One Pan Spiced Chicken Thighs and Butternut Squash
One Pan Spiced Chicken Thighs and Butternut Squash is an easy weeknight dinner packed with flavor, but so simple to make! Spice-rubbed chicken thighs, inspired by Moroccan flavors, absorb so much flavor, especially when paired with sweet butternut squash, savory onions, and juicy prunes.
Nut Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Egg Free
Recently I was getting really bored of the same old chicken for dinner. Sure, there are a million different ways you can cook a chicken breast, but I was just over it.
Even as a recipe developer, I sometimes get really bored of making my family dinner. Add kids who are super picky, and I’m sure you can relate (or at least empathize!).
Even as an intuitive eating dietitian, I never gravitate to buying chicken thighs because I was raised with the notion that “chicken breast is healthier.” Sometimes even us professionals have well-ingrained concepts about food, that can honestly just be false.
Not only are chicken thighs more affordable, most of the time, but they’re packed with nutrients too!
Yes, chicken thighs do contain more fat than chicken breasts, but they also contain more flavor because of that. As such, you may be MORE SATISFIED by eating chicken thighs over chicken breast.
Chicken thighs are also higher in iron and zinc, with equal amounts of protein as a chicken breast.
All of this is to say that I grabbed a pack of chicken thighs the other day and made this delicious one-pan spiced chicken thighs inspired by a blend of warm Moroccan spices and flavors.
One Pan Spiced Chicken Thighs are…
- Easy to make
- Loaded with flavor
- Delicious
- A great way to change up your chicken dinner
- So satisfying!
I decided to pair these spiced chicken thighs with butternut squash because, well, I had one sitting on the counter! But I did think the sweet squash would taste really good with the spiced chicken, and it totally did!
I had to intentionally re-test and photograph this recipe to share because it came out so good the first time I made it! I didn’t change a thing, except I did allow the chicken to marinate to absorb even more flavor!
Ingredients to Make One Pan Spiced Chicken Thighs
You’ll need 10 ingredients (+ olive oil, salt and pepper) to make this recipe, but half of those are spices that you likely already have in your spice cabinet.
Including…
- Chicken thighs
- Garlic
- Butternut squash
- Prunes
- Chicken stock
- Spices
The spices include:
- Smoked paprika
- Cumin
- Dried oregano
- Granulated garlic
- Cinnamon
- Salt & pepper
How to Make One Pan Spiced Chicken Thighs
This recipe is quite simple, but it does have 2 steps.
First, you’ll marinate the chicken.
I made a paste from the spices and olive oil to marinate the chicken. I love these pyrex bowls to marinate chicken in because they come with covers.
Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes. **This will be even more flavorful if you let them marinate overnight!** But I also know that’s not realistic for a lot of you.
But if you can, marinade the chicken the night before so your chicken is ready to go when you get home from work and want dinner on the table in 20 minutes.
Next, you’ll make the rest of this meal in one-pan…
Take the chicken out of the refrigerator to bring it closer to room temperature while you start cooking.
First you’ll saute the onions, butternut squash and garlic, until soft.
I used both fresh butternut squash and frozen butternut squash in this recipe and they both worked great. The frozen butternut squash cooks much quicker, but does get mushier (as you can see in the photos).
When the veggies soften, make room for the chicken.
Cook on one side until browned, about 5 minutes. Then flip the chicken, add chicken stock to ensure juicy chicken, and continue cooking on the other side for about another 5-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken.
How to Serve One Pan Spiced Chicken Thighs
This is a great dish to serve with a whole grain, like whole wheat cous cous, quinoa, farro, or roasted potaotes.
Leftovers are great the next day too!
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need to Make This Recipe
PrintOne Pan Spiced Chicken Thighs and Butternut Squash
One Pan Spiced Chicken Thighs and Butternut Squash is an easy weeknight dinner packed with flavor, but so simple to make! Spice-rubbed chicken thighs, inspired by Moroccan flavors, absorb so much flavor, especially when paired with sweet butternut squash, savory onions, and juicy prunes.
Nut Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Egg Free
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 medium yellow onions, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup prunes
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix together the smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, cinnamon and salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix together to form a paste. Add the chicken thighs and toss together until both sides of the chicken thighs are coated with the marinade.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- When ready to cook the chicken, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the onions, garlic and butternut squash, sauteing until soft, about 8 minutes.
- Create small pockets for the chicken and add the chicken to the skillet. Do not continuously flip the chicken! After about 5 minutes, flip the chicken and add ¼ cup chicken broth to the pan to help the chicken cook without drying out and soften the butternut squash. Add additional broth, if needed.
- Add the prunes and continue to cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove from the heat and serve warm. Enjoy!
Don’t Forget to PIN IT for later!
XO