Cranberry Orange Roasted Chicken.
This cranberry orange chicken is the perfect dinner for the holiday season. Seared chicken thighs are roasted with balsamic vinegar, cranberry and orange until tender and juicy. Fresh rosemary adds earthy freshness! Festive and delicious.
I have a lovely little holiday dish to kick off the month!
This cranberry orange roasted chicken is ridiculously flavorful, with crispy skin, a cran-orange pan sauce and tender meat. It works with just about any side dish but I am very partial for it over mashed potatoes!!
That pan sauce plus the potatoes… dreamy.
This is one of my top contenders this year for a non-turkey Thanksgiving. I have shared plenty of fabulous turkey recipes, including this one that I make every year. But I totally understand that some people may not want to cook an entire turkey.
And if I’m being honest, the turkey is my least favorite part. The sides are everything!
Usually, I would tell you to go with a Thanksgiving chicken and stuffing bake. It’s fabulous and goes so well with all the sides. Plus, it’s the best of both worlds in one dish.
But this is another seasonal option that is incredible. Even if you don’t choose to make it for a Thanksgiving celebration, it’s a perfect dish to enjoy over the next few months. It’s festive, it tastes phenomenal and it’s easy too.
Searing the chicken in a cast iron skillet and transferring the entire skillet to the oven is practically foolproof. It’s the method I use when I know that dinner has to work. Say, a dinner party with friends. Or some sort of birthday or other holiday meal.
Searing + oven roast yields tender, juicy chicken and better yet – if you use skin-on chicken thighs?
You get THE CRISPY SKIN!!!
That is such a delicious part and when you add in these tart and citrusy flavors? Oh my gosh. Flavor explosion.
I also have to make a case for this being an incredible dish for Christmas. Easy, so tasty and comes together rather quickly! Pro tip: you can double or triple it to feed a crowd too. Use a big disposable baking dish for ease!
This is how I make it!
Eddie loves skin-on bone-in chicken thighs, so I often will choose those since they are his favorites. I season the heck out of them with salt, pepper, garlic and even a little sage.
Next, I sear them in the cast iron until they are deeply golden, especially on the skin side. It gets so crispy and wonderful!
While the chicken sears, I whisk together a mixture of chicken stock, cranberry juice, orange juice and balsamic vinegar. Tart, sweet and citrusy! This makes my mouth water.
I add the mixture into the pan and let it bubble and simmer for a minute. I toss in a few cranberries and orange slices along with fresh rosemary.
Then, I bake it until the chicken is super tender and delicious. The cranberries will burst, the oranges will become tender and the rosemary imparts such wonderful flavor into everything. Your kitchen will smell like a dinnertime candle!
Cranberry Orange Roasted Chicken
Cranberry Orange Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup cranberry juice
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 orange, cut into wedges
- 4 to 5 fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 375 degrees F.
- Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Sprinkle it with the garlic powder and sage.
- Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until deeply golden brown. Flip the chicken and cook the other side until deeply golden.
- Whisk together the chicken stock, cranberry juice, orange juice, balsamic vinegar and honey until combined. Pour it into the skillet and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cranberries and the orange wedges to the skillet. Add in the rosemary.
- Place the skillet in the oven. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Serve with rice, potatoes and/or roasted veggies.
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