Cranberry Rosemary One Pan Chicken (Paleo, Whole30 Option)

This cranberry rosemary one-pan chicken is an easy, healthy dinner perfect for your winter weeknight dinner rotation. Paleo, full of flavor, and super quick. You’ll fall in love with how the tart cranberries marry the heady rosemary, grounded with a white wine sauce, because… why not? Whole30 option and low carb friendly.

Who else finds themselves in a whirlwind of cranberry everything once the cooler weather rolls around? Much like my obsession with chocolate and peppermint (considering my peppermint layer brownies, spiked peppermint hot chocolate, peppermint white chocolate truffles, vegan Thin Mints made with RITZ Crackers, paleo peppermint hot chocolate, and paleo peppermint Oreos) my need to consume as much cranberry as possible hits hard as soon as the humidity dissipates from the air.

Why we love this cranberry rosemary one pan chicken

What I love about this dish is, I’ll be honest, everything. It’s a quick and easy, healthy dinner but it doesn’t look or taste quick and easy. It includes a few of my absolute favorite ingredients:

Cranberry? Check.
Rosemary? Check.
Juicy chicken thighs? Check.
WHITE WINE?! Check.

Oh, and paleo? No refined ingredients? Dairy free? Check check check.

Also, worth noting, is that Mr. Aprons doesn’t get mad because I created 4 billion dishes, either. It’s all made in one baking dish + the blender. Christmas miracle? I think so. One-pan chicken, you make a marriage.

What to serve with this cranberry rosemary one pan chicken

Need ideas on what to serve alongside this cranberry rosemary one pan chicken? I like to include something green and something I can spoon a bunch of sauce over. A roasted green veggie + mashed cauliflower or potatoes = perfection!

• Garlicky Kale
• Mashed cauliflower
• Mashed potatoes
• Roasted broccoli
• Roasted green beans
• Roasted diced potatoes

There’s like zero things I love more than an easy, healthy dinner that’s, at the same time, luxurious and indulgent, and this cranberry rosemary one-pan chicken totally fits the bill. If I were serving it for company, I might pan sear the skin side of the chicken thighs first to crisp up the skin even more, but it’d be in-laws-worthy either way. And I think we can all say cheers to that.

How to make this cranberry rosemary one pan chicken

Start by combining all the ingredients for the marinade in the blender or food processor. Process until smooth.

Place all the chicken thighs skin side up in a baking dish, sized about 9×13″. Pour the marinade over and use your fingers to evenly cover the chicken thighs. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes, up to a whole day.

30 minutes before baking, pull the chicken out of the fridge and let stand at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 375º F. Scrape the marinade mixture off the chicken thigh skin then brush a bit of oil over the skin to coat. Season with plenty of salt.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries and 4 fresh rosemary sprigs over the chicken thighs and bake for 22 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil, about 10″ from the heat source, about 7 minutes, or until skin is browned in spots and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160º F. Remove from the oven and discard cooked rosemary sprigs. Let stand for 5 minutes then spoon sauce and cranberries over the chicken and garnish with fresh rosemary. Serve with lots of sauce!

Can I make this Whole30-compliant?

Yep! Simply omit the maple syrup entirely, replacing it in the marinade with more coconut aminos (a total of 4 tablespoons, or 1/4 cup). Replace the white wine with chicken broth or stock. And finally, either skip brushing on the maple syrup before broiling or brush on more olive oil. Up to you!

Other recipes you’ll love:

• Perfect Pan Seared Chicken Thighs with Pan Sauce
• Paleo Cranberry Apple Chicken Thighs with Rosemary (Whole30)
• Paleo and Vegan Cranberry Bliss Bars
• Whole30 Cranberry Chicken
• Instant Pot Whole30 Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Rosemary
• Paleo Cranberry Orange Pound Cake

Cranberry Rosemary One Pan Chicken

A quick and easy one pan chicken recipe made with fresh cranberries and rosemary. A festive, gourmet, and healthy dinner recipe. Paleo.

4.96 from 21 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Marinating Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6 chicken thighs

Calories 532 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Cranberry Rosemary Marinade

• 1/3 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
• 1/4 cup dry white wine

Chicken

• 3 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs about 6
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• salt
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary plus more for garnish, if desired
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Equipment Needed

• 9x3" baking dish
• pastry brush

Instructions

 

• Combine all marinade ingredients in food processor or blender and process until smooth. Place chicken, skin side up, in a 9x13" baking dish and pour marinade over, spreading to coat chicken evenly. Cover and marinate in the fridge at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
• 30 minutes before baking, remove the dish from oven and let stand at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 375º. With a spoon, scrape marinade from the chicken skin, leaving in the baking dish. Brush skins with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season skins with plenty of salt. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries and 4 sprigs of rosemary around chicken thighs. 
• Bake for 22 minutes then remove from oven and preheat broiler. Discard cooked rosemary sprigs.
• Brush 1 tablespoon maple syrup over chicken thighs skin. Place under broiler, about 10" from the heating element, and broil 5-7 minutes or until skin is crispy and getting dark in places. Watch carefully to make sure the skin browns evenly and does not burn, moving the dish around to brown evenly if necessary. 
• Remove from oven and spoon cranberries and sauce on top of chicken. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs and serve immediately with plenty of sauce.

Notes

If you're on a Whole30, replace the maple syrup in the marinade with more coconut aminos. Skip the maple syrup brushed onto the skin before broiling; replace it with more olive oil if desired. Replace the white wine with chicken broth.

If you're strictly paleo, use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.

I have to move my baking dish around underneath the broiler every 3 minutes or so to ensure an even browning.

Nutrition

Calories: 532kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 31gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 188mgSodium: 263mgPotassium: 437mgSugar: 6gVitamin A: 150IUVitamin C: 2.3mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1.3mgNet Carbs: 10g

Keyword chicken, cranberry, one pan

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally inspired by Cotter Crunch and her One Pan Cranberry Balsamic Roasted Chicken.

Cheryl Malik

Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.