Cranberry Orange Chicken Thighs

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

Orange and cranberry sauce on chicken thighs.

Fall recipes are all about warmth and coziness and this cranberry chicken recipe is just that. Tangy cranberries and sweet orange juice combine with rosemary for amazing flavor in every bite.

This easy gluten-free dinner is made with ingredients like cranberries, honey, cinnamon and balsamic vinegar on top of a bed of white rice and chicken thighs to create a delicious meal everyone will love.

If you love easy chicken dinners, you'll want to try my Orzo Chicken Soup, Oven Roasted Chicken and Potatoes, and Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs.

Why You'll Love this Recipe

An easy Thanksgiving dinner idea. If you are cooking Thanksgiving for a smaller crowd or simply aren't in the mood for roasted turkey this year, cranberry chicken would be the perfect main dish. Serve with Holiday Cranberry Bourbon Cocktails and Cranberry Sauce Baked Brie as an appetizer for a festive touch.
Great dinner idea for leftover cranberry sauce or rice. Maybe you have leftover cranberry sauce in the fridge from Thanksgiving dinner and are looking for creative ways to use it up. Or you have 2 cups of cooked rice you'd like to repurpose - this cranberry chicken recipe is for you!
Made with real ingredients! Preparing this cranberry chicken with homemade cranberry sauce takes a little bit of extra effort, but it's worth it! Nothing beats fresh ingredients.

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Why You'll Love this Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
Instructions
Recipe FAQs
Sarah's Top Tips
Serving
More Easy Chicken Recipes
Recipe
Comments

Ingredients and Substitutions

Ingredients for cranberry orange chicken.

Chicken thighs. I highly recommend making this dish with bone-in skin-on chicken thighs over chicken breasts because they are so much more flavorful! Using boneless skinless chicken breasts would also likely alter the cook time because they will cook through more quickly. I have not tested this so I cannot advise.
Cranberries. Fresh or frozen cranberries will work when making the homemade cranberry sauce. Just double-check that the cranberries are not sweetened or prepared with additional ingredients. The only ingredient should be whole cranberries.
Rice. I like to bake cranberry chicken over white rice because it is neutral in flavor and quick to prepare. If you prefer, you can use brown rice or another rice of your choice.
Orange. Orange juice and orange zest are used in the homemade cranberry sauce to naturally sweeten it and balance the tartness. The orange zest also gives the sauce a huge boost of flavor and complements the savoriness of the chicken thighs perfectly.

See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.

Instructions

This cranberry chicken dish is baked with cooked rice. Please make sure to cook your rice according to the package instructions before starting the cranberry sauce. This prep time is not included in the total time of the recipe.

Place the chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper and minced garlic. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature while you prepare the remainder of the dish.

Ingredients for cranberry sauce in a pan.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, honey, cinnamon, balsamic vinegar and rosemary.

Stir occasionally, until the cranberries begin to burst and the cranberry sauce thickens about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and smash with a potato masher or fork.

Cranberry sauce on chicken before baking.

Spread the rice in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Place the chicken thighs on top, then spread the cranberry sauce over the chicken thighs until covered.
Bake the cranberry chicken for 25-30 minutes uncovered, or until the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Recipe FAQs

Can cranberry sauce be frozen for later use?

Yes, cranberry sauce is freezer-friendly. If you would like to freeze this cranberry sauce for use in other recipes, allow it to cool to room temperature then transfer to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months to retain optimal freshness. Thaw completely in the fridge before reheating.

Can I use store-bought cranberry sauce?

I do not recommend it. Store-bought cranberry sauce is typically much thicker and not as fresh-tasting. It will also taste differently and I can't confirm it will pair well with this chicken dish.

Should I cover my chicken when I bake it?

Not necessary! This cranberry chicken can be baked uncovered.

How do you keep chicken from drying out when baking?

Chicken thighs are the least likely cut of chicken to dry out, but smothering the chicken with the homemade cranberry sauce helps keep it moist and juicy. The only other thing to be careful of is overcooking the chicken. This will dry it out. Remove the chicken once the internal temperature of the chicken thighs is 165 degrees F.

Sarah's Top Tips

Don't overcook the cranberry sauce! Cook just until the cranberries begin to burst, then remove from heat. If the cranberry sauce stays on the heat for too long, it can begin to burn and over-thicken.
Do not attempt to cook the rice directly in the casserole dish. White rice needs about an hour to cook through evenly in the oven and won't work with the cook time for the cranberry chicken.

Serving

This cranberry chicken is made with rice and can certainly be served as is. However, you may want to add some vegetables or greens to your meal such as air fried butternut squash, roasted broccoli or arugula salad.