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Easy Cranberry Chicken – Moist and tender baked chicken in a tangy cranberry sauce. Great, comforting dinner on busy nights.
Thanksgiving is over, and it is time to get back to real life. At least for a couple weeks before Christmas comes into play. We traveled over Thanksgiving, so we are back home and getting back into the swing of things again. It was nice to take a week and visit our family and just unplug for a few days. That should happen more often!
Back to reality means back to cooking dinners, having practices every night, and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. One pot dinners are key this time of year. And this cranberry chicken is exactly what busy days call for. Plus you probably have cranberry sauce in your fridge or pantry, so it s a great use for it!
My friend gave me this recipe a couple years ago. She said it is one of those recipes you love or hate, you just have to try it to know. The combination of ingredients sounds crazy together, but there is something about it that just works. Her sister started making it, and her family loved it. My friends house is divided, 2 love it, and 2 aren’t fans.
So I knew I had to try this Cranberry Chicken recipe and see what my family thought. I was prepared to not like it, but I actually really liked it. The sauce is tangy and the chicken is super moist. My son was also a fan. My husband not so much. But honestly, when you can please 66% of the family with dinner, that is kind of a win.
This chicken marinates in the sauce all day long, so you can get it prepped before you go to work, and then just pop it in the oven when you get home. Mushroom Rice Pilaf would make a great side dish. Or you could try Italian Cheese Pull Apart Bread so you know everyone will have something they love on the table 🙂
You have to try this cranberry chicken, don’t judge by the list of ingredients. Trust me, they work. So I want to hear, what does your family think? Do they love it, or hate it? If they don’t like it, tell them you will make Sheet Pan Chicken with Roasted Potatoes the next night!
Cranberry Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts, 4 oz each
- 1 1/2 1 ounce packages dry onion soup mix
- 1 (16 oz) can jellied cranberry sauce , whole berry sauce
- 1 cup French dressing
Instructions
- 1) Place chicken in a glass or other non-reactive casserole dish.
- 2) In a mixing bowl, combine the soup mix, cranberry sauce and dressing. Pour over the chicken breasts. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
- 3) Cover loosely with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until done.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have done this recipe in a slow cooker (4 hours on low if using boneless chicken) and have also used Thousand Island dressing instead of French with great results.
I love that idea, thanks for the slow cooker tip!
If halving the recipe, would you change cooking time?
Not by much if any Julie. It will really depend on how thick your chicken is. But more or less chicken will not change it. Enjoy!
Do you use Californian French Dressing or Creamy French Dressing?
I use Kraft’s French Dressing. I think I have seen it called Catalina dressing before. So I think that is the same as the Californian French Dressing.
We have done this dish forever but we use Russian dressing. Maybe that would be enough of a taste change to sway your husband? And we serve over white rice to soak up all the tangy goodness.