Easy Cranberry Chicken
Updated
Updated
Made with chicken, cranberry sauce, french onion soup mix, and dressing, this easy Cranberry Chicken only requires 5 minutes of prep, all baked in a single casserole dish, and is super delicious. Weeknight dinner lifesaver!
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5 STAR REVIEWS
This cranberry chicken recipe goes way back to my teenage years when my mom used to make it. It’s actually one of the very first recipes I ever made all on my own – no surprise, since it’s so easy that a child could do it! Now it’s become something I serve often for my own family, since everyone loves it so much. It’s a little sweet, a little tart, rich, and so delicious! You only need 5 pantry ingredients, a mixing bowl, a casserole dish, and about $20.
I know the ingredients might sound weird, but somehow they all really work. Whenever I mention this dish to people who have never had it, they look at me with much skepticism. “What are the ingredients, again?” they say. I swear to them they’ll love it. They don’t believe me. And then they always come back and say they made it, loved it, and will make it again and again. I’m batting 1,000 so far.
Cranberry Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 ounce bottle Catalina salad dressing
- 1.25 ounce (1 packet) dry onion soup mix
- 15 ounce can whole-berry cranberry sauce, (or homemade cranberry sauce)
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, , to taste
- 2 & 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, , excess fat removed
- mashed potatoes or cooked rice, , for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the Catalina dressing, onion soup mix, cranberry sauce, and red pepper flakes. Blend well. Pour into the baking dish.
- Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper and place in the baking dish, in a single layer, making sure all the chicken is coated well with the sauce.
- Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour (or until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165°F.)
- Serve over mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, or rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
Serving Suggestions
My go-to way of serving cranberry chicken is over mashed potatoes and roasted green beans. You could swap the potatoes for rice or noodles if desired. Other veggies like roasted broccoli, brussels sprouts, and asparagus also pair well.
Proper Storage
- Fridge. Store leftover cranberry chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer. Leftovers also freeze well in a freezer safe container or bag up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat before serving.
- Reheat. Reheat leftovers in the microwave, until heated through.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
I found this recipe on Instagram and have made it twice a month. So easy and full of flavor
I was prompted to try this recipe by the out of the ordinary ingredients. Followed the recipe exactly and served over rice. Loved the tart sweetness. Leftovers even tasted better the next day. Definitely a keeper!
My famiLy LOVED this recipe! My husband commented every time he ate the leftovers how delicious the sauce was. He especially liked the slight zing of the red pepper flakes! This one stays in the recipe rotation!
I still can’t believe how easy this recipe was and yet so delicious! My husband was wowed and even suggested making it for our fam get together (shock!). Suffice to say, this was a huge hit and will make other Bellyfull recipes just bc they’re interesting, easy and FUN!
Have made this fabulous recipe many times and LOVE it. I just have one question. In your original TikTok vides, you said 16 oz bottle of Catalina, but here on your website it says 8 oz bottle. Please let me know which I should be using. Thank you so much. Love ykhr recipes and the way you present them Thank you .
Either amount works. 16 ounces will just provide more sauce, but 8 ounces is plenty.
FIVE STARS FOR AMY!!!❤️ I made this tonight for dinner and all I can say is YUM!!! I followed the recipe just as it was written and served it over rice. As this dish was baking the aroma in the house was amazing. The chicken came out so moist and the sauce mixed with the rice was just yummy. Prep was quick and so easy too. This recipe will definitely go into my meal rotation.
This was a great easy and delicious meal. Thank you so much!!!!!
Hi.. wanting to make this however the video suggests a whole bottle of dressing and the written recipe 8oz .. and the answer is .. lol
Randy
Hi Randy! Honestly, either amount is fine. 16 ounces will create more sauce, but also make the dish sweeter. I would recommend following the written recipe – 8 ounces. You’re going to love it!
I’m going to make this recipe this Tuesday, I was wondering about thickening the sauce, or will it be thick already
Hi Neil – I don’t think it needs thickening at all, but you could always remove the chicken after baking and then stir a bit of cornstarch into the sauce.
Delish!
I made this tonight and it was a big hit! My husband said we have to keep this in our rotation. I must admit, I was one of those people who had a raised eyebrow at the ingredient list when I first saw your reel about this dish. I figured this would be a pass for me. But after reading your description and reading the rave reviews I decided to try it and boy!! am I glad I did!!
Thank you for all you do!
Hi Amy! We love this recipe so much! I’ve made it twice and sharing the recipe with friends. Also love the pepper flakes with the sweet! Enjoy your videos too! I’m a new follower and can’t wait to try more of your recipes. The Brazilian lemonade was a big hit too!
Can I make the Cranberry chicken recipe in a Crockpot?
I’ve never tested this in a crockpot, so I personally cannot vouch for results, but some other readers have said they have made it that way.
Okay, listen. This sounded SO weird that I had to try it! I like all of the ingredients separately, but together? It seemed like a gamble.
I didn’t have boneless skinless thighs, so I removed the skin from the thighs and left the bone in, fully accepting that it might take longer to cook. However, it cooked just a little less than an hour and was fully up to temp.
The best way I can explain this recipe is that it’s almost like a sweet and sour chicken. We ate it over white rice. The flavor was super nostalgic for me and my husband, though neither of us could figure out what it reminded us of!! Our daughter loved it and we will be making this unexpectedly delicious recipe again!
Do you think this would be good as a crockpot recipe? We have a church potluck coming up and I was thinking about doubling the recipe and using the crockpot!
I’ve never tested this in a crockpot, but some other readers have said they make it like that. Try it?
The recipe says an 8 oz bottle of Catalina dressing and in your picture you show a 16 oz bottle of the dressing?
Use an 8 ounce bottle, as instructed. The picture is just for a visual reference for anyone not familiar with what Catalina looks like. Enjoy!
Would fat free Catalina salad dressing work in this recipe?Thank you!
That should be fine
Easy and soooo good!
I just found this recipe while looking for something quick and easy to make. I didn’t have any Catelina, Russian or French dressing, so I improvised with what I had – Kraft Sun Dried Tomato with Oregano. WOW! Flavours just popped. Will definitely be adding this to my rotation.
This was so good! I forgot the onion soup mix so the sodium levels were not the same but my kid gobbled it up and said. “Mom this is a repeat!”
Gosh, this was easy & delicious. Used 8oz lite Catalina and was wonderful. Family has been loving your recipes!
I was worried about attempting this one because my oven is tiny and I had to cut it in half, but I managed. (Well, having 1/2 a package of onion soup mix is a bit of a weird storage issue…) I served it over white sticky rice and BOY was it a hit! The chicken was tender. The sauce was amazing! And it was SO EASY!
Glad I have the ingredients to make it again REAL SOON!
Thanks, Amy!
I made this recipe for one of my children and his young family. I thought it was delicious and SOOOO EASY. making it again tomorrow for two families! Thanks for the recipe!
Besides the rice or potatoes is there an extra side or veggie you recommend goes well with this recipe?
Hi Alyssa! I included several serving suggestions in the article.
I would love recommendations on cutting this recipe in half. I’m going to try to just half it and see what happens. If there is any advice out there for someone cooking for one or two on these recipes, I would appreciate it.
Just simply cut all the ingredients in half and bake in a smaller casserole dish
Like most, I wasn’t sure about all the ingredients! It was delicious! The chicken was so moist and tender, the sauce was so delicious and plenty extras for another night! It was a hit in our house for a midweek dinner.
I made this today with breasts since the store had no thighs.
It was delicious! Served with mashed potatoes. Husband loved it!
I enjoy your videos!
Have you ever made this with boneless skinless turkey thighs?
No, but you could try it! You might need to adjust the cooking time.
Do you think i can substitute black cherries sauce for the cranberry sauce?
I can’t vouch for results, but you can try it. Keep in mind that cranberry sauce is sauce, not just crushed cranberries, so you’ll need to account for that or there won’t be enough moisture.
Do you think wishbone western dressing would work?
Hi Cathy – I’m not familiar with that dressing. If it’s a similar flavor as Catalina or Russian dressing, it should work fine.
I will definitely try this. It’s a riff on something my mom made – hers was Russian dressing (Wish Bone or Kraft), a package of onion soup mix, about 8 oz of orange marmalade and a can (with juice) of mandarin oranges. Delicious! Made it for my husband last week, and he loved it. The Russian dressing keeps it from becoming too sweet, as there’s a bit of spicy kick in it. (He doesn’t like overly sweet food…unless it’s chocolate!) Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.
I have not tried a pork roast but sounds wonderful! Pork chops also!
I can’t believe how much my family enjoyed this dish. The ingredients do sound like such a strange combo but it’s absolutely delicious. I love how easy it was too.
I make this recipe about every 2 to 3 weeks. With just the 2 of us have enough for 2 meals, it freezes very well. I use a foil pan for easy clean up and also works well.
I made this for my daughter and her roommate and they loved it and I was asked to make it again today so I think I’ll be making it again next week
I absolutely love this dish. The chicken comes out so tender and soft. I’ve been making this recipe for 48 years! Everyone always wants the recipe when I serve it to guests.
I love the combination of flavors. I sliced up large chicken breast instead of thighs and eliminated the red peppers. It was really enjoyable
So easy and so good
This was great I added a few segments of mandarins orange might try a pinch more chili flakes was very good very easy this would make a great potluck dish
Has anyone tried this with a pork roast in the slow cooker?
I have not tried a pork roast but sounds wonderful!
Made this today. Was so good. Used boneless, skinless breast because that’s what I had, and light Catalina dressing. Had it with chicken flavored rice. Will definitely make again. Thanks for sharing!
We loved this. It was so easy. Will it freeze well after cooked? Any reheat hints?
Since making this I have shared the recipe with every one I know. It is delish and I make it at least once a week!
Delicious!! I’m so glad I tried it, because the ingredients sounded so weird but we all loved it – even the little ones. Thank you! Will make this a lot. SO EASY.
I was skeptical, but this was GREAT! The whole family loved it, even the little ones. Will definitely make again – thank you for such an easy dinner option!
I loved this and more importantly my husband did as well lol.
Making this for a second time by request from my family. They absolutely love it ! And I do too cause it’s very easy .
Rave reviews from everyone at my house. Will definitely keep these ingredients in the cabinets.I will make this again for sure.
Would you use the same amount of boneless , skinless chicken breast and cook for the same amount of time ? Thank you .
Same amount, yes, but start checking at 45 minutes since breasts tend to cook faster and you don’t want them dry. Once they reach an internal temp of 165 degrees F they’re done.
Big hit with the family. Highly recommend!
This recipe is too delicious, too simple, and too quick not to make.
We used to order a similar dish from a local meal prep company. My husband and I were wishing they would make it available again but I found your recipe in the meantime. Made it tonight and my VERY picky husband LOVED IT. Had 3 pieces!
I make this with pork chops. I’ll try chicken the next time.
Thank you !
I saw a review for making this with pork chops very interesting. How long should I bake my chops for
Making this tomorrow. If using apricot preserves, how much?
You’d be replacing a 15 ounce can of cranberry sauce. Although apricot jam will be sweeter, so if don’t want it that sweet, cut it back to maybe 10 ounces.
Can you use bone in skin chicken thighs?