Roasted chicken thighs can be the juicy, meaty center of many weeknight meals. Add delicata squash, quickly tossed in a maple syrup-butter glaze, along with slices of lemon and sage, and you have a something more unusual, an interplay of flavors that don’t generally meet on the same sheet pan. This recipe is a little too fussy to count as a fast weeknight dish, but there is nothing difficult about any of the steps. And it’s a fine introduction to delicata squash, if you haven’t cooked with them yet. Unlike many other winter squash varieties, they have a thin skin and don’t need to be peeled (just cut them in half and remove the seeds), making them as easy to prepare as they are sweet.

Ingredients

  • ½ lemon, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, and thinly sliced crosswise into wedges
  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 and 1/2 pounds)
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped sage
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons coriander seed
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • Large pinch chile powder
  • 1 delicata or acorn squash (1 and 1/4 pounds), seeded and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions, white and light-green parts
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

      405 calories; 27 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 78 milligrams cholesterol; 1842 milligrams sodium

    • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

4 servings

Preparation

  1. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil; drop in lemon slices and cook for two minutes. Drain well.
  2. In a large bowl, toss chicken with lemon slices, 1 tablespoon oil, sage, coriander, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Let stand 30 minutes.
  3. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
  4. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine syrup, butter, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and chile powder. Simmer for 3 minutes. Toss mixture with squash.
  5. Spread squash in a 9-by-13-inch pan or on a large rimmed baking sheet. Nestle chicken and lemon on top of squash. Roast for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, toss scallions and remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Scatter over chicken and squash; keep roasting until chicken is no longer pink, about 20 minutes more.

Dining and Cooking