Cranberry Orange Chicken
Cranberry orange chicken is a delicious winter time chicken recipe you’ll love. Full of bright orange juice, tart cranberries and warming spices, this meal is special enough to entertain with but easy enough to serve any night of the week.
When the weather gets colder, I love making warm, cozy meals to fit the season.
This cranberry orange chicken is one of those meals.
It’s full of all the best cozy flavors: orange, cranberry, honey, ginger.
You can’t go wrong with it.
And better yet? It’s an easy one pan meal that takes 30 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
To make this you need:
- boneless skinless chicken breast
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- shallot
- cranberries- fresh are best, but you could use frozen if they aren’t in season
- orange juice
- apple cider vinegar
- honey
- spices- ground ginger, all spice and thyme
How To Make
Making this one pan chicken recipe is so easy!
To do it, start by patting your chicken breasts dry using paper towels, and then seasoning each side well with salt & pepper.
Once you season the chicken breasts, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat in a cast iron or other heavy bottomed skillet.
When the oil is hot, stir in the minced shallot.
Cook the shallot for about 1-2 minutes or just until it softens and starts to caramelize.
Then add the cranberries, orange juice, vinegar, and honey to the skillet.
Whisk everything until evenly combined and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Cook it, whisking frequently, until the berries begin to burst and soften, about 5 minutes.
What to Serve with Cranberry Orange Chicken
This chicken dish pairs really well with rice or mashed potatoes and your favorite roasted vegetable.
Don’t want to heat up the oven to roast a veggies?
A pot of these easy, spruced up canned green beans will work just as well!
It also pairs delightfully with a big tossed salad and some homemade rolls.
Storing and Reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Reheat on the stove or in the oven, cooking until warmed through.
You may have to add a bit of extra orange juice to reheat it.
Tips and Tricks
- Chicken is cooked through when a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees if you aren’t familiar enough with cooking whole chicken breasts enough to be sure by eye-balling it
- Can sub frozen cranberries for fresh, if they aren’t in season or can’t get them
- Worried the cranberries won’t be sweet enough? Double the honey if you’re worried the cranberry sauce will be too tart, but be aware the oj does add extra sweetness and acidity to cut it.
- Want a sweeter alternative? Use sweet dark cherries instead, and water in place of the orange juice.
Other 30 Minute One Pan Chicken Recipes
This cranberry orange chicken is my favorite wintertime one pan way to enjoy chicken breasts.
Try it now and switch up your dinner routine with this tasty main.
Looking for other one pan chicken recipes that are ready in 30 minutes or less?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this CRANBERRY ORANGE CHICKEN , or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Cranberry Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- salt & pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 shallot minced
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp all spice
- 1/2 tsp ground thyme
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pat your chicken breasts dry using paper towels, and then liberally season each side with salt & pepper.
- In a large heavy bottomed skillet, such as cast iron or a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat.
- Stir in the minced shallot, and cook just until softened and beginning to caramelize- about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the cranberries, orange juice, vinegar, and honey to the skillet- whisking until evenly combined.
- Let the mixture simmer, cooking until the berries begin to burst and soften, about 5 minutes. Make sure to whisk the sauce frequently to ensure even cooking.
- Once they've softened, use the whisk to lightly mash them. Don't pulverize them, just encourage them to burst. Now whisk in the ginger, all spice, salt, and pepper until combined. Don't be alarmed if the mixture's thick. That's ok!
- Using a spatula, carefully scrape the cranberry orange sauce into a waiting mixing bowl. Try to get every last bit out of the skillet. Cover the bowl with foil so that the sauce stays warm, and set aside.
- Using a folded up paper towel, wipe the skillet clean being careful not to burn your fingers as you do.
- Add the remaining olive oil, and heat it over medium high heat.
- Once it's heated through, add the chicken breasts to the skillet. Let the chicken cook, undisturbed for 5-7 minutes, until nicely golden brown. Once seared, flip them, and sear the other sides, roughly 4-6 minutes or until the juices run clear.
- Flip the chicken breasts over carefully, so as not to break up or tear apart, and then spoon the cranberry sauce evenly over top.
- Remove the skillet from heat, and cover with a lid or aluminum foil, and let everything rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve the chicken with fresh herbs for garnish, and extra cranberry orange sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- The chicken is cooked through when a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees if you aren't familiar enough with cooking whole chicken breasts enough to be sure by eye-balling it
- You can sub frozen cranberries for fresh, if they aren't in season or can't get them
- Worried the cranberries won't be sweet enough? Double the honey if you're worried the cranberry sauce will be too tart, but be aware the OJ does add extra sweetness and acidity to cut it.
- Want a sweeter alternative? Use sweet dark cherries instead, and water in place of the orange juice
Nutrition
This is new to me but it looks so good! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday party!