Why this one never leaves my weeknight rotation
Just about everything tastes better with a little BBQ sauce, and this one leans all the way in. Cubed sweet potatoes, chicken, and broccoli all get coated in a sweet and tangy honey barbecue sauce, and the whole thing happens in a single skillet.
Here is the part I actually care about though: no oven. Every other version of this dinner wants you to preheat something and then wait around for 45 minutes. Mine is done in 30, start to finish, on the stovetop.
It grew out of my BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, which my family asked for on repeat for years. This is the faster cousin. Same flavors, none of the waiting.
It also reheats really well, so I will make a batch on Sunday and eat it for lunch straight through Wednesday.
My daughter & I made this together using what we had in the fridge. Doubled the sauce & it was a hit!
– Stacee W.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts: Cut them into 1-inch cubes so they finish at the same time as everything else. Boneless skinless thighs work too and stay a little juicier.
- Sweet potatoes: Peel and cube them small, no bigger than half an inch, or they will still be firm when the chicken is done. Regular potatoes work but you lose the sweetness that balances the tangy sauce.
- Broccoli: Cut into bite sized florets and add it at the very end so it steams bright green instead of going soft.
- BBQ sauce: This is the ingredient doing most of the work here, so use one you actually like straight from the bottle.
- Honey: Just enough to round out the tang. Maple syrup, agave, or brown sugar all sub in fine.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves, crushed. Garlic powder works if that is what you have on hand.
How to Make BBQ Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Prep everything first
Cut the sweet potatoes into half inch cubes, the chicken into 1-inch cubes, and the broccoli into bite sized florets. Size matters more than usual here, since it all cooks together in one pan.
Marinate the chicken
Whisk the BBQ sauce, honey, salt, and pepper together, then pour it over the cubed chicken in a zip-top bag. Ten minutes is plenty, but you can leave it overnight if you are planning ahead.
Want it saucier? Double the sauce mixture and hold half of it back to stir in at the very end.
Start the sweet potatoes
Add olive oil, the sweet potatoes, salt, and pepper to a large skillet over medium heat. Saute for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring here and there, until they are almost tender.
The Cast-Iron Skillet I L❤️VE!
A good cast-iron skillet is the reason this dish gets that perfect sear. I use my my Staub 12-inch for this recipe (and honestly almost every dinner at this point). It holds heat like nothing else and gives you that restaurant-quality crust a regular pan just can’t match.
Add the garlic and chicken
Push the sweet potatoes to one side, add the last of the olive oil and the garlic, and let it go about a minute. Add the marinated chicken along with all of the sauce and cook 5 more minutes.
Steam the broccoli on top
Pile the broccoli over everything, sprinkle with the remaining salt, cover, and drop the heat to low. Simmer 7 to 10 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green and the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
Do not wander off for these last few minutes. Broccoli goes from bright green to sad and gray faster than you would think.
FAQs\
Yes, and that is exactly what happens here. The sweet potatoes get a head start because they take longer, then the raw chicken goes in with plenty of time to cook through. Just confirm the chicken reaches 165 degrees F before you serve it.
You can. Cubed small, about half an inch, they cook through in 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat with no boiling or roasting first.
It is, as long as the chicken finishes at 165 degrees F. The broccoli sits on top at the end and steams above the chicken while it finishes.
You can spread it all on a sheet pan at 400 degrees F, but you give up the speed. The stovetop is the whole reason this lands on the table in 30 minutes.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Alternatively, flash freeze in a single layer first, then move to a freezer safe container for up to 4 months. The sweet potatoes do soften noticeably after thawing, so this is better as a fridge dish than a freezer one.
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BBQ Chicken Sweet Potato Skillet
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Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
- ⅓ cup BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper divided
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 cups sweet potatoes peeled, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 head broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces
- Cilantro optional
- Green onions optional
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: Whisk together BBQ sauce, honey, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Pour BBQ sauce mixture over cubed chicken in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Marinate for at least 10-15 minutes or up to overnight1 pound chicken breasts, ⅓ cup BBQ sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Saute the potatoes: In a large skillet or pot over medium heat add 3 tablespoons olive oil, sweet potatoes, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Saute for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are almost cooked through.4 tablespoons olive oil, 3 cups sweet potatoes
- Add the garlic and chicken: Push sweet potatoes to the side of the skillet. Add last tablespoon of olive oil and garlic cloves. Saute for 1 minute over medium heat. Add marinated chicken and sauce to the skillet. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.2 cloves garlic
- Mix in the broccoli: Lastly, add broccoli on top of the chicken and sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to Low. Simmer for 7-10 minutes, or until broccoli is cooked through.1 head broccoli
- Serve dish immediately with chopped green onions or cilantro and enjoy!Cilantro, Green onions
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Notes
- Chicken: Cut the chicken into evenly sized, bite-sized pieces so it cooks quickly and stays tender.
- Sweet Potatoes: Keep the cubes small, about ½-inch, since they take longer to cook than the chicken and broccoli.
- Broccoli: Cut the florets into similar sizes and add them toward the end so they stay crisp-tender.
- BBQ Sauce: Choose a barbecue sauce you already love—the flavor really comes through in the finished dish.
- Honey: Adjust the honey based on how sweet your barbecue sauce is. A sweeter sauce may need a little less.
- Don’t Crowd: Use a large skillet or pot so the chicken and vegetables have room to brown instead of steam.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to Serve With BBQ Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
This is a full meal on its own, a protein and two vegetables in one pan. But if you are feeding a crowd or want to stretch it further, a scoop of Instant Pot Basmati Rice underneath turns it into a proper bowl and soaks up the extra sauce. Cauliflower rice does the same job if you want to keep it lighter.
If you are in a sweet potato mood, my Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes and Skillet Sweet Potatoes use the same cubing trick, and both are good to have in your back pocket. The Sweet Potato Broccoli Quinoa Bowl is basically the meatless version of this same plate.
And if the BBQ chicken half is what you are really here for, Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Chicken and BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are the two my readers make most. Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet is the one for when you want this same one pan situation with a different protein.
More Easy One Pan Dinners
One pan, barely any cleanup, and not an oven in sight. These are the other weeknight dinners my readers keep coming back to.
My daughter & I made this together using what we had in the fridge. Doubled the sauce & it was a hit!
Thank you so much, Stacee! I love that you and your daughter made this together—that sounds like such a fun time in the kitchen. Doubling the sauce is a fantastic idea, and I’m so glad it was a hit! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
As the male of the house l cooked this dinner tonight and it went over really well with the ladies I give it a thumbs up! We will do it again!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!