This is your BFF when you're looking for a hearty winter dinner that's super quick and easy!
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Boneless chicken bakes in a sweet, tangy sauce until it's tender and juicy. Meanwhile, you can sip a well-deserved glass of wine.
- Only needs five ingredients and five minutes to prep so it's great for quick weeknight meals.
- Cranberry chicken freezes well. You can even dump all the ingredients into a freezer bag, freeze, then thaw and bake later.
Who knew an easy recipe that uses minimal ingredients could taste so mouth-wateringly delicious?
Now, you do! This cranberry chicken dinner is filling and satisfying—it makes busy weeknights feel just a little bit more special.
You'll find more 30 minute recipes right here.
:::whispers::: Listen, this is an amazing dish but if you want the meal to be really amazing finish it will this decadent chocolate French Silk Pie!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Instead of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, you can use meat with the bone. However, bone-in chicken thighs will take a bit longer to bake.
- Prefer skin-on meat? First, sear the chicken skin-side down in a few tablespoons of butter for crispy-skinned, extra-juicy protein!
- Use leftover turkey breast from Thanksgiving—it's a tasty swap!
- Feel free to use fresh cranberries in your own cranberry sauce, or skip the effort and buy whole berry cranberry sauce from the store!
- Can't find Russian dressing? Catalina dressing works, too!
- It's an extra step, but a little fresh-squeezed orange juice and some orange zest enhance store-bought cranberry sauce beautifully!
- You can also mince a bit of garlic or ginger into the cranberry mixture for elevated flavor if you have some waiting to be used up!
- For a sweeter sauce, stir in maple syrup, brown sugar, or honey.
- On the other hand, some people like to add a bit of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar, especially if the cranberry sauce is already sweet!
- Add a fresh herb finish. I love cranberry chicken with rosemary, fried sage, or thyme. Parsley is also a good choice!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Pour the dressing, cranberry sauce, and dry onion soup mix into a
mixing bowl . - Whisk the sauce together until combined.
- Place chicken in a large skillet or casserole dish.
- Pour sauce over the chicken. Cover with aluminum foil and bake.
🥫 Storage
When the whole family enjoys a dish—even the picky eater—it's not often you have leftovers. However, this cranberry chicken recipe keeps well if you do happen to have some extra!
Refrigerator
Spoon the leftovers into an airtight container and it'll last for three or four days. It's a great meal prep recipe to make for a few days worth of festive, fun lunches and easy dinners!
Freezer
On the other hand, you can use freezer-safe bags or containers to keep the cranberry chicken for up to three months.
Thaw
Simply thaw it in the fridge for about a day before enjoying it, or use the defrost setting (50% power) on your microwave.
Reheat
To reheat the cranberry chicken, either microwave it for a minute or two or use the oven. To do so, place it back into an oven-safe dish, cover the dish with foil, and heat at 375 degrees F just until warmed through.
You may want to stir a splash of water into the sauce to loosen it up a bit.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: You can make your own seasoned salt by adding black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, a touch of paprika, and a pinch (or two) of cayenne or red pepper flakes to fine kosher salt. It's one of my favorite pantry staples!
- If you're out of cooking spray, wipe the skillet or casserole dish with some vegetable or olive oil and a paper towel. Avoid using butter.
- Arrange the chicken in a single layer so that it all cooks evenly under the yummy sauce.
- If your skillet isn't large enough to hold all of the chicken, use a 9x13-inch baking dish, instead. However, if you're only cooking a few pieces of chicken, you can use an enameled pan with an oven-safe lid.
- Remember, a meat thermometer is your best friend! For perfect chicken, check the internal temperature starting a few minutes before the cooking time has fully elapsed.
- Be careful when removing the foil from the dish. As the cranberry chicken bubbles and cooks, it may produce some steam, which can cause burns if you get hit with a big puff of it!
- The skillet will stay very hot for a while after removing it from the oven. If you have kids/teens (or if you're forgetful like me) you might want to place an oven mitt over the skillet handle(s) to remind everyone that it's hot! Nothing is worse than accidentally grabbing the piping-hot handle while you're trying to scoop out your dinner!
👩🍳 FAQs
Baked cranberry chicken goes really well with other seasonal sides—think of the cozier dishes you crave in the winter months! For an easy weeknight dinner, serve the cranberry chicken over some mashed potatoes alongside steamed brussels sprouts or green beans!
Yes, though the differences are slight! However, for the sake of this recipe, they'll all work similarly. Some Russian dressings, though, are creamier than others. For cranberry chicken thighs, choose a non-creamy variety—one that looks more red, rather than light orange.
Sure! You'll likely need to bake it 10 to 15 minutes longer. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure it reaches 165F. Usually I take the chicken out of the oven at 160F and let it stand for 5 minutes. It continues to cook and reaches the correct temperature without overcooking.
📚 Related recipes
There's nothing like a cozy winter dinner with family and friends! Here are some more great ideas.
- Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken is one of those delicious recipes that you can't mess up—just dump everything in and come back later to juicy, falling-apart meat in a sticky, tangy glaze.
- With this super simple recipe, dinner is ready in a flash—Russian Chicken takes just six ingredients and is a perfect sweet/spicy mix!
- Comfort food without hours of cooking, Herbed Baked Chicken with Gravy is a delish country-style favorite that fills the hungriest tummies.
- Brown sugar chicken is another family favorite. Juicy chicken with a sweet, garlicky glaze is delicious!
🍽️ Serve with...
Classic Green Bean Casserole is creamy and delicious plus the onions compliment the onions in the chicken dish.
Copycat Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes are pure, buttery, creamy comfort food.
Pecan Cranberry Cookies are an easy dessert that is a great way to end the meal.
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
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📞 The last word
I normally think of cranberries along with Christmas but this is a dish that is delicious all year long!
Since it uses canned cranberry sauce there's no reason not to enjoy the tangy flavor in July if you want to! And I think you'll want to.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Chicken
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast, or thighs
- 8 ounces Russian salad dressing
- 14 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce, about 1 ½ cups homemade
- 1 ounce dry onion soup mix seasoning, 1 packet
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Spray a 2-quart baking dish or cast large iron skillet with cooking spray.
- Season chicken with seasoned salt. You can use salt and pepper if you prefer.
- Place chicken in the prepared pan.
- In a medium size bowl whisk together the salad dressing, cranberry sauce, and dry onion soup mix.
- Pour sauce over chicken.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake 30 minutes.
- Uncover, spoon sauce over the chicken, and return to the oven for 15 more minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
- Let stand 5 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise to 165F.
- Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.
Notes
- You can make your own seasoned salt by adding black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, a touch of paprika, and a pinch (or two) of cayenne or red pepper flakes to fine kosher salt.
- If you're out of cooking spray, wipe the skillet or casserole dish with some vegetable or olive oil and a paper towel. Avoid using butter.
- Arrange the chicken in a single layer so that it all cooks evenly under the yummy sauce.
- If your skillet isn't large enough to hold all of the chicken, use a 9x13-inch baking dish, instead.
- Remember, a meat thermometer is your best friend! For perfect chicken, check the internal temperature starting a few minutes before the cooking time has fully elapsed. It should be 165F.
- Be careful when removing the foil from the dish. As the cranberry chicken bubbles and cooks, it may produce some steam, which can cause burns if you get hit with a big puff of it!
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published December 14, 2022. Last updated November 1, 2023 with more information and editorial improvements.
PJ Weaver says
Made this last week and am now making it for friends. I have a batch in the fridge headed for a couple healing from surgery and am having neighbors over for dinner tomorrow night. THIS IS AWESOME! I have some in the freezer too!
I change very little - I only use half of the onion dip due to its strong flavor (JMO).
I used Ken's Country French dressing - just had it on hand. Served on wide noodles - yum!
Now I'm looking at tweaking with red wine, rosemary, the things you have in your notes. Lady I like your taste!
Tammy & Dale Page says
Hi, can another dressing be subbed for Russian?
Marye says
Catalina or French.