Description

This Easy Orange Cranberry Roasted Chicken is bursting with holiday flavor from sweet citrus, tart cranberries, aromatic herbs, and roasted garlic. It’s a festive, one-pan meal that’s both elegant and incredibly easy to make. Perfect for weeknights or special occasions!

Ingredients

For Chicken & Seasonings:

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or drumsticks, or chicken breast)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp sea salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried rosemary

For Roasting Pan:

1 large onion
5 medium mandarins, or 2 large oranges
1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed cranberries
20 garlic cloves
3 to 4 stems fresh rosemary
Small bundle fresh thyme
1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken broth

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Slice onion into wedges and peel garlic cloves. Slice mandarins in half or into wedges. If using oranges, peel and zest 8–10 strips, using only the fruit and zest.

3. Layer onion, mandarins, garlic, cranberries, and stripped rosemary and thyme into a large roasting pan. Reserve a small portion of each for topping later.

4. Drizzle olive oil over chicken and rub to coat. Season generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, and rosemary.

5. Place chicken skin-side up on top of the roasting pan ingredients. Scatter reserved aromatics around the chicken.

6. Pour in enough chicken broth to reach just below the chicken skin without submerging it.

7. Roast uncovered at 400°F until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 40 minutes to 1 hour depending on chicken size.

8. For extra color, broil for a few minutes at the end.

9. Serve hot with mashed sweet potatoes or buttery mashed potatoes.

Notes

Chicken drumsticks will cook faster (about 30 minutes), while a spatchcocked whole chicken will take longer.

Add a few minutes under the broiler for extra crisp skin and color.

Fresh or frozen cranberries both work well in this recipe.

Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or roasted vegetables for a complete meal.