This Cranberry Chicken recipe is one of those dishes that always saves my life when I’ve had an especially busy day and didn’t think ahead to put anything in the crock pot. The chicken is baked to perfection in a savory sweet cranberry sauce with sweet bursts of dried cranberries and toasted pecan pieces. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes and green beans or a green salad. The red and green look so pretty together and so classy. It’s a simple meal that makes a statement, so it’s sure to impress your guests.
Ingredients in Cranberry Chicken
The combination of ingredients for this Cranberry Chicken may seem unusual, but I promise, once it is all baked together the flavor is HEAVENLY and it really is one of the easiest chicken recipes you’ll ever make.
Chicken – Start with four large boneless chicken breasts, cut in half – you can substitute with bone-in chicken or chicken thighs if you prefer. You should have enough chicken to fill a 9×13 baking dish.Cranberry sauce – I like to use a can of whole berry cranberry sauce, but you can use leftover homemade sauce from Thanksgiving or Christmas. Dry onion soup mix – one packetPecans – one cup chopped or more if you like an extra crunchCraisins – or dried cranberriesOne bottle of Catalina salad dressing – usually the smaller bottle is plenty.Salt and pepper – to taste
How to Prepare Cranberry Chicken
First, arrange the chicken in a baking pan, prepped with some cooking spray. If you’re using thighs with skin, make sure to put the skin-side down.Spread cranberry sauce all over the chicken in a nice, thick layer over each piece of chicken. Next, sprinkle the onion soup packet, chopped pecans and dried cranberries over the chicken.Then pour the Catalina salad dressing over the top. Lightly cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Uncover the chicken and bake again for 15 more minutes so the sauce thickens and becomes a shiny glaze.Serve the extra sauce in a bowl and spoon over the chicken when serving. You can also garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cranberry Chicken
READ MORE:35+ Chicken Breast Recipes
Other Yummy Cranberry Recipes
Orange Cranberry SauceRaspberry Cranberry Sauce Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Almond Bacon Cheese Ball
Cranberry Salsa
Cranberry Bread
Cranberry Sausage Stuffing
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