This Fall Harvest Balsamic Chicken Skillet is exactly what your dinner table needs on a cozy and cool fall evening! Chicken, brussels sprouts, apples, butternut squash, pecans, pomegranate seeds, and bacon all combine to make the tastiest dinner. Paleo, gluten-free, and Whole30 approved.
My heart and soul (and belly) have been counting down the days to chow down on all the apple, brussels, and butternut squash combinations I could possibly eat. It’s my favorite food time of year!
Meanwhile, my outside weather is telling me it’s still summer.
What the what?!?!
Yes, those few mornings where I was tricked into wearing a light jacket to walk the dog. I find myself sweating within 10 minutes because of 85 degree and humid temps! It has not been amusing……
I’ve decided to just ignore it all, and continue eating the way my body CRAVES in the fall. I introduce you to: Fall Harvest Balsamic Chicken Skillet.
The inspiration (besides everything delicious in fall weather), is from my Rosemary Balsamic Sheet Pan Chicken with Bacon and Apples. This is my absolute favorite sheet pan dinner, and I wanted something similar made in the skillet to get things extra toasty and flavorful.
How to make Fall Harvest Balsamic Chicken Skillet:
Here is what you need to make this Chicken Skillet:
- bacon
- chicken breast
- avocado oil or olive oil
- yellow onion
- butternut squash
- brussels sprouts
- apple
- pecans
- balsamic vinegar
- pomegranate arils
- fresh thyme
Directions:
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat and cook the bacon to your liking. Remove from the pan and set aside, leaving some bacon fat to cook the chicken pieces.
- Now add the chicken. Cook until lightly browned (even if not cooked all the way, it’s fine)
- Toss in the onion, butternut squash, and brussels. Cook for about 7 minutes until veggies are nice and crispy. Bring the chicken, apples, and bacon to the pan. Continue to cook and toss around so the ingredients all flavor each other. Now add the balsamic vinegar and salt.
- Remove from heat and stir in the pecans, pomegranate, and fresh thyme. Serve hot!
I loved the way the brussels and butternut squash lightly caramelized with onion, and then were coated with just a bit of balsamic vinegar for robust flavor! The chicken is to make this a complete meal with protein, and the bacon is just to bring out those delicious fall flavors!!
You guys are seriously going to love this as much as my family did. We all ate heaping bowls, and even my 11 year old with a tiny appetite went back for a bowl of seconds.
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Fall Harvest Balsamic Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon*
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 cups diced butternut squash
- 2 cups brussels sprout halves
- 1 apple** diced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2/3 cup diced pecans
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions
Heat a large skillet to medium-medium high heat. Once hot, spray with non-stick spray and add bacon. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side until bacon reaches desired crispiness. Set aside and crumble. Leave approximately 1-2 tbsp of bacon fat in the pan to cook chicken. Leave the heat on.
Now add the chicken pieces. Cook for approximately 5-7 minutes, continuing to toss so all sides are lightly browned. Set aside with bacon. Chicken may still be slightly undercooked, this is fine since they will cook more a bit later. Keep heat on.
Now coat the pan with 2 tbsp oil. Toss in onion, butternut squash, and brussels sprouts. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, until veggies become slightly browned and crispy. Now add in apples, chicken, and bacon. Toss around so all ingredients begin to flavor each other. Stir in the salt and balsamic vinegar. Let cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat, mix in pecans and pomegranate arils. Toss in fresh thyme, and additional salt to taste. Serve hot!
Recipe Notes
*Use sugar free bacon for a Paleo and Whole30 compliant dish
**I use honey crisp apples, but golden delicious or roma are also good options
WE loved this Will make again and again. WE subbed brussel sprouts with kale and sweet potatoes for butternut squash. So yummy. Thank you!!
So glad you love it!
We had this tonight for dinner. I made a few changes…I added a zucchini (had one I needed to use up), used sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash, and added some thyme to the veggies while they were cooking. My veggies weren’t crispy but I think I crowded my pan. We liked the flavors (bacon!) and finishing with pecans and pomegranate arils made an interesting element. Thank you for a delicious and healthy recipe.
I love the different veggies! It sounds like it all worked well together!