Cranberry Chicken is all the rage these days and this fall I found out exactly why. Cranberries + Orange juice + Garlic + Chicken thighs = Amazing.
I tried a few variations of this recipe before I settled on the one I'm sharing with you today and I gotta say I never grew tired of trying it out and tweaking this recipe. The tart and acidic nature of the cranberries and the orange juice pairs really well with the fatty chicken thighs. This Cranberry Chicken is balanced in flavors so you touch on all your taste buds. In other words it's got you covered in all 5 taste categories- salt, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami (savory).
This recipe is actually perfect for Fall meal planning. I divide out the chicken thighs into plastic bags and pour the marinade/sauce over them. Then leave them in the fridge overnight before cooking them but you could also pop them in the freezer for a later day (They may also be a candidate for the crock-pot... more testing is required to be sure - I will update this post when that happens).
I like this best when it's accompanied by mashed potatoes but it does also pair well with rice. The mashed potatoes go really well with the pungent sauce and help soak up any extra sauce on the plate.
I love learning new ways to use cranberries (I used to think they were a one trick pony) so be sure to keep an eye out for more new recipes including them.
PrintBaked Cranberry Chicken
Tangy, sweet, and easy to make. This Cranberry Chicken recipe is full of flavor and doesn't take forever to make. Simply mix, marinate, dump, and bake!
- Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 Bone-in Skin-on Chicken Thighs
- ½ cup Avocado oil (Or Olive oil)
- 2 Large Cloves of garlic (Minced)
- ¾ cup Orange Juice (Roughly 2 fresh squeezed oranges)
- 2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- ½ tsp Ceylon Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Fresh Black pepper
- 6 oz Cranberries (Half of a 12 oz bag- I eyeball it)
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs in a ziplock bag. Pour all the ingredients into the bag, seal it shut and gently shake and massage the marinade together for a minute.
- Place this in the fridge for a minimum of an hour but it's best to sit overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375F
- Dump the chicken and the marinade into a square baking pan (glass or stoneware preferred).
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Until the thickest part of the chicken has an internal temperature of 165F.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Keywords: Chicken, dairy free, Gluten free, Holiday, Oven baked
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