Description
A flavorful and easy-to-make Cranberry Orange Chicken featuring juicy boneless skinless chicken thighs cooked in a tangy and sweet cranberry orange sauce, perfect for a comforting dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Cranberry Orange Sauce
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) cranberries, fresh or frozen
- ⅔ cup (166 g) orange juice
- ¼ cup (79 g) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- orange slices, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Season Chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, paprika, and black pepper. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over both sides of the chicken thighs.
- Cook Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, place the chicken thighs in the skillet in a single layer. Cook without moving for 5 minutes, then flip each piece and cook for another 5 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove chicken to a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Prepare Sauce: Reduce skillet heat to medium-low. Add cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, light brown sugar, orange zest, minced garlic, and kosher salt to the skillet. Cook the mixture for about 10 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally and gently squishing the cranberries to release their juices and scraping up the browned bits from the pan.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Nestle the cooked chicken back into the skillet with the sauce. Spoon sauce over each piece and cook for about 1 minute until the chicken is hot again.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with orange slices if desired and serve the Cranberry Orange Chicken warm.
Notes
- Ensure chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F for food safety.
- You can use fresh or frozen cranberries; no need to thaw frozen cranberries before cooking.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, cook a few minutes longer until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve this dish with rice, quinoa, or steamed vegetables for a complete meal.
- For a slightly lighter version, use less maple syrup or brown sugar.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh with sauce
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
