Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Cocoa Chile Chicken and Vegetables

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

Cocoa chile chicken is a family favorite whether made on one pan with veggies or in a large casserole dish. This large casserole dish is one of my go-to recipes when I have company. Once the chicken is in the oven at 250 degrees, I can forget it (well, not really—I do set the timer) for a few hours.

But this recipe is for a quicker meal. Made for family dinners, rather than a crowd. I was bummed when McCormick stopped making their cocoa chile powder blend, so I had to come up with my own version. It works.

Cocoa Chile Chicken and Vegetables (serves 4)

4 chicken thighs

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa chile powder ***recipe below

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon

2 cups butternut squash, cubed

20 spears asparagus

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil.

Mix brown sugar, cocoa chile powder, and 2 tablespoons olive oil into a paste. Spread liberally all over each chicken thigh. Place in middle of baking sheet and put in oven for 25 minutes.

Snap the ends of the asparagus to remove the woody sections. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over squash and asparagus. Massage to coat all.

Remove chicken from oven after 25 minutes and arrange the vegetables around the chicken. Return to oven for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

***My Cocoa Chile Powder Blend (makes about 6 ½ tablespoons)

3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“What’s this orange stuff?”

“Butternut squash. Why? Didn’t you like it?”

“Did you put sugar on it or something?”

“Nope, just oil, but the squash is naturally sweet, and I think some of the chicken flavoring got on it, too.”

“This is really good with the chicken. You can make this again.” There you go!