Cranberry Orange Chicken has a burst full of flavor in every bite. The spices are reminiscent of a holiday meal but with only a fraction of the effort!
Why I love chicken with cranberry sauce
When it comes to feeding people, I find that simple is the best way to keep things! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
This orange cranberry chicken meal is:
- Easy to make. Skillet meals are my favorite because everything cooks in one oven proof pan.
- Full of flavors using natural, healthy ingredients. Cranberry and orange are just meant to be!
- Impressive to make without a lot of fuss
I'm a total fan of savory cranberry recipes. And orange and cranberry is even better!
Cranberry Orange Scones - love 'em! Cranberry sauce with orange juice - yep, that too!
Ingredients
When I can feed my family food that's good for them and tastes good too....well, you can't beat that. Here's what we're using to make cranberry orange chicken.
- Olive oil - to keep the chicken from sticking to the pan. You can substitute coconut, canola or vegetable oil if you wish.
- Chicken breasts -Because that's usually what I have on hand.. You can substitute bone in chicken breasts, or boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Pretty much anything goes.
- Seasonings - these are typical holiday spices, or at least the sage is a wintery spice to me. We're also using thyme, salt and pepper to season the chicken.
- Cranberries - fresh or frozen are great and will impart a tart and juicy flavor
- Orange juice - for a fresh citrus burst. If you have a fresh orange and can use the juice from that, do it! It really will make a difference with the flavor. No orange on hand? No sweat, you can use the OJ that you pour in the morning.
- Honey - for a touch of sweetness
- Spices, again - cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg combine with the cranberries. If these ingredients have you thinking of Thanksgiving dinner, you're right! Basically, we're making a super quick cranberry sauce. If you have leftover cranberry sauce from the holidays, this is a great way you could put leftovers to use.
If you love the combination of cranberry and orange, you'll love my Cranberry Orange Scones, Make Ahead Cranberry Sauce and Cranberry Apple Chutney.
How to make this one pan wonder
Step 1: Make the easy cranberry sauce: Place cranberries, orange juice, honey, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a small saucepan.
Heat saucepan over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. Cook until the cranberries pop and the sauce slightly thickens, about 4-5 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside.
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Step 2: Season and cook the chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add oil.
In a tiny bowl, combine sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Use this mixture to season both sides of the chicken.
When oil is heated, add the chicken to the skillet and cook until browned and partially cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn over to the other side and cook for another 5-6 minutes, until cooked through and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F when checked with a meat thermometer.
Step 3: Top the chicken with cranberry sauce: Pour the orange-cranberry sauce over the browned chicken and serve!
Best Cranberry Orange Chicken
I love to serve this chicken with rice and a vegetable.
See this photo? I used a bag of 90 second microwave rice. I wasn't kidding when I said keep things simple. You could also make brown rice in your slow cooker or Cranberry Rice Pilaf
Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Oven Roasted Broccoli are delish, too!
Other one pot dinners:
Recipe
One Skillet Cranberry Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Method
- Place cranberries, orange juice, honey, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a small saucepan. Heat saucepan over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. Cook until the cranberries pop and the sauce slightly thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add oil. In a tiny bowl, combine sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Use this mixture to season both sides of the chicken.
- When oil is heated, add the chicken to the skillet and cook until browned and partially cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn over to the other side and cook for another 5-6 minutes, until cooked through and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F when checked with a meat thermometer.
- Pour the orange-cranberry sauce over the browned chicken.
Robi says
Love this recipe because of the sauce!!! Fantastic flavors with all the spices. I will definitely make this again!!!