Glazed Cranberry Chicken Thighs
Glazed cranberry chicken is a holiday dinner the whole family will love. Dried thyme, sage, and tart cranberries lend an aromatic flavor to juicy chicken thighs roasted to perfection.
A few weeks ago, while perusing the produce section of my grocery store, I was stopped dead in my tracks by this big, beautiful bin of fresh cranberries. I had the overwhelming urge to buy some — no plan as to what I would do with them, I just wanted them.
I thought about making homemade cranberry sauce. I thought about some sort of cranberry dessert. Then I remembered this dish I had at the bridal luncheon for my best friend’s wedding — roasted chicken with cranberry sauce. Obviously, if I can still remember it, it made an impression on me.
Ingredients and tools you will need
If you’re planning to serve this delicious dish for Christmas dinner, you will love how festive it looks. The whole berry cranberry sauce is not overly sweet and perfectly compliments the flavor of the chicken. To make this easy roasted cranberry chicken recipe, you will need:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided and softened
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt, plus more for additional seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for additional seasoning
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups fresh or frozen whole cranberries – if using frozen cranberries, let them thaw first.
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
- Sheet pan or baking dish – I used a sheet pan fitted with a baking rack coated with cooking spray to keep the chicken up out of the accumulated grease. Line the sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup.
How to make roasted cranberry chicken thighs
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. This may seem like a high temperature, but it ensures the chicken skin gets nice and crisp.
- In a small bowl, combine three tablespoons of the butter, one teaspoon of thyme, the salt, and the pepper.
- Gently lift the chicken skin (but don’t remove it) and rub the butter mixture evenly under the skin. This adds a ton of flavor and keeps the meat moist and juicy while roasting.
- Place the chicken in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, skin side up. Brush the top of each chicken thigh with olive oil. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper and roast in the preheated oven until the skin is golden brown and the internal temperature of the chicken on an instant-read thermometer reaches 165 degrees, about 35-45 minutes of cook time. Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
- While the chicken is roasting, melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Add the sage and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of thyme. Cook for an additional minute.
- Add the broth; simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the broth, discard the solids, and return the broth to the saucepan.
- Add the cranberries and the sugar. Bring the broth to a boil and cook until the berries burst, about 5 – 8 minutes.
- Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and return the glaze to a boil. Cook until the glaze is slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Remove the glaze from the heat. Season it with salt and pepper to your preference. Serve the glaze spooned over the roasted chicken thighs.
Storage, freezing, and reheating instructions
Storage. Transfer the leftover chicken dinner to an airtight container within two hours and refrigerate. Consume within four days.
Freezing. Transfer the leftover chicken and glaze to an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw before reheating.
Reheating. To prevent the chicken from drying out, preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Reheat the chicken on a baking sheet for 30-45 minutes until heated through. You can also reheat it at 350 degrees for 10 minutes in an air fryer. I don’t recommend microwaving, as this can turn the crispy chicken skin rubbery.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. You can make the butter mixture and insert it under the skin of the chicken. Season the outside of the chicken, then cover everything with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days. Let the chicken thighs sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking to take the chill off.
Yes. Bone-in chicken breasts can be used with no change to the recipe. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used with some modifications. Season the outside of the chicken breasts or thighs with the salt and pepper. Spread the butter mixture over the top and bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until the internal temperature on a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees F.
Yes, one cup of dried cranberries can be used in place of two cups of whole cranberries. Since dried cranberries typically have sugar added to them, reduce the amount of sugar to 1/4 cup (you can always add more sugar later if it’s not sweet enough for you).
Yes, remove the pits from the cherries and chop them into smaller pieces first.
Yes. You can substitute brown sugar for white sugar in a 1:1 ratio. Maple syrup is sweeter, so plan on replacing the 1/2 cup of sugar with 1/4 cup plus two tablespoons of maple syrup
Glazed Cranberry Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter divided, softened
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more for seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
- 6 chicken thighs bone-in, skin on
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, combine three tablespoons of butter, one teaspoon of thyme, 1/2 a teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
- Gently lift the chicken skin and rub the mixture evenly under the skin.
- Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet, skin side up, and brush the top of the chicken thighs with olive oil. Season with additional salt and pepper.
- Roast the chicken for 35-45 minutes until the skin is golden brown and the internal temperature on a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees. Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
- Meanwhile, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Add the sage and remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Cook for an additional minute.
- Add the broth; simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the mixture, discard the solids, and return the strained broth to saucepan.
- Add the cranberries and sugar. Bring the broth to a boil and cook until berries burst, about 5 – 8 minutes.
- Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and return the glaze to a boil. Cook until slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Remove the glaze from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over the roasted chicken thighs.
Thanks for catching that, Kristina! It should read chicken thighs. I have made that correction.
The recipe is called chicken thighs but you call for chicken breasts as an ingredient?
It looks like a great recipe. Have a Merry Christmas.
I need a stiff drink also. And cranberry sauce. And a spoon.
What a great meal!