Juicy herb-seasoned chicken roasted with butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, red onion, and apple, then finished with a sweet-and-tangy maple-Dijon glaze for an easy early-fall dinner.
There's a point every September when summer hasn't quite left, but fall starts showing up in the kitchen.
The apples arrive. Squash starts appearing more often. Roasted vegetables suddenly sound good again.
This Maple-Dijon Chicken & Roasted Harvest Vegetables is our way of easing into the season.
Chicken roasts alongside colorful vegetables and fresh apple, while a simple maple-Dijon glaze brings together sweet, savory, and tangy flavors.
It's easy enough for a Sunday family dinner but pretty enough to bring back later for a fall gathering or holiday meal.
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30–35 minutes
Total Time: About 55 minutes
Ingredients
For the chicken & vegetables
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
- 1 medium crisp apple, cored and cut into thick wedges
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Fresh thyme or parsley for serving, optional
For the maple-Dijon glaze
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven.
Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or lightly coat it with oil.
2. Start the vegetables.
Add the butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and red onion to the sheet pan.
Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with about half of the thyme, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
Toss well and spread into an even layer.
Roast for 10 minutes to give the vegetables a head start.
3. Make the maple-Dijon glaze.
While the vegetables begin roasting, whisk together the Dijon mustard, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic, thyme, and black pepper.
Set aside.
4. Season the chicken.
Pat the chicken thighs dry. Rub with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season with the remaining thyme, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
5. Add the chicken and apple.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven.
Add the chicken thighs and apple wedges, arranging everything so the ingredients have room to roast rather than steam.
Brush approximately half of the maple-Dijon mixture over the chicken.
6. Roast.
Return the pan to the oven and roast for approximately 20–25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the vegetables are tender and beginning to caramelize.
Cooking time can vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken.
7. Finish with the glaze.
Brush or spoon the remaining maple-Dijon mixture over the cooked chicken and vegetables.
If any of the reserved glaze has touched raw chicken or a brush used on raw chicken, don't use it as a finishing sauce. Divide the glaze beforehand if necessary.
Finish with fresh thyme or parsley and serve warm.
Why This Meal Works
One of my favorite things about meals like this is that balance happens naturally on the sheet pan.
The chicken provides protein, while butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, onion, and apple bring a combination of carbohydrates, fiber, vegetables, and fruit. Olive oil contributes fat and helps everything caramelize as it roasts.
And yes—there's real maple syrup in the glaze.
We don't have to remove every source of sugar from a recipe for it to have a place at the table. Here, a relatively small amount of maple syrup is distributed throughout four servings and paired with Dijon mustard, vinegar, herbs, protein, vegetables, and fat.
Individual nutritional needs and blood-glucose responses vary, but looking at the whole meal can often be more useful than focusing on a single ingredient.
Do I Need to Avoid Butternut Squash?
Butternut squash sometimes gets grouped with foods people believe they need to avoid when thinking about carbohydrates.
But carbohydrates aren't the only thing squash brings to the plate.
Butternut squash also provides fiber and nutrients such as vitamin A, while adding natural sweetness and a creamy texture once roasted.
Rather than treating it as a food that automatically needs to be eliminated, consider how much you're eating and what you're eating alongside it.
In this recipe, it's part of a meal that also includes chicken, Brussels sprouts, onion, apple, and olive oil.
Make It Your Own
This sheet-pan dinner is easy to adapt to what you have available.
Chicken breasts: You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If they're particularly large, cut them into smaller portions or pound them to an even thickness and adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Sweet potato: Swap some or all of the butternut squash for cubed sweet potato.
Brussels sprouts: Broccoli or cauliflower can take their place.
Apple: Try a firm pear for a slightly different fall flavor.
More crunch: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the finished dish.
More heat: Add a pinch of crushed red pepper to the maple-Dijon glaze.
Serving Ideas
This recipe can stand on its own, but there's no reason you can't add something else if your household wants a larger meal.
Try serving it with quinoa, farro, wild rice, or a piece of whole-grain bread.
For a fall gathering or holiday dinner, it could also work alongside a simple green salad and another vegetable dish.
That's one reason I particularly like it for our Holiday Recipes collection—it doesn't have to wait for a specific holiday to be useful.
Make Ahead & Storage
You can peel and cube the butternut squash, trim the Brussels sprouts, cut the onion, and prepare the glaze ahead of time.
Wait to cut the apple until you're preparing the meal so it stays fresh.
Store cooked leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
Reheat until the chicken reaches 165°F. An oven or air fryer can help restore some of the roasted texture, although the microwave works when convenience matters most.
Approximate Nutrition
Per serving, based on 4 servings: approximately:
- 430–500 calories
- 35–42g protein
- 35–45g carbohydrates
- 7–9g fiber
- 17–22g fat
The numbers will vary based on the size of the chicken thighs, vegetables, apple, amount of oil retained during cooking, and specific ingredients used.
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands used.
Individual nutritional needs and blood-glucose responses vary. Eat Against Resistance provides recipes and general nutrition information and isn't a substitute for individualized medical or professional nutrition advice.
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