10 minutes of hands on prep) making this the perfect addition to your weeknight dinner roster.
- Multi purpose leftovers: Be sure that you make enough to have leftovers. They are delicious reheated, or alternatively warmed up and tossed into a salad with a simple balsamic and olive oil dressing.
How to make this Whole30 Sheet Pan Chicken with brussels sprouts:
- Prep the veggies! This is by far the most tedious part of the recipe, but can easily be avoided if you buy precut butternut squash and brussels sprouts. Cut all of the veggies into small bite sized pieces.
- Make the sauce: The sauce contains just a few ingredients but is so tasty! If you are using honey you can simply stir everything together in a bowl. For anyone doing a Whole30 and using dates, I recommend soaking them in hot water for 10 minutes if they aren’t soft, and blending the sauce in a blender or nutribullet so that the dates break down into a thick sauce and there are no little bits.
- Toss the veggies in the sauce: Pour some of the sauce over the veggies and give everything a toss with your hands to ensure they are well coated
- Add the chicken: Place the chicken on the tray and spoon some of the sauce overtop
- Time to cook: Put the tray in the oven and leave it to cook for 20 minutes! That’s it, all done!
Tips for making this Whole30 Sheet Pan recipe:
- While you are cutting up the veggies and getting everything prepared, place the sheet pan in the oven which is preheating. Placing the veggies on the hot sheet pan will decrease cooking time and help the veggies cook more evenly.
- Don’t cut the butternut squash cubes and brussels sprouts too large and try to make them all approximately the same size. This will help to ensure the veggies all cook through.
- Use a large sheet pan. Allowing the veggies to spread out will help them to cook evenly and slightly caramelize around the edges. If the veggies are stacked on each other this causes them to steam and become mushy without browning/forming a crust.
Ways to modify this recipe:
- Not a fan of brussels sprouts? Swap them for broccoli florets
- Use sweet potato: The butternut squash can be substituted for sweet potato or small cubes of pumpkin.
- Use other cuts of chicken: bone in chicken thighs/drumsticks or breasts would also work well, the cook time will have to be increased by 15 minutes to ensure the chicken is cooked through.
Here are a few more brussels sprout recipes that you might enjoy:
- Brussels Sprout & Bacon Hash
- Brussels Sprouts Chips
- Brussels Sprout, Apple & Walnut Slaw
- Asian Brussels Sprouts
- Honey Mustard Glazed Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts
- Sheet Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, Bacon & Red Onion
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Sheet Pan Chicken, Brussels Sprout & Butternut Squash with Balsamic Dijon Sauce
This Sheet Pan Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash with Balsamic Dijon Sauce is perfect for autumn/winter weeknight dinner. It takes just 30 minutes to make and is such a tasty all in one meal. Leftovers will last for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound brussels sprouts trimmed and halved
- 2 cups butternut squash cubes
- 4 ounces bacon chopped into small pieces
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 large red onion cut into small wedges
- 1 tsp dried thyme
Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey (or 2 medjool dates for Whole30)
- 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425º Fahrenheit (220º Celsius) and place the brussels sprouts, butternut squash, red onion and chopped bacon on a 18x13 inch sheet pan.
- In a bowl whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce. If you are making the whole30 version with dates, I recommend combining all of the sauce ingredients (including the dates) in a high speed blender or nutribullet and blending until completely smooth.
- Spoon approximately 1/2 of the sauce over the veggies and toss them with your hands to ensure that they are all well coated in the sauce. Arrange the veggies so that they are all laid out evenly and not overlapping, creating 6 empty spots for the chicken thighs.
- Arrange the chicken thighs on the tray and spoon some of the sauce over each of the thighs. Sprinkle the veggies and each piece of chicken with the thyme. Place the tray in the oven to bake for 18-20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes of cooking, remove the tray from the oven and give the veggies a stir/flip. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the chicken/vegetables and turn the oven to broil. Return the tray to the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes keeping a close eye on it to ensure nothing burns. Remove from the oven when the top of the chicken is golden in colour and the veggies are cooked through. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 418kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 23gFat: 18gSodium: 357mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9g
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!
This was really good. I omitted the bacon (can’t stand the stuff–I know, I know..crazy). Also, since I’m not a fan of butternut squash, I subbed sweet potatoes. A note to anyone else who might be thinking of using sweet potatoes–mine were still hard as a rock at 20 minutes and actually my thighs weren’t done either. I ended up cooking for about 40 min. Since my brussels were large and I cut the onion really big, everything was fine at 40. The potatoes were still a bit under, so I’d recommend either microwaving the cubes for a few minutes before roasting, or put them in first then add the rest. I’m assuming butternut squash must cook faster. The flavors were great and with the timing adjustments, I would definitely make again.
I find it best to trim the bacon of what seems to be excess fat. Some fat is needed for flavor, but the lean-to-fat ratio varies among brands and packages. You may need to trim five or even six ounces of raw bacon down to four ounces for this recipe. Or buy leaner bacon!
Save bacon fat from breakfast and store in a covered jar in a cool place. Use it in place of the bacon when necessary.
What did I do wrong? A good deal of water was emitted during the cook, so the veggies were deliciously seasoned but not at all caramelized. Using a slotted spoon to serve couldn’t compensate for the high moisture content.
I am making this tomorrow night – it looks so delicious! I somehow missed that the recipe called for bacon, do you think it is a must? I mean, I am sure my family would like the addition of bacon, just wondering if its worth a trip back to the store.
SOrry very delayed reply but no it’s definitely not a must, the dish will still turn out great without it
Loved it!!!
Unless you have Dijon mustard without sugar and white wine, this isn’t Whole30 compliant.
Many brands of dijon mustard are Whole30 including primal kitchen and Annies.
Hello,
Made this recipe tonight. Delicious. 😋 Have you had issues with too much fat from the bacon? Ours seemed to have a bit too much fat for our liking.
On a separate note….. I love your recipes. I purchased your cookbook a month ago. Have really enjoyed so so many of the recipes. My mom recently moved in and should be grain free. Your blog and recipes have been such an inspiration. They have so much flavor but they are simple and quick to cook.
Thank you so much. I look forward to another cookbook. 😉
Is the bacon cooked or raw?
The bacon is added in raw
❤️ all the sheet pan recipes. Super easy for week day dinners. Didn’t have red onion but added beets for colour. Will make again.
Hi Carmen, I’ve just discovered your food blog site, and I must say how easy and precise your Recipes look, and the photographs really do make me wish to start cooking!
My one query is ingredient measurements. In America I believe you use the “cup” measuring system, but I’m not familiar with this system, and find it rather confusing.
With regards to the recipe of “Sheet Pan Chicken, Brussels Sprout & Butternut Squash with Balsamic Dijon Sauce”, could you confirm for me please what the cup measurements would be for the ingredients (either in grams or ounces).
Sorry to be a nuisance.
Thank you. Debbie
Hi Debbie, yes cups is the measurement most commonly used in North America. Grams and ounces are used to measure units of weight whereas cups is a measurement of volume so unfortunately they are hard to convert. You could try googling each ingredient “ie butternut squash cups to grams” and you can quickly find the results.