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Home » Recipes » Easy Dinners

Cranberry Chicken

Published: Dec 14, 2022 Last Updated: Jan 23, 2023 by Marye 1665 words. | About 9 minutes to read this article.

This baked cranberry chicken recipe has just 5 ingredients, can be assembled ahead, and it's SO easy! Make with Russian or Catalina dressing.
Total time 55 minutes
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Overhead view of the chicken in a skillet with text overlay for Pinterest.

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Overhead view of the finished dish waiting to be served.
Jump to:
  • ❤️ Why you'll love it
  • 🧾 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 🥫 Storage
  • 📖 Variations
  • 💭 Things to know
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 🍽️ Serve with...
  • 🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
  • 📞 The last word
  • Cranberry Chicken
  • 💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love it

  • Only needs five ingredients and five minutes to prep
  • Tangy cranberry sauce is always 100% luscious and sticky-sweet
  • A perfect way to use cranberries leftover from Christmas dinner

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.

Labeled ingredients for this recipe.

🔪 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Step by step images showing how to make this recipe.
  1. Pour the dressing, cranberry sauce, and dry onion soup mix into a mixing bowl.
  2. Whisk the sauce together until combined.
  3. Place chicken in a large skillet or casserole dish.
  4. 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 Storage: 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 Storage: On the other hand, you can use freezer-safe bags or containers to keep the cranberry chicken for up to three months. Simply thaw it in the fridge for about a day before enjoying it, or use the defrost setting (50% power) on your microwave.

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.

Closeup of the finished dish in the pan.

📖 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!

💭 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

What sides taste good with this dish?

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!

Is there a difference between Russian, Catalina, and French dressing?

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.

A chicken breast covered with sauce being served.

📚 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.
  • Give these honey-garlic glazed meatballs a try. I like to serve them with rice.
  • Creamy Ranch Chicken
  • No Peek Chicken Recipe
  • Chicken Hash Brown Casserole
  • Creamy Crockpot Ranch Chicken

🍽️ Serve with...

  • Classic Green Bean Casserole
  • Copycat Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes
  • Pecan Cranberry Cookies

🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.

  • iron skillet
  • aluminum foil

📞 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. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A skillet of cranberry chicken with a serving spoon in it.
4.69 from 22 votes

Cranberry Chicken

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This baked cranberry chicken recipe has just 5 ingredients, can be assembled ahead, and it's SO easy! Make with Russian or Catalina dressing.
Course Main Dish - Chicken
Cuisine American - Vintage
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Resting Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings:6
Calories:446
Author:Marye Audet-White
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment Needed

  • Iron Skillet

Ingredients

  • 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

I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.

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

Storage:
Spoon the leftovers into an airtight container (or cover with plastic wrap) and refrigerate. It'll last for three or four days.
Freezer Storage: On the other hand, you can use freezer-safe bags or containers to keep the cranberry chicken for up to three months. 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.
Tips:
  • 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

Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 2232mg | Potassium: 752mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

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    About Marye

    With a 40 year focus on the importance of family and a passion for southern comfort food, Marye Audet-White is an expert in melding the two together effortlessly. Marye's a NY Times Bestselling author with 10 cookbooks under her belt and her recipes have been featured in Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Today, House Beautiful, Texas Living, Food & Wine, and many more.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tammy & Dale Page

      January 19, 2023 at 7:43 am

      Hi, can another dressing be subbed for Russian?

      Reply
      • Marye

        January 19, 2023 at 9:12 pm

        Catalina or French.

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