Dinner Poultry Dishes Chicken Main Course Roast Chicken Roast Chicken with Butternut Squash 5.0 (1) 1 Review Chicken quarters roasted with golden squash and sage make for a nice meal on a chilly autumn evening. By Emily Ziemski Emily Ziemski Emily Ziemski is a recipe developer, editor, and food writer with a focus on sustainability and wellness. Previously a senior food editor at Well+Good and food editor at Food52, she's best known for the creation of the Dirty Martini Salad Dressing (for which she apologizes). Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 9, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: © Andrew Purcell Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Servings: 4 Yield: 4 Jump to recipe Roasted chicken quarters and butternut squash make a hearty fall dinner, with earthy sage adding savory depth.The chicken and squash roast together in one pan, while a quick deglazing with water turns the flavorful browned bits into a simple pan sauce.The recipe is easily adaptable: Swap the butternut squash for another winter squash, such as acorn or Hubbard, or use halved Cornish hens in place of the chicken. Roast chicken gets the fall treatment with an autumnal duo of butternut squash and sage, lending warm, savory flavors to this one-pan dinner. Cutting the chicken into quarters allows the breasts to come out of the oven as soon as they’re done while the legs continue roasting with the squash, which gets tender and caramelized in the chicken’s flavorful drippings. To finish, water is added to the roasting pan and boiled with the browned bits, or fond, to create a simple pan sauce for spooning over the chicken. The easiest way to peel butternut squash With its thick skin and rounded shape, prepping butternut squash can be a daunting job. Thankfully, F&W’s Paige Grandjean has tips for removing the peel with ease: Using a large, sharp chef’s knife, cut a quarter-inch off the bottom end of the squash. Butternut squash is rather dense and can be hard to cut into, so it’s easiest to insert the tip of your knife into the squash, then pull it down like a lever. Rotate the squash on your work surface and cut a quarter-inch off the stem end. Lay the butternut squash on its side and hold it securely with one hand. Starting at the tapered end and working towards the bulb end, use a vegetable peeler to peel off the outer layer of the squash in long, smooth strokes to reveal the orange flesh beneath. We prefer a Y-shaped peeler, which allows you to comfortably hold the squash and peel it in swift motions. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Instead of butternut squash, use your favorite winter squash, such as acorn or Hubbard — or try pumpkin. The chicken quarters can be replaced with halved Cornish hens. For a brighter, more fragrant flavor, swap the dried sage for a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh sage leaves. To help the squash brown evenly, be sure to spoon off the fat from the roasting pan after removing the breasts. Suggested pairing This winter-weight dish calls for a simple but robust red, and the sturdy Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, with its roasted berry flavor, is just right. Best of all, it’s among the least expensive of all Italian reds. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly. Original recipe (1X) yields 4 servings 1 (3 to 3 1/2-pound) chicken, quartered 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 1 small butternut squash (about 2 1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 teaspoon dried sage 3 tablespoons water Directions Heat the oven to 450°F. Coat the chicken quarters with 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Arrange the chicken quarters, skin-side up, in a large roasting pan. Toss the cubes of butternut squash with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of pepper, and the sage. Add the cubes of squash to the roasting pan. Cook, stirring the squash occasionally, until the chicken breasts are just done, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the breasts from the pan. Tilt the roasting pan and spoon off most of the fat from the pan. Return the pan to the oven. Continue cooking until the chicken legs and the squash are done, about 10 minutes longer. Remove the chicken and squash from the pan. Pour off any remaining fat from the roasting pan. Set the pan over medium heat and add the water. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits. Boil until reduced to approximately 2 tablespoons. Add any accumulated juices from the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. This recipe was first published in Food & Wine’s 1998 cookbook, Quick From Scratch Italian; the text was written in part by Emily Ziemski. Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.