Sticky Pomegranate Chicken and Honey-Roasted Squash
Sticky Pomegranate Chicken with Honey-Roasted Squash is the perfect way to combine your protein, starch and veggies in one delicious meal! It’s lovely pomegranate flavors and honey-roasted squash make it a mouth-watering Autumn dish that you’ll want to put on “repeat”!
This one-sheet-pan dinner is ideal for a weeknight meal but also perfect to serve for a dinner party!
Begin by roasting the squash. Acorn or Kabocha squash work beautifully as they have thin skins that don’t need to be peeled prior to roasting. Cut the squash into wedges or rings (for the Kabocha), toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the chicken, egg and a bit of pepper to a bowl and toss. Add the coconut, panko and pepper to a separate bowl and toss to combine.
Dredge the chicken in batches through the coconut mix.
Remove the squash from the oven after 10 minutes and move it to one side of the pan. Arrange the chicken pieces on the other side of the sheet pan. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and bake everything for 12 minutes.
Toss the squash, flip the chicken and return it to the oven for another 3-5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining chili sauce, pomegranate juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger in a medium saucepan and reduce the sauce by about 1/3, boiling for about 5 minutes.
Pour 2/3 of the sauce over the chicken and toss. Toss the squash with honey and red pepper flakes. Return it all to the oven for another 3 minutes.
Serve the chicken over coconut rice adding extra sauce. Top with pomegranate seeds and serve the squash along the side.
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Sticky Pomegranate Chicken and Honey-Roasted Squash
Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 acorn or kabocha squash, seeded and sliced into half rounds
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 tbsp 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 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- arils from 1 pomegranate
- coconut rice, for serving (recipe in notes)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with oil.
On the prepared baking sheet, toss the squash with olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Bake 10 minutes.
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°F.
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.
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.
Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of coconut rice. Top the chicken pomegranate arils and cilantro. Serve the squash on the side.
Chef’s 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.
Recipe by Half Baked Harvest
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