This Whole30 cranberry chicken is a simple but flavorful Whole30 dinner recipe that you’ll love in the fall and winter! With just a few ingredients, this Whole30 cranberry chicken is so good when you need a fruity flavor but want to keep it quick and easy. Bound to become a favorite Whole30 dinner recipe!
There comes a point in every Whole30 when the thought of more bacon, more sweet potatoes, more savory food is enough to put you off eating entirely. It’s the hardest point for me, when I realize I’d rather not eat at all than eat more chicken-apple sausage. Just enough with the chicken-apple sausage.
But still, I push through it until day 30, opting for a sweet potato breakfast bowl instead of fried eggs the next morning, dipping an apple in almond butter as part of my lunch, sifting through the internet’s Whole30 dinner recipes offerings, looking for something that doesn’t feel so Whole30.
When that point rolled around during our first round, I made 5-ingredient Whole30 chicken thighs with raspberry-balsamic sauce.
When we hit that wall in our summer round, I made Whole30 strawberry basil chicken with avocado.
When I couldn’t bear the thought of another egg yolk on our second Whole30, I created my very favorite Whole30 sweet potato apple breakfast bake.
And when that point rolls around this January? This Whole30 cranberry chicken is perfection.
The fresh cranberries in this recipe are grounded by coconut aminos, taming their brightness with a natural sweetness that mutes the tartness just a bit. Simple yet extremely flavorful, this Whole30 cranberry chicken is quick and easy yet elegant; it doesn’t feel or look like it’s healthy!
The recipe starts with my perfect chicken thighs: seared until golden on top then finished in the oven until they’re juicy and tender with deliciously crunchy skin. They’re roasted with fresh cranberries that char just a bit to be soft and striking, then you infuse a pan sauce with more cranberries, shallot, fresh thyme.
So keep this Whole30 cranberry chicken in mind the next time you’ve hit that savory wall on a round; it’s fruity and naturally sweet enough to keep you on track without swaying from the guidelines at all. It’s quick and easy, making this Whole30 cranberry chicken just perfect for your rotation.
Are you doing a Whole30 this January?
To make this Whole30 cranberry chicken, I used…
Whole30 Cranberry Chicken
This Whole30 cranberry chicken is a simple but flavorful Whole30 dinner recipe that you'll love in the fall and winter! With just a few recipes, this Whole30 cranberry chicken is so good when you need a fruity flavor but want to keep it quick and easy. Bound to become a favorite Whole30 dinner recipe!
Ingredients
- 4 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tsp Himalayan pink sea salt or Celtic sea salt
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup fresh cranberries divided
- 3 tbsp sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup chicken stock Whole30-compliant kind
- 1 piece shallot minced
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375ºF. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towel and season liberally with salt. Heat olive oil in skillet then add chicken thighs, skin-side down and cook for about 8 minutes or until they lift easily from the pan. Flip chicken thighs and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until they lift easily from the pan. Sprinkle 1/3 cup fresh cranberries into pan and transfer to oven. Roast for 14 minutes.
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Chop 2/3 cup cranberries. When chicken is finished roasted, remove skillet from oven. Carefully remove chicken and whole cranberries from pan to plate and let rest. Place skillet back over stove on medium-low heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring often, until a bit softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add chopped cranberries and give a quick stir. Pour in coconut aminos and chicken broth to deglaze, using whisk to scrape up browned bits on the surface of the skillet. Add fresh thyme and bring sauce to a simmer. Reduce until thickened, about 4-5 minutes, then serve over chicken.
Recipe Notes
Top with roasted cranberries.
Made this for lunch today…AMAZING! Thank you! I’m new to the world of whole 30 and your blog has quickly become one of those places that I can trust whatever I make to be wonderful!
So glad to hear that, Kelli!