Baked Christmas Chicken
This Baked Christmas Chicken with cranberry orange sauce is an easy, flavorful main dish for your holiday dinner.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1½-2 pounds
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 14-oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
- ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- Fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or a little oil.
- Place the chicken breasts in the baking dish, arranging them in a single layer so they cook evenly without overlapping.
- Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, making sure each piece is evenly seasoned.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir the whole berry cranberry sauce to break it up and make it easier to mix with the other ingredients.
- Pour in the fresh orange juice, honey, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk everything together until the ingredients are well blended.
- Add the minced garlic, fresh orange zest, and chopped rosemary. Stir again to distribute the seasonings throughout the sauce.
- Spoon the cranberry orange sauce over the chicken, spreading it around the baking dish. Leave a little of the top of each chicken breast uncovered.
- Scatter the fresh cranberries around the chicken, filling in the spaces between the pieces.
- Arrange the orange slices around and between the chicken breasts. Keep some of the slices above the sauce so they're still visible after baking.
- Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
- Carefully remove the dish from the oven. Use a spoon to scoop up some of the cranberry orange sauce from the bottom of the dish and drizzle it over each chicken breast.
- Return the dish to the oven and continue baking for another 5-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Check the thickest part with a meat thermometer. The chicken is ready when it reaches 165°F.
- For a thicker sauce, you can transfer the pan juices to a small saucepan, stir in a slurry made from 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water, and simmer briefly until thickened. Spoon the warm sauce generously over the baked chicken.
- Arrange the baked orange slices and cranberries around the chicken and finish with a few fresh rosemary sprigs before serving.
Notes
- Chicken: Use similarly sized chicken breasts for even cooking. If they're very thick, gently pound the thickest parts. Chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Cranberry sauce: Whole berry cranberry sauce works best for texture and appearance. Fresh orange juice and zest give the sauce the best flavor.
- Rosemary: Fresh rosemary is recommended, but you can substitute ½ teaspoon dried rosemary.
- Substitutions: Use boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts, maple syrup instead of honey, or frozen cranberries in place of fresh. Add frozen cranberries without thawing.
- Variations: Add a pinch of thyme and ½ teaspoon sage for extra herb flavor, ¼–½ teaspoon red pepper flakes for heat, or ½ cup toasted pecans before serving for crunch.
- Serving: Makes 4 servings. Serve with mashed potatoes, wild rice, or roasted vegetables.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers with the sauce for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat gently with extra sauce to keep the chicken moist.