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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. The pomegranates in the sauce add the most delicious sweet and tangy flavor.
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, 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 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.
Spoon the rice into bowls, add the squash and chicken, then top 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!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Omg – made this for a dinner party last night and it was amazing. Someone said the best chicken they’d ever had. I made the coconut rice half cauliflower and half basmati and it was great.
Hey Debra,
Happy Sunday!! 🍉🍓🫐 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
I found this dish to be super unique and flavorful. I thought it was delicious. I don’t care for coconut but it didn’t really *stand out* in flavor to make me dislike it at all. I loved the smell of the chicken from the oven!
My husband is of an opposite opinion unfortunately. He said “it’s very flavorful, just not a flavor I like”. When offering the chicken without the sauce (thinking the ginger was the issue) he also said “the coconut on the chicken was also not something I cared for”.
I will be saving this as a recipe for myself, especially in the winter when pomegranate is in season. It seems (at least in our household) you’ll either love or hate this dish.
Hey Samantha,
Happy Friday!!❤️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad it was delish! Sorry to hear it wasn’t your husbands fave! xT
Are you able to use butternut squash instead of acorn? How would you change cooking time? Thanks!
Hey Sydney,
Sure!! You should be able to follow the recipe and have a similar cooking time:) I hope you love the recipe! xx
Do you leave the skin on the acorn squash when you roast it? And if you do, do you eat it with the skin on?
Hi Erica,
Yes, I leave the skin on and just eat around it, you will not want to eat the skin. I hope you love the recipe! xT
This is the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever eaten. Not just saying that. Tastes better than a takeout. I didn’t make the squash as my local didn’t have any, instead I just made the chicken, sauce and rice.
I made it with extra chicken so could have a big portion and I’m happy to say it even fitted into my diet calorie target (although more calories than the recipe says – however probably the extra chicken). I cannot wait to make it again and leaving the breadcrumbs off would make it even healthier! Love it.
Hey Lyndsay,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
I’m in middle of making this recipe and realized I don’t have enough pomegranate juice! Can I sub pomegranate molasses instead? If yes, do you know the amount I should use?
Hey Cheni,
How much do you need to use? I would just roll with what you have, you can add a splash of orange or apple juice if you have either of those! Let me know how the recipe turns out:) xx
This sounds delicious but I don’t like coconut. Can I sub the shredded coconut for something else?
Hi Ann,
You can just skip the coconut, no big deal:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe!! xTieghan
Where does the honey go in?
Hi Chris,
The honey is used in step 5. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
So tasty and easy! Love the kick of the pomegranate!
Meant to add I used broccoli instead of squash and just put it in at the same time as the chicken, then mixed it with the sauce as well. Tasted great!
Thanks again for giving it a try! xTieghan
Hey Natalie,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy New Year!? xxT