A deliciously easy holiday recipe this Cranberry Chicken is bursting with flavor! With cranberry sauce mixed with seasonings and poured over chicken breasts and baked this is an easy and delicious holiday meal.
Serve this easy and delicious dish over rice with yeast rolls and don’t forget dessert!
Cranberries are not just for baking! We love using cranberries in savory recipes like this Cranberry Chicken. The flavor of the sauce with the chicken really works well together and makes it an easy and filling dinner.
This is one recipe that you will want to try this season because I can almost guarantee that you will fall in love and it will become one of your favorite winter dishes that you will make over and over again.
Why This Recipe Works:
- With easily available ingredients this recipe is a breeze to put together.
- You can easily double the recipe to serve for more guests by making it in two pans.
- Using homemade cranberry sauce is a great option in place of using store bought.
Cranberry Chicken Ingredients:
The ingredients in this recipe are really easy to find and consist mainly of chicken, cranberry sauce, and spices. Spices that you usually will have on hand any time of year.
There are mainly two basic steps to this recipe, mix up your cranberry sauce mixture, place chicken in a baking dish, pour sauce over chicken, bake and garnish. If you can’t find anything easier than that then I don’t know what to tell you!
Can I Use Chicken Thighs?
Yes, you can, you will want to add a few more to the pan to make up for the size difference of the chicken thighs compared to breasts, but the baking time will remain the same.
How To Make Cranberry Chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the cranberry sauce, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, minced onion, brown sugar, dried parsley, onion powder, salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
- Pour the cranberry sauce mixture evenly over the chicken.
- Bake for 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Spoon the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Serve over rice.
See? I told you that this is a perfectly simple holiday recipe!
Can I Make This In The Slow Cooker?
Absolutely, spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and place your chicken into the bottom. Mix up the remaining recipe as stated in the recipe card and then cook on high for about 2-3 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
How To Store
If you have leftovers of this Cranberry Chicken Recipe it is best stored in the refrigerator. Place the remaining chicken and sauce into an airtight container and it should keep for about 2 days.
How To Serve Cranberry Chicken
We like to serve this chicken recipe over rice, but you can also serve it over mashed potatoes.
Variations & Garnishes:
There is a lot you can do with this recipe to dress it up a little bit! Some of our favorites include:
- Using pork chops instead of chicken.
- After the dish is done baking, drizzle a little orange juice over the top and orange zest for a little orange flavor.
- Add fresh cranberries over the chicken and sauce before baking for a pop of extra flavor.
- Garnish with fresh thyme or rosemary sprigs for a pretty presentation.
OTHER CHICKEN BREAST RECIPES:
- Garlic Chicken – A delicious simple chicken breast recipe baked with garlic and thyme.
- Salsa Chicken – Delicious chicken baked with salsa, taco seasonings and cheese makes an easy dinner recipe.
- Oven Fried Chicken – A classic breaded and baked chicken recipe perfect for the family.
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken – Chicken breasts sauteed in a delicious Tuscan sauce.
Let’s Connect!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!
Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there, where you can join our recipe challenges!
Cranberry Chicken
Equipment
- Medium mixing bowl
- 9×13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz. can) whole berry cranberry sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- fresh parsley for garnish
- cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl mix together the 1 (14 oz. can) whole berry cranberry sauce, ¼ cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons dried minced onion, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Place the 4 chicken breasts in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
- Pour the cranberry sauce mixture evenly over the chicken.
- Bake for 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Spoon the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve over cooked rice .
Notes
- The cooking time will vary slightly depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts you use. Your chicken is done when the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
- You can use 1 ½ cups of homemade cranberry sauce in place of the canned sauce if you prefer.
- If you love cranberries, sprinkle about ¼ cup of fresh ones over the top of the chicken and sauce before baking for an extra burst of flavor.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Peg says
This is a delicious recipe. Making again tomorrow night with 10 chicken breasts.
Rebecca Hubbell says
Wow! That’s a lot of chicken – I hope you’re getting to enjoy it with good company!