Chicken and Butternut Squash with Coconut Cream Sauce! This easy and healthy one-pan Indian-inspired dish is seasoned with warm spices like coriander and nutmeg.
Chicken Butternut Squash Dish
Today I’m sharing a super delicious, healthy, and easy dish that can be on the table in 30 minutes!
This one-pan chicken and butternut squash dish is the perfect amount for a couple.
Actually, there is more than enough veggies that were leftover for another meal which we turned into brunch!
Fry up an egg and layer it on top and you have transformed this dish into another tasty meal!
Chicken and butternut squash casserole with coconut milk
All the ingredients in this dish are nutritious and filling.
You’ll get plenty of fiber from the butternut squash, a good amount of protein from the chicken and a nice dose of healthy fat from the coconut milk. Pretty much perfect combination of nutrients.
The coconut sauce with the sweet squash and onions is simple and tasty!
In fact, once the sauce melds with the spices you could practically spoon it up and eat it as a soup!
Ingredients to make Chicken Butternut Squash
- skinless chicken breasts
- butternut squash, cut in cubes
- large zucchini, rounds cut in half
- coconut oil (or olive, avocado oil)
- small onion, sliced
- sage
- ground coriander
- ground nutmeg
- cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water whisked together
- unsweetened coconut milk
Deglaze the browned food residue from the skillet!
Here’s a handy tip for you!
An easy way to add additional flavor is to scrape the bottom of the pan after cooking the chicken and vegetables.
This deglazing method ensures you get those leftover bits into your dish.
Unfortunately, natural light was limited when I took these photos, so I missed a good close up of the sauce.  You can kind of see that the sauce turned a light tan color like cream of mushroom soup.
Other casserole dishes to try
Interested in more casserole meals? Give these a try!
- Unstuffed Bell Pepper Casserole – all the classic flavors of a stuffed bell pepper, but this is a low carb no-fuss version!
- Easy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole – made with an easy homemade mushroom soup. This tasty recipe is made and served in the same skillet!
- Low Carb Hamburger Casserole – made with cauliflower instead of pasta. This dish is seasoned with the same spices you use for tacos and topped with CHEESE!
Chicken and Butternut Squash with Coconut Cream Sauce
Chicken butternut squash with vegetables covered in a light coconut cream sauce with simple spices is a quick meal ready in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 skinless chicken breasts
- 1 pound butternut squash, cut in cubes
- 1 large zucchini, rounds cut in half
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive, avocado oil)
- Himalayan salt and pepper
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sage
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoons cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water whisked together
- 1 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I used Native Forest)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat a large oven proof skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and sear each side for 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add the remaining oil and saute onion and butternut squash for about 5 minutes. Add sage, coriander, nutmeg and zucchini. Saute for an additional 3 minutes.
Add coconut milk and cornstarch mixed with water. Scrape brown bits from the bottom of the skillet as you stir in milk mixture.
Add chicken back to pan and cover. Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. OR place all ingredients in a small oven proof casserole dish cover with foil and bake the same as the skillet option.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 303Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 138mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 7gSugar: 4gProtein: 21g
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
Beth
This looks so yummy and delicious! My husband is going to love this recipe! Can’t wait to make this!
Renee Goerger
The perfect dish for fall. I love the coconut flavor with the butternut squash. Lovely!
Deborah Ellis
I would like the nutritional values per serving so I can plan the amount of net carbs for the day.
Sandra Shaffer
Hi Deborah! Thanks for stopping by. I haven’t looked up the macros for this dish yet, but you can easily put in the ingredients to a recipe analyzer like My Fitness Pal Recipe Analyzer.
Jenny | Honey and Birch
Coriander and nutmeg are two of my favorite spices!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish
This looks absolutely delicious! Such a beautiful meal! Love that cream sauce and the fall squash.
The Food Hunter
I’m loving this recipe for fall…can’t wait to try it.
Jennifer A Stewart
Totally digging all of this! My kids will flip for that sauce!
Justine
What a beautiful dish for fall!
Michelle
This is definitely right up my alley…I love the flavor of coconut milk! Can’t wait to try this, Sandra!
[email protected]'s Dinnertime Dish
This recipe is right up my alley and perfect for a busy weeknight!
Michaela Kenkel
This looks heavenly, Sandra!
Heather Gallagher
This dinner has my mouth watering! I have to try it!
Platter Talk
This is a wonderful and complete meal; we love the health and fresh seasonal taste of this dish!
Angela
What a great healthy meal. I love the combo of butternut squash and zucchini. The seasoning of the sauce sounds spectacular!
Julie
I would love that plate sitting in front of me. It looks delicious!
Debi at Life Currents
What a lovely dinner! I love butternut squash, and the coconut cream sounds so flavorful and great!
Angela Quisumbing
This dish looks so good. I pinned to cook for next week. I love cooking with squash and coconut milk. Thanks for sharing.
Sandra Shaffer
I hope you enjoy this dish, Angela! Thank you for pinning. I sure appreciate that 🙂
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
That looks deelish! I am a HUGE squash lover!
Sandra Shaffer
I’m right there with you! Squash is pretty much a staple at my house.
Chrissy
YUM! This looks amazing! I can’t wait to make it for my family!
Sandra Shaffer
Thanks Chrissy! I was so happy with the results and thrilled to have a bit left for brunch!
Cait Weingartner
Wow…this dish looks incredible! I love all of these ingredients and can hardly believe it’s a meal I don’t have to save for my “Cheat Day”! So looking forward to trying this.
Sandra Shaffer
Filling and satisfying! Enjoy every bite Cait 🙂
Julie
This looks like the perfect fall dinner and I always love finding new ways to cook and serve chicken!
Sandra Shaffer
Yes, chicken can get boring, but when you add sauces…yum, yum 🙂
Ashley
Yum! This looks delicious! I love butternut squash!
xo Ashley
Sandra Shaffer
One of the best veggies ever!
Jessica Bradshaw
This looks delicious!! Straight out of a magazine. Pinning now.
Sandra Shaffer
🙂 Thanks for the photo props and pin! I was running around like a crazy person trying to beat the sunset 🙂
Bam's Kitchen
This dish looks out of this world and certainly pinning this recipe to my Chicken Bizillion ways! Actually I have everything to make this dish for dinner- brilliant idea for supper.
Sandra Shaffer
Thank you, Bobbie! I’ve been dreaming of your carrot recipe and will be making it over the weekend.
Bella
Oh my this looks so good! chicken is my fav!! I will have to try this recipe.
Nelo
This look so yummy, I am definitely giving this a trial. Thanks for sharing!
Madeline
This sounds like the perfect weeknight meal! I love butternut squash (or any squash) and am always trying to find new ways to cook it.
Samantha
This looks so good! I’m definitely pinning this so I can add it to my meal plan! Thank you!
candy
This coconut cream sauce sounds delicious over the squash.
christine
I am absolutely adding this meal to my menu for next week. It sounds so tasty, especially that sauce!