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Cranberry Orange Chicken Thighs are the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and savory, making them a standout dish for any dinner table. The vibrant flavors of citrus and cranberry pair beautifully with tender, juicy chicken, creating a meal that feels special yet is simple to prepare.
These delicious chicken thighs are ideal for a small holiday gathering because they offer bold, festive flavors without the fuss of a large, elaborate meal. This recipe is easy to scale for a smaller group, and its simplicity allows you to spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the company of your guests.
To complete this amazing meal pair it with these crispy potato stacks and festive Christmas salad.
Helpful Tips
- Use the right cut of chicken: Using bone-in skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe will ensure that the chicken has great flavor and stays nice and moist through the cooking process.
- Sear before baking: A quick sear on the stovetop adds a golden crust that locks in moisture and enhances the flavor.
- Use fresh cranberries: If available, fresh cranberries provide a burst of tartness and a beautiful texture; if not, frozen ones work well too!
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Cranberry Orange Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs bone-in skin-on
- 3/4 cup (75 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 orange halved (juiced and zested)
- 1 cup (237 ml) cranberry juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (18 g) brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 g) garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) onion powder
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) paprika
- Salt and black pepper to season
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a cast-iron or oven-safe skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken, skin-side-down, and sear until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the cranberries and rosemary sprig and saute for 2 minutes.
- Zest half the orange then cut it in half and juice that half, reserving the unzested half for later.
- Pour in the cranberry and orange juices and deglaze the pan to pull up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the orange zest, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir it all up. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat
- Remove about 1/4 of the cranberry sauce from the pan. Add the chicken back in, skin side up.
- Spoon some of the cranberry sauce from the skillet over the top of the chicken.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then baste the chicken with the reserved sauce and continue baking for another 5-8 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 175° F (85°C). Remove from the heat.
- Grab the remaining orange half and cut it into slices. Place those around the pan to garnish the finished dish. Then serve.
Video
Notes
- Using bone-in skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe will ensure that the chicken has great flavor and stays nice and moist through the cooking process.
- A quick sear on the stovetop adds a golden crust that locks in moisture and enhances the flavor.
- If available, fresh cranberries provide a burst of tartness and a beautiful texture; if not, frozen ones work well too!
Nutrition
Before You Go
Since you made it to the end of this article, you might be interested in more chicken thigh recipes. Here are a few more articles we think you might enjoy.
Angela’s passion for discovering and experimenting with new flavors and recipes is at the heart of her culinary philosophy. Residing in a quaint Oregon town, she finds joy and inspiration in her kitchen. Angela has a lot of expertise in cooking and she eagerly shares her discoveries and unique creations with you.
