Cranberry Orange Chicken Thighs

Sharing is caring!

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.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• What to serve with the orange cranberry chicken
• More Chicken Recipes
• Stay in Touch
• Recipe

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

Air Fryer Jamaican Style Curry Chicken

Chicken Osso Buco

Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Thighs

Air Fryer Crispy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Stay in Touch

Make sure you subscribe to my newsletter! I send emails of "What to make, read, and listen to" each month and also include some of my favorite products and purchases. Plus, you'll receive my top Air Fryer Tips + Recipes!

I love interacting with my community on all social channels, so don't forget to follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!

Recipe