Baked Cranberry Chicken [30 minute, One Pan Recipe]

Easy Baked Cranberry Chicken is the perfect 30-minute, one-pan recipe for fall and winter, and requires just a few simple ingredients.

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It’s Pinterest Challenge time again friends, and this month’s challenge is all about cranberries!

As usual, the amazing Cindy from County Road 407 is our host, and if you’ve found your way here from My Family Thyme, just let me say, “Welcome to The House on Silverado!”

Baked Cranberry Chicken recipe

For this month’s challenge, my blogger friends and I are using a cranberry theme to create something special for you.

There is so much variety; recipes, crafts, home decor, and more!

In case you are unfamiliar with the Pinterest Challenge, you can see some of my past posts here:

Baked Cranberry Chicken Recipe

For my cranberry post, I elected to create a recipe– a simple recipe.

This is the time of the year when I sometimes struggle to get a home-cooked meal on the table amidst all the holiday busyness.

Anyone else? 🙋🏼‍♀️

This Baked Cranberry Chicken meets all my criteria for a recipe to add to my repertoire this time of year:

  • Quick and easy ✔ (30 minutes from start to table)
  • Not a lot of cleanup ✔ (One pan!)
  • Minimal ingredients ✔ (Fresh cranberries, chicken, and a few pantry staples)
  • Hearty, comfort food ✔ (Warm and filling for the cold weather season)
  • Nutritional ✔ (Cranberries are considered a superfood due to their high nutrient & antioxidant content!)

Winner, winner chicken dinner!

Fresh Cranberry Season

Fresh cranberries can be found in grocery stores from about October through January.

I usually buy a few bags and freeze them, so I have some on hand outside of their availability. They can be used in this cranberry chicken recipe, but also in smoothies, muffins, cocktails, and so many other things.

Fresh cranberries, fresh rosemary, and white wine form the basis of the sauce for this easy recipe.

Add some boneless skinless chicken breasts and a few pantry staples, and you will have dinner on the table in a matter of minutes. One that the whole family will love!

–>Tip: The white wine can be substituted with chicken broth to make this recipe family-friendly.

Ingredients for Baked Cranberry Chicken

How to Make Baked Cranberry Chicken

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the chicken

Next, heat the olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. I love having a reason to use this cast iron skillet that was my mother’s, but any oven-proof pan will do.

Place chicken in a single layer in the pan, and season well with salt, pepper, and the chopped fresh rosemary.

I prefer skinless, boneless chicken breasts in this recipe because I almost always have some in my freezer, but skinless chicken thighs would also be a great option.

Sauté for two or three minutes on each side, until the chicken is golden brown.

Add the wine (or chicken broth)

Pour 1 cup of good white wine into the pan with the chicken.

You won’t need the whole bottle, so go ahead and pour yourself a glass too, especially if you’ve had a long, busy day. You deserve it. 😉

Add the cranberries and the rosemary sprigs

Add the fresh cranberries to the pan, and tuck the 3 fresh rosemary sprigs in alongside the chicken pieces.

Then, transfer the whole pan to the preheated oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 175 degrees.

Baked Cranberry Chicken [30 minute, One Pan Recipe]

(My package of chicken contained three chicken breast halves. I was only serving 2 people for this meal, so that was fine. Please note that this recipe does serve four, though.)

Prepare the sauce

When the chicken is fully cooked, remove the pan from the oven and transfer the chicken pieces to a plate covered with aluminum foil to keep them warm while you prepare the super simple sauce.

Baked Cranberry Chicken [30 minute, One Pan Recipe]

Make sure there is at least a half cup or so of liquid left in the pan. If not, add a little more wine or broth to make sure you have plenty of sauce.

Then, add 1/3 cup honey to the hot liquid and whisk until it melts and incorporates fully.

I like using honey because it’s the perfect way to sweeten the tart cranberries, but real maple syrup would be a great flavor in this dish too! In a pinch, a 1/4 cup or so of brown sugar could work too.

Serve

Return the chicken pieces back to the pan, and nestle them down into the cranberry mixture. Spoon some sauce over each piece.

For an extra beautiful presentation, add a few more sprigs of rosemary. The vibrant green sprigs with the red cranberries give this dish such a pretty, seasonal appearance.

–>Tip: If you have a picky eater in your family, just serve them one of the chicken pieces without the sauce. It will still be flavorful and juicy from cooking in the cranberry sauce. No dry chicken here!

Baked Cranberry Chicken [30 minute, One Pan Recipe]

What to Serve with Cranberry Chicken

  • Stuffing– a box of Stovetop Stuffing tastes great and is ready in a short amount of time!
  • Rice– Cranberry Chicken over a bed of rice is delish and makes a pretty presentation
  • Potatoes– mashed or roasted
  • Green beans
  • A fresh green salad

Baked Cranberry Chicken [30 minute, One Pan Recipe]

Niky @ The House on Silverado
Baked Cranberry Chicken is the perfect 30-minute, one-pan recipe for fall and winter, and requires just a few simple ingredients. Your whole family will love it.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 424 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 TBSP fresh rosemary chopped
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • ½ tsp salt
  • tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup white wine can sub equal amount of chicken broth
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • cup honey could sub real maple syrup

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 375°.
    In an oven-proof skillet (I used a cast iron pan), heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
    Add the chicken breasts to the hot pan, and season with salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until they turn a golden brown.
  • Add the white wine (or chicken broth), and the fresh cranberries.
    Tuck the rosemary sprigs into the skillet next to the chicken, and place the pan in the preheated oven.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
    *Chicken is fully cooked when the internal temperature is 170° on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part. Cook time can vary so be sure to test.
  • Remove the pan from the oven.
    Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
    Add the honey to the liquid in the pan and whisk to combine.
    If too much of the liquid has evaporated in the oven, add a little more wine or stock as needed.
  • Tuck the chicken back into the pan, spooning some of the sauce and cranberries over each piece.
    Garnish with more fresh rosemary for a pretty presentation.

Notes

  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be viewed as an estimate. Ingredients can vary and The House on Silverado makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portionCalories: 424kcalCarbohydrates: 27.6gProtein: 29gFat: 17.2gSaturated Fat: 4.3gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 629mgPotassium: 115mgFiber: 1.2gSugar: 24.7gCalcium: 13mgIron: 2mg
Keyword 30-Minute Meal, chicken, one-pan, seasonal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

This Baked Cranberry Chicken recipe is bound to become a new family favorite.

Tuck this recipe away someplace where you can easily find it–print it off, or save it on Pinterest. Then, the next time you need an easy dinner recipe that requires only a few minutes of prep, you’ll be all set!

Next, I hope you’ll pop over to Bluesky at Home to see Carol’s cranberry appetizer!

Let’s stay in touch!

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25 thoughts on “Baked Cranberry Chicken [30 minute, One Pan Recipe]

  1. Looking so super duper delicious and festive with those red cranberries. Pinned it.
    I visited you via Saturday Sparks Link Party 592
    I linked up this week with = 103+104. Hope you will join us M-S SeniorSalonPitStop and W-S #WordlessWednesday. You will find both under BLOGGING.

  2. I love to be able to add new recipes to my box and this one sounds so good and so easy. It look amazing and I am sure it is delicious. Love the sauce recipe, I think it would work on pork chops too.

  3. 5 stars
    Niky, I DID make your chicken and cranberries for dinner! I never got it into the oven because I had cranberry bread in the oven; however, I just finished it on the stove. The rosemary added a nice flavor, and even using the rehydrated cranberries (Craisins), I just added cranberry sauce to the berries as a side dish. Turned out great!!

    Thank you again for your recipe,
    Barb 🙂

  4. Niky, this one-pan chicken dish looks delish!! I have the chicken and some whole cranberry sauce. I might try that instead for dinner actually this evening (I’m home with a head cold). If I do get out, I’ll see if I can find fresh cranberries because I know they’d be wonderful. It’s fun to see what everyone came up with for this cranberry theme!

    Thank you for a great new recipe,
    Barb 🙂

  5. I love an easy recipe. We eat so much chicken and I’m so over the same ol’ thing. It’s exciting to have a new choice. I think I’ll try this tonight since I have extra cranberries! 😉 Thanks! pinned

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