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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.
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, 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 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!
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.
I’ve been cooking off of this website for the last couple years, with great success. This recipe threw me for a loop as far as timing goes (made my own Thai sweet chili sauce, forgot the rice in the time integration…) but I cannot recommend this recipe enough. Just finished cleaning the dishes, and I’m already thinking about when this dish can find its way into the meal plan again. Might try a bit of brightness in the rice (lime, kafir lime leaves), but aside from that, this is a benchmark for why I use HBH for 90% of my meal planning. Most consistent, enjoyable, reliable and simple meals I can think of!
Hi Alex,
Fantastic! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. xTieghan
This came out great! I made this with roasted brussel sprouts instead of squash. I only had sweetened coconut flakes, but they worked pretty well. I also made the coconut rice in my rice cooker by just throwing in the coconut milk and water with 1 1/2 cup white rice instead of 1 cup basmati, which worked perfectly.
Overall, my boyfriend was very impressed (since he usually does all the cooking), and I have a feeling that I will be making this recipe and the coconut rice again quite regularly. Thanks!
Hey Emily,
Happy Friday! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Something helpful I have done is “beat” the egg in a gallon bag and then added the pepper and the chicken. I mix it all up and then I add the panko and coconut! I’ve found this is quicker, less of a mess, and far less tedious. Great recipe, thank you!
Hey Hannah,
Seriously amazing! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
YUM YUM YUM!! We loved this recipe! Such a great mix of sweet and crunch from the coconut, tang from the thai chili sauce, and punch from the ginger and red pepper flakes. We were big fans of the pomegranate arils as garnish, definitely heap those on if you have them – such a nice little burst of juice and flavor. I’d double the sauce recipe just because you will want more! Really tasty, we will definitely be making this one regularly 🙂
Hey! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 xxTieghan
Is there another veg I could do instead of squash? I’m just not a squash fan.. what about sweet potato?
Yes, you could definitely use sweet potato! Or maybe some yummy broccoli? xTieghan
Where does the tablespoon of honey for in?
Hey Kimberly,
The honey is used in step 5. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
This looks amazing! My son has an egg allergy, could I use melted butter in place of the egg on the chicken before the Panko/coconut? Or is there something else you would recommend? Thank you!!
Hi Melissa! Yes, some melted butter should work fine to sub for the egg! 🙂 xTieghan
I have no clue how you come up with these flavor combinations, but I am consistently impressed but the amazing flavorful recipes you cook up! This chicken dish was delicious and was the perfect fall dinner I was looking for!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate this feedback! 🙂 xTieghan
Can you make the sauce in advance? Going back to work next week (new mom of twins!) and trying to figure out how to meal prep as much as I can on the weekends.
Yes definitely! 🙂 xTieghan
This is one of the best recipes I’ve ever made. I made you’re previous version and can’t thank you enough for updating it. The coconut/panko coating on the chicken makes all the difference. I will be making this a lot this summer!
Hey Erin,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
WOW! This is SO delicious! My husband said “Please make this again!”, and for once we both agree 100% 🙂 I was so impressed with how this meal turned out. Thank you for this little piece of happiness.
Hey Heather,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This dish is so crazy good. I made it this weekend and already thinking about when I’ll make it again this week. I didn’t have the Thai chili sauce on hand, so subbed for honey and sriracha mix (about 1/2 cup of honey and 2 tablespoons sriracha.) Used butternut squash as that’s what I had. Everything about this dish is perfect – the coconut rice, the crispy coconut chicken, the roasted squash, and the SAUCE! (I would double the amount of sauce next time!) My mouth is watering just writing this review.
Hey Crystal,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I crave this dish! So yummy and easy for a weeknight dinner. My kids enjoy it as well.
Hey Kate,
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
I am currently making this and im drooling. I didnt have pom juice so i did oj with a dash of balsamic vin for the color! Love you and all your recipes!
Hey Andrea,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This is so tasty!! Sweet and a bit spicy, the coconut on the chicken is warming but not overbearing and the butternut squash is a delicious side dish. Yum! Definitely recommend and pretty easy to do.
Hey Hannah,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Probably one of my favorite recipes from Half Baked Harvest. It’s perfect, I’ve made it at least 5 time! You have to try it – the yummiest flavors and best textures. Amazing meal!
Thank you so much Rachael!! xTieghan