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This Sheet Pan Sticky Pomegranate Chicken and Honey Roasted Squash is a new fall favorite. The chicken is breaded in coconut, oven-baked, then tossed in a spicy, sweet, and extra sticky Thai pomegranate sauce. Then just add honey-roasted autumn squash…cooked right alongside the chicken…for the easiest weeknight sheet pan dinner. Serve the sticky chicken and squash over coconut rice topped with plenty of juicy pomegranate arils. The perfect easy fall dinner any night of the week…that’s delicious too!
Happy Wednesday guys, this week is already flying by! I’ll have a special post tomorrow to share a fun new launch. It’s feeling very exciting, I can’t wait!! More on all of that fun stuff tomorrow. But for now, I’m moving right on into this recipe…
The craziness of the week has left me needing super quick and easy dinners. I’ve been testing out slow cooker meals, one pot dishes, and plenty of sheet pan dinners. Like this chicken! It’s perfect for the crisp, cool fall weather that’s hit us these past few days, especially the night time temps! It’s safe to say we’re entering into cold-weather season. Am I ready for it? No, not at all, but I am ready for all the cozy, comforting fall recipes.
Which brings me back to this chicken. It’s still chicken and rice, just all done up for fall and with a sticky pomegranate chill sauce and a side of sweet honey roasted squash. And it is delicious!
Just add a side of coconut rice and you’ll be good to go. One word? Yum.
The second I see pomegranates show up come fall, I’m immediately brainstorming new recipes. I love pomegranates!
It’s typical to serve pomegranates in a salad, or on a cheeseboard, but I love allowing them to shine. They have so much flavor and can be used in such a variety of recipes. They’re the sweet jewels of autumn, and if you ask me, we should be showcasing them more.
So instead of the usual salad, I thought we’d do a Thai inspired sticky chicken recipe. The pomegranates in the sauce add the most delicious sweet and tangy flavor.
Here are the steps to this sheet pan chicken.
First up, the rice! All sticky chicken dinners need a side of rice. For this chicken, I’m also giving you my coconut rice recipe. It compliments this chicken so well. You just need rice and coconut milk, plus about twenty minutes of time. It’s the easiest to make, but my favorite way to cook rice these days.
While the rice cooks, make the chicken and roast the squash. Since it takes a little longer than the chicken to fully cook, I like to give the squash a little head start. What’s key with the squash is to simply roast it with olive oil, salt, and pepper. You’ll then want to add the honey and chili flakes towards the end of cooking. Once the honey is added, the squash will caramelize on the edges, making them crisp, sweet, and delicious!
For the chicken, I decided to give it a coconut/panko breading. It’s a light breading, but it’s just enough to help all that sticky sauce actually stick to the chicken. The coconut adds just the right amount of flavor and taste, while giving the chicken some texture too.
Once you’ve breaded the chicken, pull the squash out of the oven and arrange it to one side of the pan. Now, take the breaded chicken and arrange it to the other side of the pan. Next, drizzle the chicken generously with olive oil. This will help it to crisp up a bit in the oven. Now just bake everything until the chicken is cooked and the squash has caramelized.
The sticky pomegranate sauce.
The truth? The sauce is truly why you should make this recipe. It’s my favorite sauce, and it’s addicting.
Sweet, tangy, a touch spicy and once boiled down, super sticky. The key ingredient is the pomegranate juice. I know it might sound odd, but the pomegranate juice adds sweetness, tanginess, and deep dark color.
The sauce takes only a few minutes to thicken up on the stove. It’s usually ready by the time the chicken has finished cooking.
Then just toss the sauce with the chicken, return to the oven for a few more minutes, and you’re done. Easy, right? It’s not fancy by any means, but it’s incredibly delicious.
Now serve it all up.
Spoon the rice into bowls, add the squash and chicken, then garnish with plenty of juicy pomegranate arils and drizzle with a generous amount of the leftover sauce…because saucy sticky chicken is the only way to go. Finish with cilantro.
Such a simple weeknight dinner that’s healthy, pretty (hello to those pomegranates), and the easiest to make. I know this one is going to be on repeat all season long.
Looking for other pomegranate recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Fall Harvest Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad
Pan Roasted Pomegranate Glazed Salmon
Fall Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Kale Salad
Lastly, if you make this Sheet Pan Sticky Thai Pomegranate Chicken and Honey Roasted Squash, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Sheet Pan Sticky Pomegranate Chicken and Honey Roasted Squash.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 630 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 acorn or kabocha squash seeded and sliced into half rounds
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for brushing
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch cubes
- 1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
- 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- arils from 1 pomegranate
- coconut rice, for serving (recipe in notes)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with oil.2. On the prepared baking sheet, toss the squash with olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Bake 10 minutes.3. Meanwhile, add the chicken, egg, and a pinch of pepper to a bowl. Toss to combine. Add the coconut, Panko, and a pinch of pepper to a medium-sized bowl. Stir to combine. Dredge the chicken in batches through the coconut mix, tossing to coat. Remove the squash from the oven and arrange to one side of the pan. On the other side, arrange the chicken. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Bake for 12 minutes. Toss the squash, flip the chicken, and return to the oven another 3-5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Reduce the oven temp to 425 degrees F.4. Meanwhile, combine the chili sauce, pomegranate juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Bring the sauce to a boil for 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens and reduces by about 1/3. Remove from the heat.5. Pour 2/3 of sauce over the chicken, tossing to combine. Toss the squash with the honey and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Return everything to the oven for 3 minutes, until the sauce coats the chicken.6. Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of coconut rice. Top the chicken pomegranate arils and cilantro. Serve the squash on the side.
Notes
Coconut Rice: Combine 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk and 1/2 cup water in a medium pot. Bring to a low boil. Add 1 cup basmati rice and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine, cover, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook 10 minutes on low, then turn the heat off completely and let the rice sit, covered, for another 15-20 minutes (don't take any peeks inside!). Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
Can I mix Honey and Pomegranates?
Yes! You can not go wrong with mixing the flavors together!
This post was originally published on September 30, 2020
This was really good! I only had sweetened coconut flakes so I used them and omitted the honey to even out the sweetness in the dish. It turned out great! I’ve been enjoying your recipes. Thanks!
Thank you so much Sydney! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I absolutely loved this recipe! The chicken was toddler approved (that’s difficult to do in my house)!
Sidenote: I forgot to get pomegranate juice at the store but had “Just Concord Grape” Juice that I subbed and it was delicious! Will definitely be making again so I’ll have to try it with the pomegranate juice to see the difference!
I am really glad you enjoyed this one! Thank you! xTieghan
This was so good! Another great recipe from halfbakedharvest! Just the right amount of sweetness and spice!
Thank you Susan! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
It was good but way too sweet. My chicken was over cooked so came out kind of tough. Wish there was something a little more savory, might try to make the squash less sweet next time.
Hi Lindsay! I am glad you liked this, but apologize it did not turn out as expected! Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! xTieghan
The ingredients on the mobile website did not include rice vinegar, panko, or egg, will this make a huge difference or should I include these?
Hey Dorie,
I am not sure what other recipe you are seeing, but you will want to follow the one listed above:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I can’t find sweet chili sauce. Any substitution ideas?
Hey Molly,
You will want to use a sweet sauce, that is thick! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Tieghan…oh my goodness!! This recipe dropped into my inbox just in time to celebrate October here in Longmont, CO. Made this tonight and it was ah-mazing! Perfect balance of sweet and tangy…and the pomegranates…delish!! Would you mind if I plugged it on my blog with a direct link to your site? BTW your Sunday Ragu is one of our faves 🙂
Hi Cathy! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you!! Of course you can post it, just make sure to give credit on your site! Thank you so much! xTieghan
This was soooo good!! Loved the spice and sweetness of the sauce. I substituted Arborio rice (that’s all we had in the house) and kept it over the heat for a little longer than the recipe called for. It ended up creating an almost rice pudding texture and was so delicious. Very awesome sub for Friday night takeout.
Yes! So glad this turned out so well for you, Hillary! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
I loved the rice and the squash, but the chicken had little to no flavor, and I can’t figure out why? I’ll be investigating what I did further.
Hey Moira,
So sorry you did not enjoy the chicken. Did you adjust the recipe at all? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
This was really nice and easy enough to make! A lovely little weekday treat. The tart and sweet from coconut were just so nice! My first hbh recipe!
I am so happy this turned out so well for you! Especially as your first recipe of mine! Thank you for trying this, Kate! xTieghan
Tonight I made 30 minute Thai peanut chicken ramen. Absolutely delicious, a keeper.
Thank you Marilyn! xTieghan
I have ground ginger but not fresh – will that effect the sauce a lot? Or is it worth it to get fresh? I have to go to the store anyways, but would love to use what I already have!
Hey Kelly,
Ground ginger is totally fine to use! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this tonight. Hubs loved the rice and sauce and “accidentally” ate the portion I had set aside for his lunch tomorrow too. I didn’t put the honey on the acorn squash because I wanted a savory side to balance out the sweetness of the sauce, but that was the only omission I made. Loved the coconut breading on the chicken and my toddler gobbled it up.
Hi Mags! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you all! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
pomegranate, nice, I think there’s some anti-oxidant benefits to them too, anyway love all of this sauce and its stickiness, even the other pomegranate recipes too, thank you!
Thank you Sabrina! xTieghan
Will butternut squash work?
Hey Ali,
Yes that will work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan