This easy baked cranberry chicken recipe with rosemary is your ticket to a comforting, show-stopping dinner! You’ll love the bold flavors from fresh minced garlic, rosemary, and citrus. Fresh cranberries make a festive, luscious and juicy topping.
Read on for my step-by-step tutorial and suggestions for what to serve along this amazing chicken!
It’s hard to go wrong with a comforting baked chicken dinner, but if you’re looking to kick things up a few notches, especially during the holidays, this cranberry chicken will bring the wow factor!
This recipe kinda happened without much planning, which I love! I got in my kitchen with the thought of making this rosemary chicken and veggies for dinner. Then, I noticed a bag of fresh cranberries sitting idly on my kitchen counter, so I decided to take a more festive direction and create this cranberry chicken.
This holiday-worth chicken dinner is as tasty as it is beautiful! And it’s fairly simple to put together. Let me tell you more about it…
Baked Cranberry Chicken
The flavor stars in this baked cranberry chicken are decidedly Mediterranean: garlic, rosemary, and citrus, complimented by fresh cranberries. Here’s how we go about building flavor:
First, lots of fresh garlic, rosemary, and a little paprika make a simple rub for the chicken. Then, for just a few minute, the seasoned chicken sits in a marinade of citrus and extra virgin olive oil with onions and celery.
As far as the pretty fresh cranberries go. To break their tartness, I mixed the cranberries with brown sugar and a hint of white wine vinegar and let them marinate for a bit. The sugar helps the cranberries release their natural sweetness.
Many readers have asked if they can substitute white wine vinegar with other vinegar or with actual wine. Both substitutes work really well. If you are using a white wine, a fruity choice like chardonnay, Riesling, or even a dessert wine would pair well.
Once baked, the cranberries make a luscious, juicy, slightly sweet topping for the chicken. The perfect festive touch for the holidays!
How to Prepare Fresh Cranberries for this Recipe?
Fresh cranberries are ideal for this recipe. Here in the USA, fresh cranberries are typically available around the holidays; I usually find them in the grocery stores in the fall and through December.
Readers often ask how to pick the perfect cranberries in the store. Choose ones that look plump and have a rich, dark color to them. They should also be firm to the touch. Throw out any berries that look shriveled or rotten with brown spots. And by the way, quality fresh cranberries will keep well in the fridge in a tight zip-top bag for up to 2 months
Cranberries are super easy to prepare for cooking. First, be sure to give them a good rinse in water to clean them off and remove any stems that might be still attached. Pat them dry with a kitchen towel before using in this recipe. From there, to help with the extra tartness of fresh cranberries, I like to toss them in a bit of brown sugar with some white wine vinegar before baking with the chicken.
How to Make this Cranberry Chicken: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Prepare the Cranberries
To make this one-pan cranberry chicken, start by macerating the cranberries. Macerating is a technique that is similar to marinating; it refers to soaking fruits in a liquid and sugar mixture to help break down the fruit a bit.
Combine the berries with the brown sugar and vinegar and allow them to sit for about 10 minutes while you prepare helps to break down their tough skins.
Step 2: Season and Marinate the Chicken
I like to rub the fresh minced garlic inside and outside of the chicken skin, which gives the meat so much more flavor. Rub the salt, pepper, rosemary and paprika all over the chicken, again applying some underneath the skin for best flavor. (You can use fresh rosemary here or a smaller amount of dry rosemary.)
Prepare a large bowl or deep dish with extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar and lemon juice. Add the seasoned chicken along with celery and onions. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Tip: Remember, if you have the time, allow the chicken to come closer to room temperature before cooking. Cold chicken straight from the fridge tends to become tough when cooking!
Step 3: Brown Chicken
Just before baking, give the chicken pieces a quick sauté in a skillet with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. Giving the chicken a quick crust before baking will help to seal in juices and keep the pieces nice and moist.
Step 4: Bake Cranberry Chicken
Finally, arrange the chicken with the celery, onions, and lemon halves in a large baking dish. Add about 1/2 cup chicken broth (or water) and top with the sugared cranberries.
Bake in 425 degrees F heated-oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until chicken’s internal temperature registers 165 degrees F.
Can I use Frozen Cranberries Instead?
If you can’t find fresh cranberries near you, frozen cranberries will also work in this baked cranberry chicken recipe. To prepare them, make sure to thaw them out ahead of time and be sure to drain them very well. You will not need to use white wine vinegar with frozen cranberries, but do toss them in some brown sugar still before using in this recipe.
Can I use boneless chicken to make this Cranberry Chicken?
For those who much prefer using boneless chicken, you absolutely can. Christopher, one of our readers tried it with boneless chicken. Here is what he recommends: bake 26 minutes in the oven after browning the chicken pieces for more like 3 1/2 minutes on each side.
What to Serve with this Cranberry Chicken?
If you’re using this cranberry chicken as the centerpiece for a special holiday dinner, there are many sides and salads that can go along with it. I’ll share a few favorites:
Sides: Greek potatoes; Lebanese Rice; Fried Brussels Sprouts; Herbed Potatoes
Salads: Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad; Mediterranean Orange Salad; Tabouli; Greek Salad
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Garlic Rosemary Chicken with Cranberries
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This easy baked cranberry chicken recipe with rosemary is your ticket to a comforting, show-stopping dinner! You’ll love the bold flavors from fresh minced garlic, rosemary, and citrus. Fresh cranberries make a festive, luscious and juicy topping.
Be sure to review my tips and the step-by-step tutorial in the post above.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2–3 tbsp white wine vinegar, more for later
- 6 pieces bone-in, skin on chicken (I used 2 chicken breasts and 4 thighs)
- 6–8 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 1/2 tsp dry rosemary)
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil ( I used Private Reserve Greek EVOO)
- 1 lemon, juice of (do not discard used lemon halves)
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or water
- More fresh rosemary for garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the cranberries, brown sugar, and white wine vinegar. Set aside for now.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry. Rub the chicken with the minced garlic on both sides (make sure to apply some of the garlic underneath the chicken skins). Season well with salt and pepper. Combine the rosemary and paprika then apply to the chicken pieces on both sides and again underneath the skin.
- In a large bowl or deep enough dish, mix the olive oil, lemon juice and 2 tbsp white wine vinegar. Now add the chicken, celery, onions, and used lemon halves. Work everything together with clean hands. Set aside to marinate just for 15 minutes or so.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet. Place the chicken skin side down to brown on medium-high for 5 minutes. Turn over and brown on the other side.
- Place the chicken, onions, celery, lemon halves and any liquid from the marinade in a lightly oiled baking pan. Add 1/2 cup water or chicken broth, then add the sugared cranberries.
- Bake in the 425 degrees F heated-oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through. Serve hot with Lebanese rice and your favorite salad.
Notes
- Cook’s Tip: For those who much prefer using boneless chicken, you absolutely can. Christopher, one of our readers tried this with boneless chicken. Here is what he recommends: bake 26 minutes in the oven after browning the chicken pieces for more like 3 1/2 minutes on each side.
- Visit Our Online Shop to browse our collection of extra virgin olive oils and all-natural and organic spices including paprika and rosemary.
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Cranberry Chicken, Chicken with Cranberries, Baked Cranberry Chicken
* This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2016 and has been recently updated with new information for readers’ benefit.
Made this last night. Looked just like the picture. Tasted amazing. I only had four large chicken thighs so there were no leftovers, so sad. I only had one bag of cranberries, so I will have to wait until the fall to make again. Does anyone have a suggestion for a replacement for the cranberries.
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Marie, thanks so much for giving this a try! So glad you enjoyed it. I’d say you can try our other rosemary chicken recipe when you don’t have cranberries. Here it is: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/rosemary-roasted-chicken-recipe-with-vegetables/
I plan on making this this weekend to use up some leftover cranberries. I do have a question, do you drain the cranberries after they have been macerated or do you include the marinade? Thanks in advance.
Enjoy, Odette! No, you do not need to drain the cranberries.
I made this tonight for dinner and it was AMAZING!
I made it with 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast through, adjusting the cookie time per the recipe note at the bottom and it was perfect. I roasted red potatoes in the dish along side the chicken and cranberries and it was fantastic. We have just enough left over for 1 lunch tomorrow. Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ll definitely be making this again!
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So glad! Thanks for sharing.
I’m making this for my family tonight, I have all the ingredients, but only have boneless, skinless thighs on hand…how would you adjust cooking time?
Hi there. You should start checking the chicken at 25-30 minutes or so…use an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part to determine when it is done; it should read 165 degrees F minimum.
I just made this for Christmas Eve 2019, I didn’t have time to brown the chicken first, and it still came out Amazjng!!
I used veggie broth instead of chicken broth since has so much more flavor, can’t wait to make it again and actually brown the chicken…. YUM!
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So glad to hear it, Laura! thank you so much for giving it a try
Excellent recipe, delicious! Quick and easy!
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So glad!
Only 2 changes i made was not browning the chicken and i used skin on boneless chicken breast, otherwise i followed recipe exactly. The flavor was good, i may have gone too light on the salt. I do agree with another commenter that 1/2 cup of liquid is too much. When i do make next time, will use a mix of breast thigh, brown the chicken and only add chicken broth if i feel its needed. Otherwise it does make a pretty presentation.
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Hi Maria. I do wish you browned the chicken because that does make all the difference 🙂 And bone in chicken is preferred for this recipe, that’s why we use 1/2 cup broth here.
I have to make this – it looks so good. We need to go to church before dinner. Is it okay to have the chicken marinate longer (like an hour) and the cranberries set for that long as well?
That should work, Sheri! Enjoy
Can you freeze any leftovers?
I believe that will work, Sara! Thaw in fridge overnight and reheat in medium-heated oven with a little liquid.
So much flavor! This is going to be on dinner repeat!
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Yay! That’s so good to hear
this recipe sounds amazing! thank you for sharing!
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A holiday favorite!
I really loved it! Packed full of amazing flavors!
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Love this dish! So many delicious flavors in one! Thanks!!
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This chicken looks wonderful & so tasty! I can’t wait to try this!
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Comforting chicken dishes are my favorite this time of year!
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