This simple dinner includes maple mustard chicken breasts along with Brussels sprouts, delicata squash and cranberries all baked together on one pan. Delicious fall flavors in every bite and clean up is a breeze!
If I had to choose just one recipe that epitomizes fall on this site (and there’s over 1,000 of them!) this maple mustard chicken dinner would be a top contender.
It’s got all of my fall favorites sitting pretty together on one baking sheet – Brussels sprouts, squash and cranberries.
I mean, they’re pretty much the fall trifecta, no?
And then there’s the sauce. It’s an easy maple mustard mixture with some garlic, rosemary and apple cider for even more flavor.
It coats not only the chicken but the all the fall vegetables too so you get a taste in every bite.
I’ve made a lot of recipes with these same ingredients before.
And while I love stuffed delicata squash, delicata soup, Brussels sprout soup and my simple 5 ingredient slow cooker cranberry sauce, this recipe is all about simplicity.
Sometimes you just can’t beat the ease of roasting everything together on one baking sheet and calling it a meal.
My sheet pan sausage and veggies dinner which uses purple artichokes is basically the spring equivalent to this meal.
The sheet pan method makes clean up a breeze and has saved me many a time when I was *this close* to just calling for takeout.
Next time you don’t think you can mentally handle getting dinner on the table, reach for a baking sheet and just start throwing things on the pan.
You’d be surprised how often the meal turns out great!
Some sheet pan favorites include this sheet pan turmeric salmon and this sheet pan piri piri chicken. For a meatless meal, try this easy sheet pan meal prep tofu recipe.
HOW TO MAKE MAPLE MUSTARD CHICKEN
The key to this sheet pan meal is the delicious maple mustard sauce.
To make the sauce you’ll need:
- dijon mustard
- maple syrup
- minced garlic
- apple cider (not apple cider vinegar!)
- freshly chopped rosemary
- salt & pepper
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until they’re well combined.
Arrange the chicken breasts, Brussels sprouts, squash and cranberries on a large baking sheet.
Season the chicken and vegetables with salt and pepper then drizzle or spoon the maple mustard sauce on top.
Bake for 18-20 minutes in a 400°F preheated oven or until the chicken is cooked through. This can vary depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts.
Remove the pan from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing the chicken to serve.
POSSIBLE SUBSTITUTIONS
Chicken breasts – boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used in place of the breasts if preferred. Or, feel free to try salmon or pork instead of chicken altogether!
Delicata squash – swap in another winter squash if desired! Cubed butternut, or buttercup squash would be great options. Or even koginut squash if you can find it! Baby potatoes are another ingredient to consider for the starch in this meal.
Brussels sprouts – I adore Brussels sprouts roasted (especially on the stalk Brussels!) but you can swap this out for any vegetable you like roasted. Broccoli, green beans, even cabbage would work well with this maple mustard chicken.
MAPLE MUSTARD SAUCE SUBSTITUTIONS
For the sauce, if you don’t have apple cider on hand, apple or orange juice will also work well with the mustard and maple flavors.
TIPS & SUGGESTIONS
To ensure the vegetables are fork tender when the chicken is done (because you don’t want to overcook the chicken for the sake of the vegetables!), make sure to cut into appropriate sizes.
If your Brussels sprouts are on the smaller side, halving them should be fine. If they’re larger, however, quarter them instead.
Keep the delicata squash rings relatively thin. Or, if using a different type of squash, cube into no larger than 1/2″ pieces.
If the chicken breasts are thin (or you bought thinly sliced), I’d recommend roasting the vegetables for 10 minutes or so without the chicken on the pan to give them a head start.
And my best tip, make extra maple mustard sauce!
As written, the recipe will provide enough to drizzle over the chicken and vegetables but in this case, the more the merrier!
An extra bowl of this addictively delicious fall sauce for serving will be a welcomed addition to your dinner.
NEED MORE FALL DINNER IDEAS? TRY ONE OF THESE:
Sheet Pan Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
Creamy Almond Butter Fall Pasta
Garlicky Butternut Squash Noodles with Spinach and Ricotta
Sheet Pan Maple Mustard Chicken with Fall Vegetables
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds chicken breast
- 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed & halved
- 1 pound delicata squash, sliced into rings, seeds removed
- 1/2 cup fresh, or frozen cranberries
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider
- 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, plus more for roasting
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a large baking sheet.
- Place the chicken breasts on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the squash, Brussels sprouts and cranberries around the chicken.
- Stir the mustard, garlic, maple syrup, apple cider, minced rosemary and additional salt & pepper together in a small bowl. Spoon over each chicken breast then drizzle the remaining sauce over the vegetables on the pan.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through (this may vary depending on thickness).
- Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes before slicing the chicken and serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
Has anyone tried using dried cranberries? If so, how did it turn out and are there any modifications I should make?
If you use dried cranberries, I would soak them in warm water first to re-plump them a bit before baking otherwise they’ll dry out and end up like what you’d find in granola which texturally would be a little odd in this dish.