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Our reader-favorite rosemary cranberry chicken is an easy one-pan dish that’s full of vibrant, wintery flavor. Juicy chicken thighs in rich white wine sauce with tart cranberries, married with heady rosemary and a sweet maple syrup. Made paleo-friendly or Whole30-compliant with simple ingredient swaps, this chicken recipe is perfect for holiday dinners and hurried weekday meals.
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- This baked cranberry rosemary chicken is on the more nutritious side of most holiday cooking. And it’s made right in one baking dish. It includes a few of my favorite ingredients: cranberries, fresh rosemary, juicy chicken thighs, and dry white wine. Basically, it’s winter on a plate, and I love it!
- It’s perfect for dinner parties or holiday meals with extended family. It looks and tastes luxurious and indulgent on the surface; however, it uses fewer than 10 ingredients and requires little effort. Serve it with something green like roasted kale, Italian green beans, or tender-crisp asparagus, and a side of mashed potatoes, and the whol meal is guaranteed to impress.
- This cranberry rosemary chicken recipe will absolutely work for most of your guests! It’s naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, and grain-free. It’s super low in carbs, and it’s paleo-friendly. We’ve also included easy options to make it Whole30-compatible or keto-friendly if needed.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- You might be surprised by just how tart cranberries are, but the maple syrup helps offset that flavor. You can also sprinkle a little salt onto the whole cranberries to bring out their natural sweetness. Overcooking the cranberries only intensifies the bitterness, so be careful with the cook time. Check that your cranberries are nice and firm, and omit any that are squishyโthey won’t hold their form during cooking.
- If you use a high-speed blender, you may notice that your marinade is much pinker than in our photos. Note that we used a standard blender and blended just until everything was smooth. A high-speed blender will emulsify the ingredients much more thoroughly, but it will still taste great!
- Because this recipe uses bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, the chicken comes out irresistibly juicy and moist, with the most delectable crisp skin. Chicken breasts will work, too; just adjust the cook time since they don’t need to cook as long. For best results, always go by the internal temperature and not the clock!
- Dried rosemary has its place, but not in this recipe! Stick to fresh rosemary, it brings a bright, almost piney flavor that complements the cranberries perfectly. If you absolutely must use dried, cut the amount in halfโit’s way more concentrated.
Recipe Variations
Orange Cranberry Version: Swap the white wine for fresh orange juice and add orange zest to the marinade. The citrus plays beautifully with both the cranberries and rosemary.
Spiced Holiday Chicken: Add a cinnamon stick and 2-3 whole cloves to the pan sauce, along with a pinch of ground ginger. Remove the whole spices before serving for a warm, festive twist.
Apple-Cranberry Chicken: Toss in 1-2 thinly sliced apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work great) during the last 20 minutes of cooking. They’ll soften and caramelize while adding another layer of sweet-tart flavor.
Balsamic Cranberry: Replace half the white wine with balsamic vinegar for a richer, more complex sauce. This version pairs amazingly with roasted root vegetables.
Thyme Instead of Rosemary: Fresh thyme is a fantastic alternative if you’re not a rosemary fan. Use about double the amount since thyme is more delicate.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but thighs are honestly where it’s at for this recipe. They stay juicier and their richer flavor stands up beautifully to the bold cranberry-rosemary combo. If you do use breasts, just watch your cook timeโthey’ll be done faster, and you don’t want them to dry out.
Absolutely! The marinade actually benefits from more time, so you can prep everything up to 24 hours in advance and keep it refrigerated. When you’re ready to cook, just bring it to room temp for about 20 minutes before popping it in the oven.
Chicken broth works great if you want to skip the alcohol. For a similar depth of flavor, try adding a tablespoon of white wine vinegar or lemon juice to the broth. You could also use dry vermouth in a pinch.
Fresh cranberries are really the star here, but dried can work in a pinch. Use about half the amount (since dried are more concentrated), and add them during the last 15 minutes of cooking so they don’t burn. Just know the flavor won’t be quite as bright and tart.
The internal temperature should hit 165ยฐF when you check the thickest part with a meat thermometer. The juices should run clear, and the skin should be golden and crispy. Don’t skip that final broil stepโit’s what gives you that gorgeous caramelized finish.
More Must-Make Holiday Recipes
- One-Pan Holiday Meal
- Butternut Squash Casserole
- Truffle Mashed Potatoes
- Ruthโs Chris Sweet Potato Casserole
- Grilled Spatchcock Turkey with Gravy
- Great Grandmaโs Sausage Stuffing
- Leftover Turkey Poutine
- Make Ahead Green Bean Casserole
- Crockpot Baked Brie Dip
- Cheesy Spinach Casserole
- Apple Cider Sangria
- Accordion Potatoes
- Smoked Turkey Breast
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Baked Cranberry Rosemary Chicken (One-Pan)
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
- 9×13 baking dish with lid or plastic wrap to cover
- Large spoon or silicone spatula
- Basting Brush
- internal meat thermometer
Ingredients
For the Cranberry Rosemary Marinade
- โ cup fresh cranberries
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
- ยผ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
For the Chicken Thighs
- 6 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs approximately 3 pounds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- salt to taste
- ยฝ cup fresh cranberries
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Serving Suggestions (All Optional)
- sprigs of fresh rosemary
Instructions
For the Cranberry Rosemary Marinade
- Add โ cup fresh cranberries, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons coconut aminos, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, and ยผ cup dry white wine to food processor or standard blender. Blend or pulse ingredients together until fully combined into smooth marinade.
For the Chicken Thighs
- Place 6 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs skin-side up in baking dish and arrange chicken thighs in one flat layer. Pour prepared marinade over chicken thighs, making sure to coat chicken thighs completely and evenly.
- Cover baking dish with lid or tight layer of plastic wrap and place dish in refrigerator. Marinate chicken thighs at least 30 minutes and no more than 24 hours.
To Cook the Chicken Thighs
- Remove baking dish from refrigerator and set aside. Let baking dish stand at room temperature, covered, 30 minutes.
- Toward end of 30-minute window, preheat oven to 375ยบ Fahrenheit. Uncover baking dish, then use spoon or spatula to scrape marinade off tops of chicken thighs and into dish. Be careful not to tear or remove skins of thighs.
- Brush 1 tablespoon olive oil evenly across tops of chicken thighs. Season generously with salt to taste, then sprinkle ยฝ cup fresh cranberries and 4 sprigs fresh rosemary into marinade around chicken thighs in baking dish.
- Place prepared baking dish in preheated oven. Bake chicken thighs, uncovered, 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, begin checking doneness of chicken thighs with internal meat thermometer. Continue baking chicken as needed, checking doneness every few minutes, until internal temperature of chicken thighs reaches 160ยฐ Fahrenheit.
- Once chicken reaches 160ยฐ Fahrenheit internally, remove baking dish from oven and set aside. Preheat broiler to High. While broiler preheats, remove rosemary sprigs from baking dish and discard.
- Brush 1 tablespoon maple syrup over tops of chicken thighs, then place baking dish under preheated broiler. Broil chicken thighs, watching closely, until skin on thighs is crispy and browned but not burnt. See Notes.
- Once skins of chicken thighs have browned, carefully remove baking dish from oven. Immediately spoon cranberries and marinade from baking dish onto tops of chicken thighs, covering thighs completely. Let chicken thighs rest 3 to 5 minutes.
To Serve the Chicken
- Once chicken thighs have rested and internal temperature reaches 165ยฐ Fahrenheit, transfer chicken thighs to serving plates. Spoon additional cranberries and marinade from baking dish over tops of chicken thighs, garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary if desired, and serve immediately.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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This recipe looks and sounds so amazing.
I will cook it in a few days for my husband, grandmother, and dad. ๐
What side dishes do you recommend to go along with it?
Ooh, we hope everyone enjoys it! As for sides- roasted kale, Italian green beans, asparagus, or mashed potatoes would be delicious with it!
Didn’t put maple syrup, perhaps try honey. Without very tart. Does this work with pork?
We haven’t tried pork instead of chicken in this recipe, so we can’t say for sure. Be sure to let us know if you try it!
Made this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. It was delicious!! And looked great, to serve as is from the oven. Iโll be making this for Thanksgiving dinner!
It’s a perfect Thanksgiving dish! Thanks so much for sharing, Debbie!
Can I use dried cranberries instead?
Yes! ๐
Made this tonight for my husband and I. It was delicious and my husband loved it. He gave it 10 snaps up. I used dried cranberries because it was all I had and time of year. Marinated over night and used two chicken breasts cut in half. I cooked for 35 minutes and it was amazing. My husband wants me to add this to our winter cooking. Thank you for a great recipe. The garlic, cranberry, rosemary, and maple syrup blended so well, we could taste in every bite.
I was going to post a picture but couldnโt find how.
We’re so glad it was a hit! Thanks so much for sharing, Amy! ๐
Excellent flavor. Baking time for me was double at 40 mins but probably because I had the thighs packed in tightly. Will definitely make again but probably not for another year, unfortunately, because I wonโt be able to get cranberries before then ๐ฉ
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Joanna! Thank you for sharing! ๐
I always make a double batch and before cooking, vaccum seal one batch for the freezer. It freezes great! Then defrost in the fridge and bake as listed above. Also great for when you need a meal train and donโt have time to cook – just defrost / cook / deliver!
What a great idea! Thanks so much for sharing, Aimee!
If using boneless, skinless chicken thighs do I skip step using the broiler to brown skin?
You certainly can, but I would still do the broiler step in order to lightly caramelize that last little addition of maple syrup on top. You’d just need less time under the broiler since you’re not browning the skin, and you definitely don’t want to burn the top of the chicken thighs.
Can I use frozen cranberries instead of fresh
Sure, just defrost them first!
Is one thigh one serving?
It is!