One of our favorite dinner recipes lately has been this cranberry and orange herb cast iron chicken dish. I used to make a similar version but changed it up to make it simpler over the past few years. This is a great recipe for after Thanksgiving when you have leftover cranberry sauce, herbs, oranges, and other ingredients filling up the refrigerator. And I know not everyone loves turkey, so the recipe is a great alternative to add to your Thanksgiving menu; plus, it’s a pretty stunning dish. It’s healthy, hearty, and filled with seasonal flavors. I’m always a fan of simple recipes, and this is one of them. It’s as easy as adding all the ingredients into a bag, marinating the chicken, and cooking it up a few days later. Anyone can make this dish! Once all the chicken cooks, you can serve it by leaving it in the cast iron and topping it with extra cranberry sauce, orange slices, rosemary, dill, and a sprinkle of dried chives. And it’s even more beautiful when it’s plated. I made this dis again last night, and served the chicken over roasted red potatoes.

Cranberry and Orange Cast Iron Herb Chicken

Taralynn McNitt

You must try this easy and seasonal dinner recipe. It's healthy and filled with delicious flavors.

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Prep Time 2

Cook Time 20

Course dinner, lunch,, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 7

Ingredients

3 lbs Chicken Breast boneless, skinless
1 Large Yellow Onion
1 Large Orange
1/4 Cup Avocado Oil
14 Oz Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
5-6 Garlic Cloves
1 Bunch Dillweed
1 Bunch Rosemary
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsps Dried Chives
1/4 Tsp Sea Salt
2 Cups Baby Carrots
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce gluten-free

Instructions

Cut chicken breast in half. Keep the chicken thick if you want charred chicken with a moist center.
*you will want to leave them thick, so do not slice them from the middle.
Marinate the chicken (24-72 hours)
Add the chicken to a gallon bag with avocado oil, onion slices, orange slices, garlic, cranberry sauce, dill weed, rosemary, black pepper, garlic powder, dried chives, sea salt, and soy sauce.
Zip the bag, shake, and massage until all the ingredients are combined and the chicken is fully coated.
Heat the cast iron and add the carrots with a few tablespoons of water and extra avocado oil. Pour the bag of marinated chicken into the heated cast iron, and cook the chicken breast on high for about three minutes on each side (until the chicken is slightly charred). Once the chicken is charred, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 15-minutes.
The chicken will be done once it reads 156-175 degrees.
Serve the chicken breast with the cooked carrots and extra cranberry sauce on top!

Keyword cast iron, cranberry chicken, dinner recipes, seasonal, gluten free and dairy free, marinated chicken, meal prep, orange

This recipe makes enough for seven to eight people. We made a bunch extra so we could eat throughout the week. I love that the outside of the chicken is perfectly seasoned and crispy. I tested this recipe in a regular frying pan, so don’t worry if you do not have cast iron skillet! You can still make this chicken. And if you prefer to cook the chicken in the oven, you can also do that.

Today, I’m making a cranberry almond cake with a almond marscopone frosting! I will try to get that up before Thanksgiving. I’m making pecan pie, pumpkin pie, my cranberry sauce, roasted vegetables, and then my brother is making the rest! I cannot wait for the entire family to come over this year.