Fresh cranberry roasted chicken bursting with quintessentially tangy, sweet and savory autumn flavor! The deep red cranberries add a vibrantly colorful festive flair! And it all easily comes together in ONE single pan!
It’s the chicken dish that tastes just like the Holidays!
Tart fresh cranberries. Sweet caramel like brown sugar and maple syrup. Spicy cayenne. Woodsy rosemary. Chicken.
Let’s do this!
Why this Recipe Works
- Spiced brown sugar rub! Coating the chicken with the rub helps keep it moist and creates greater depth of flavor.
- Highlights fresh cranberries! a fall super fruit with a short season, this dish celebrates ‘em savory chicken style!
- Holiday Flavors! Tart cranberries, sweet caramel like brown sugar and maple syrup, warming cinnamon, spicy cayenne and woodsy rosemary… this chicken is bursting with quintessential autumn flavor!
- Searing the chicken before roasting! Cooking the thighs, skin side down to render out the fat delivers the crispiest skin you’ve ever had!
- Minimal clean up! Thanks to the dish all coming together in ONE single pan.
The juices from the fresh cranberries release as they roast, condensing into a deliciously syrupy sauce.
I’m on a personal mission to liberate the cranberry from your thanksgiving table cranberry sauce!
The sweet, tart, tangy, vibrantly colorful and festive berries deserve to be used and appreciated in so very many other ways! If you’re as stoked on cranberry season as I am, check the cranberry-licious recipes below.
Ingredients
Chicken - For juiciest most flavorful results, choose bone-in, skin on chicken thighs.
But if you prefer light meat, that works too! Regardless of cut, since any at all can work, choose the bone-in, skin-on option.
Exact cooking times can be easily adjusted to accommodate any cut of chicken.
Fresh Cranberries - When possible, buy organic, in season cranberries. If fresh cranberries aren’t available, you can substitute another fruit such as grapes (or check out this Grape Roasted Chicken or another one of these seasonal fruit chicken dishes).
If your cranberry fruit substitute is very sweet, you might want to add a squeeze of lemon at the end.
Brown Sugar - is refined white sugar with molasses added back in giving it a deep, caramel like flavor.
Brown sugar substitutes include the same quantity of either white sugar (+ 2 teaspoons of molasses if you have), honey or simply increase quantity of maple syrup.
Maple Syrup - a quintessential fall flavor with hints of vanilla and caramel.
Maple syrup substitutes include the same quantity of honey, molasses or agave nectar.
Cinnamon - bold, spicy-sweet and warming, a quintessential fall spice.
Cayenne – adds a kick of hot spice to the rub.
Cayenne substitutes include paprika, red chili flakes or chili powder. Exact quantities can be tinkered with depending on how spicy ya like your food!
Rosemary – a quintessential autumn herb and one of the most aromatic and pungent around. Rosemary has a woodsy, earthy lemon-pine flavor profile.
Rosemary substitutes include thyme, or savory.
Balsamic Vinegar - no need to use the super fancy stuff! The nuanced flavors will tame as it cooks, and the acid helps balance the other flavors.
Balsamic vinegar substitutes includes red wine or apple cider vinegar, though in a pinch any vinegar can do.
How to Make this Recipe
Make spiced brown sugar rub and coat chicken with it. Melt butter in a hot skillet and sear chicken; add vinegar and maple, nestle chicken back in, add cranberries and rosemary; transfer skillet to the oven. Let thy oven do the rest of the work from here and voila you’re all done!
Cooks Tips
- For the juiciest, most flavorful chicken, choose bone-in, skin-on!
- Know where your chicken comes from! When possible, organic, antibiotic-free, air-chilled, free-range chicken
- When possible, go for organic, in-season cranberries. If fresh cranberries aren’t available, you can substitute another fruit, such as grapes or figs. Or try another of these seasonal fruit chicken dishes!
- Dry your chicken with a paper towel! To get that perfectly browned and crispy skin and prevent it from ticking to the pan when searing.
- Let thy chicken come to room temperature before searing! To help it cook more evenly and get a better sear.
- If you own a cast iron skillet, this would be an ideal time to use it! If not, any oven safe pan will do.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Cranberry Chicken
Ingredients
For the Spiced Brown Sugar Rub
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the Cranberry Chicken
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 6 chicken thighs about 2-2.5 pounds
- ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 12 oz fresh cranberries 1 bag
- 2-3 sprigs rosemary
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a small bowl, stir together all the spiced brown sugar rub ingredients.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, place them on a cutting board and rub them all over with the spiced brown sugar mixture.
- Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, until foaming. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving it until well browned and crisp, about 8 minutes total, lowering heat if it starts to smoke excessively. Flip chicken and brown lightly on second side, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large plate and set aside.
- Stir in balsamic vinegar and maple syrup until combined, then turn the heat off.
- Nestle chicken back into pan, add the cranberries, pushing them aside so that as much chicken skin as possible is exposed. Add the rosemary sprigs. Transfer pan to oven and roast, uncovered, for about 25 minutes, until a thermometer reaches 165 when inserted.
- Remove from the oven, taste sauce and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with the cranberries and sauce drizzled over the chicken thighs.
Notes
- For the juiciest, most flavorful chicken, choose bone-in, skin-on!
- Know where your chicken comes from! When possible, organic, antibiotic-free, air-chilled, free-range chicken
- When possible, go for organic, in-season cranberries. If fresh cranberries aren’t available, you can substitute another fruit, such as grapes or figs. Or try another of these seasonal fruit chicken dishes!
- Dry your chicken with a paper towel! To get that perfectly browned and crispy skin and prevent it from ticking to the pan when searing.
- Let thy chicken come to room temperature before searing! To help it cook more evenly and get a better sear.
- If you own a cast iron skillet, this would be an ideal time to use it! If not, any oven safe pan will do.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Want More Fresh Cranberry Recipes?
Cranberries aren't just for cranberry sauce — here's the full sweet and savory collection.
- Cranberry Focaccia - no-knead, vibrantly festive, and made for the holiday table.
- Fresh Cranberry Braised Brisket - sweet, savory, tart, and fall-off-the-fork tender.
- Cranberry & Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Chops - spicy, tart, sweet, one pan, under 30 minutes.
- Cranberry Gingersnap Pie - magnificently magenta cranberry curd in a spicy gingersnap walnut crust.
- Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Stuffed Cookies - crispy edges, chewy center, lots of holiday flair.
- Cranberry Caramel Tart with Candied Macadamia Nuts - gooey caramel, tart cranberries, and pumpkin spiced candied macadamia nuts in a buttery tart crust.
- Sugared Cranberries - two ingredients, sparkling, done in 30 minutes.
More Chicken with Fruit Recipes
Can't stop won't stop with the fruit-forward skillet chicken situation. If chicken roasted with fresh seasonal produce is your jam, check out my other recipes below:
- Pomegranate Chicken - a sweet, tart and juicy fall dish.
- Cherry Chicken - your new fav summer skillet recipe.
- Caramelized Grape Chicken - jammy shallots, it's fall in a skillet.
And if you want meat with your seasonal produce, my Peachy Bone-In Pork Chops, Cranberry Glazed Pork Chops, and Cranberry Braised Brisket are where it's at.
If ya try this recipe, I'd love to hear about it - leave a comment below and let me know, and tag me on IG, @danielagerson, so I can see too.
Keep exploring for more seasonal recipes and colorful produce guides designed to inspire ya to play in the kitchen.
Let’s make waves in the kitchen.
Perfect recipe for the fall.
I absolutely LOVED it.
Thanks daniealgerson 🙏🙏🙏😘
It sure is Jacquie! And I'd love to make it for ya sometime! Really appreciate all the super sweet feedback <3 :).
I had cranberries from the holidays I wanted to use and this recipe was delicious! The rub fir the chicken gives it a kick, but not overwhelming since I can't handle too much heat. I'll definitely make this again!
So happy to hear that Mark! It's def a chicken dish I come back to every holiday season. Always possible to tone down the spice in the rub if need be too. Appreciate the feedback + thank ya :).