Cranberry Orange Glazed Chicken
Juicy chicken thighs with crispy skin, simmered in a sticky, sweet, and tart sauce made from fresh cranberries and orange juice. A perfect 30-minute one-pan meal.
Equipment
- Large skillet (cast iron preferred)
- Tongs
- Microplane or Zester
Ingredients
- 4-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups fresh cranberries (or frozen)
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- ⅓ cup honey (or maple syrup)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (or Tamari)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Prep the Chicken: Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Sear the Meat: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken skin-side down. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the skin is deep golden brown and crispy. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove chicken to a plate.
- Sauté Aromatics: Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Make the Sauce: Add cranberries, orange juice, honey, soy sauce, and rosemary sprigs to the pan. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer: Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes. The cranberries will pop and the sauce will begin to thicken.
- Combine: Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it into the sauce (keep the skin side up and out of the liquid to stay crispy). Cover and simmer on low for 10-12 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Serve: Remove rosemary sprigs. Garnish with fresh orange zest and serve hot.
Notes
For an extra sticky glaze, you can remove the cooked chicken at the end and boil the sauce on high for 2 minutes to reduce it further before pouring it over the meat on the serving platter.