Cranberry Chicken

Name: Cranberry Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 8 ounces French, Russian, or Catalina salad dressing; 14 ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce; 1 ounce packet dry onion soup mix; 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest

Cranberry chicken is a vintage recipe that comes together quickly with just 5 minutes of prep. This flavorful cranberry chicken recipe is made with just 6 simple ingredients.

Baked cranberry chicken in a white baking dish with a spoon in it.

Versions of this cranberry chicken have been around for years! Whether the recipe’s longevity is due to its ease or its rich sweet/tart flavor, this recipe has been popular for decades.

This cranberry chicken recipe is made with just 6 simple ingredients, and it has lots of flavor. This vintage recipe comes together quickly with just 5 minutes of prep. So, it makes an easy weeknight dinner!

How to make cranberry chicken

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a glass or non-reactive 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Step 2: Place chicken in the prepared dish.

Step 3: Sprinkle the black pepper over the chicken breasts.

Cranberry dressing sauce in a glass mixing bowl.

Step 4: In a separate bowl, stir together dressing, cranberry sauce, dry onion soup mix, and orange zest.

Cranberry sauce over chicken in a white baking pan.

Step 5: Pour the cranberry sauce mixture over chicken.

Step 6: Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Step 7: Remove the aluminum foil and continue baking for about 15 minutes more, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Step 8: Serve the sauce spooned over the chicken breast.

Pan of cranberry chicken next to a blue dish towel.

Tips

Chicken: I use regular chicken breast. If you use thinner chicken breast or chicken breast halves, you’ll need to reduce the cooking time to avoid overcooked chicken.
Dressing: French dressing, Russian dressing, or Catalina dressing will work. Feel free to use lite dressing if you prefer.
Orange zest: The orange zest can be omitted, but it adds a bit of freshness and brightness to the sauce.
Sauce: The recipe makes quite a bit of sauce. Feel free to add a little more chicken to your pan if you’d prefer.
If you’d like to make this recipe in the Instant Pot, you can find the Instant Pot cranberry chicken recipe here.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

You can! You can make the chicken through step 6 and place the covered dish in the refrigerator up to 24 hours ahead of time. When you’re ready to bake the chicken, you may find that you need to add additional baking time to get the chicken to reach 165F.

Can I use chicken thighs?

You can! Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used in place of chicken breast.

Do I have to use orange zest?

No, you can omit the orange zest if you prefer.

Serving suggestions

I recommend serving the chicken over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles as there’s quite a bit of sauce. I like to serve the chicken with either a green salad or with steamed green beans to help offset some of the richness of the chicken.

White pan full of baked cranberry chicken and sauce.

Storage

Store any leftover sauce and chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The chicken will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.

More easy chicken dinner recipes!

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5 from 5 votes