Cranberry Orange Chicken Thighs

Homemade cranberry sauce and the juice from fresh oranges are the perfect complements to chicken thighs. This meal will impress any dinner guest and will be a hit with your family!

Fall recipes are all about warmth and coziness and this chicken recipe is just that. It's the perfect dinner for any night of the week to make for your family.

Tangy cranberries and sweet orange juice combine with rosemary for amazing flavor in every bite. This dish is made with ingredients like cranberries, honey, cinnamon and balsamic vinegar on top of a bed of white rice and chicken thighs create a delicious meal everyone will love.

This would make a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving meal if you're not in the mood for turkey this year.

Ingredients

What you need for this cranberry orange chicken recipe:

• Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs- skin and bones add more flavor to the dish but use boneless if you prefer or even chicken breasts.
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic cloves
• White rice- any white rice (long-grain, Basmati, Jasmine) will work, just make sure it's not quick-cook rice.
• Water- used to cook the rice, you can also use chicken broth.
• Cranberries- fresh or frozen cranberries will work. Don't use dried cranberries.
• Orange- need both the juice and the zest from a large orange.
• Honey- used to sweeten the cranberry sauce. Use maple syrup or brown sugar in place of honey if you prefer or if you don't have any honey.
• Cinnamon
• Balsamic vinegar- adds a delicious acid and sweetness to the dish.
• Fresh rosemary

Instructions

This dish take a little bit of prep time but it's so worth it. It's easy to double or triple the recipe if you have a large family or if you want leftovers to enjoy for the next few days.

To begin, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper and garlic cloves. Add the rice and water to a casserole dish or baking pan. Place chicken thighs on top of the rice.

Begin making the cranberry sauce by adding cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, honey, cinnamon, balsamic vinegar and rosemary to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the sauce occasionally until the cranberries burst and thicken, about 10 minutes.

Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and spread the cranberry sauce over the chicken thighs.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil from the dish and continue to bake (uncovered) for another 20-30 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Transfer chicken to plates along with the rice and serve. Enjoy!

What to serve with the orange cranberry chicken

This chicken dish is made with rice and can certainly be served as is. However, you may want to add some vegetables or greens to your meal.

• Squash- roasted butternut, acorn or delicata squash would go very well with the flavors of the dish.
• Green beans- sautéed or steamed green beans will be great with the chicken. Top them with shaved almonds for even more flavor.
• Salad- a simple salad made of spinach or mixed greens, slivered almonds, crumbled feta or goat cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette will pair well with the cranberry orange chicken.
• For dessert. Serve my Gluten-Free Apple Crisp with Cranberries after this meal for a delish dessert.

More Chicken Recipes

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Chicken Osso Buco

Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Thighs

Air Fryer Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

5 Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes!

Recipe

Cranberry Orange Chicken and Rice

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 644.37kcal

Author: Sarah Holt

Homemade cranberry sauce and chicken thighs come together for the perfect combination. This Cranberry Orange Chicken will impress everyone!

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Equipment

• Sauce Pan
• Casserole dish

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1.5 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 1 cup white rice
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• ▢ 1 large orange juice and zest
• ▢ 3 tablespoons honey
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper and garlic cloves.
• Add rice and water to a casserole dish. Place chicken thighs on top of the rice.
• Begin making the cranberry sauce by adding cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, honey, cinnamon, balsamic vinegar and rosemary to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until the cranberries burst and thicken, about 10 minutes.
• Once thick, turn off the heat. Spread the cranberry sauce over the chicken thighs.
• Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil from the dish and continue to bake (uncovered) for another 20-30 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.
• Transfer chicken to plates along with the rice and serve. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry Orange Chicken and Rice

Serving Size

 

1 Serving

Amount per Serving

Calories

644.37

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

28.72

g

44

%

Cholesterol

 

166.69

mg

56

%

Sodium

 

143.08

mg

6

%

Potassium

 

555.23

mg

16

%

Carbohydrates

 

64.05

g

21

%

Fiber

 

4.27

g

18

%

Sugar

 

20.52

g

23

%

Protein

 

31.76

g

64

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Vitamin A

 

281.67

IU

6

%

Vitamin C

 

31.79

mg

39

%

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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