Cranberry chicken is a perfect mix of savory with a little bit of sweet and tangy. It only takes a couple of minutes to put together and comes out of the oven tender and flavorful.
If you are looking for a tasty but easy dinner option, you are in the right place. Baked cranberry chicken is made from ingredients you can keep on hand and the prep work is so easy.
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Where We Got the Recipe
My mother-in-law is the one who introduced us to this recipe. Her sister, Andi, had shared it with her and she thought it was a real winner.
She tried convincing us to make it a couple of times, but the ingredients just sounded so strange together. So finally she just made it for us one night and then we were all convinced.
I had everything on hand to make it except the Catalina dressing. Luckily we make homemade dressing when we make Frito salad, so I just sized it down and it worked perfect.
You could also use a sweet French dressing or Russian dressing if you can’t find Catalina. They are similar and would work well in this recipe.
We like serving this chicken with rice, mashed potatoes or wide egg noodles. It’s nice to have a simple starchy side to soak up some of the sauce.
Recipe for Homemade Catalina Dressing
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Combine all ingredients and stir until combined.
Of course you can use homemade cranberry sauce as well. Just use 1 1/2 to two cups of your favorite sauce.
More Easy Chicken Recipes:
Slow cooker Greek chicken is another great option. Shred the tender chicken and load it in a pita pocket for a fun meal.
Creamy white chicken chili is always another great meal. It is the perfect way to warm up on a chilly day, or try buffalo chicken chili if you like more kick.
You can make oven baked BBQ chicken any time of year. Or try Andi’s slow cooker chicken and rice.
What are your favorite chicken recipes? Tell me all about them in the comments below or reach out to me on social media.
Cranberry Chicken
Ingredients
- 14 oz. cranberry sauce
- 1 oz. package dry onion soup mix
- 8 oz. Catalina dressing
- 4 chicken breasts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13" baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, stir together cranberry sauce, soup mix and dressing.
- Arrange chicken in baking dish and pour cranberry sauce over the top.
- Bake for 1 hour or until the center registers 165°F on a meat thermometer.
Dave
Friday 20th of October 2023
Tried this other night and my Wife and I really enjoyed it. I made it per the directions, (as well as the dressing). Egg noodles for the side with a vinegar and oil mixed greens salad. I'll be making this again!
Carlee
Friday 20th of October 2023
Sounds like a perfect meal, I am so glad you liked it!
Andrea Nine
Friday 9th of December 2022
I’ve done this with apricot jam but never the cranberry. Yum and thanks for the homemade Catalina sauce recipe. Saved!
Carlee
Friday 9th of December 2022
Oooh, apricot jam sounds delicious too!