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This is SO cheesy, but um… winner, winner, chicken dinner!?
I mean, I know that’s like the cheesiest line ever, BUT it’s kind of true. You really can’t beat a ONE skillet chicken and potato kind of dinner. I just feel like it’s something everyone loves.
Healthy, cozy, comfort food, you know?
Typically, roasted chicken and rice is my go-to dinner when I need a little comfort in life, but I decided to throw myself a curve ball and go for potatoes with this dish!
SIDE NOTE: did anyone else literally live on chicken and rice as a kid? I swear, it’s all my parents ever made. Ok well, chicken and rice, plus tacos… but I was all about the chicken and rice.
Do you guys have certain foods you make when you’re feeling kind of down? For me, my fall back is always some kind of roasted chicken, which is weird, since I’m really more of a pasta, pizza and cheese kind of girl in everyday life. BUT something about the smell of the chicken roasting away in the oven gets me every time.
It takes me back to being a kid and I love that.
I’m curious though, what do you guys make when your mood hits a low or you’re just feeling the need to make something you know you will love? Is it soup? Mom’s lasagna? COOKIES!? I totally NEED to know so I can create us delicious recipes inspired by you guys! duh. 🙂
The real reason I made this skillet cranberry roasted chicken though is not because I was feeling down, but more because I had a GIANT bag of fresh cranberries sitting my fridge that needed to be used up. Ok, and they are so pretty that I kind of just wanted to come up with a fun and different way to cook with cranberries!
Don’t get me wrong, cranberry sauce is good and all, but they can be used in so many delicious sweet and savory ways!
Enter this chicken: it’s simple, quick and delicious. Seasoned with thyme, rosemary and garlic, seared, and then roasted to perfection over a bed of cute little baby potatoes. I also added a splash of white wine, and um, maybe a pat or two of butter…you know for good measure and all!
Plus, the addition of carrots totally makes this a complete meal. You have your protein, your starch and your veggie! You see, winner, winner chicken dinner!
OK promise, that’s the last time I will ever say that… at least in this post!
In all seriousness though, this dinner is so delicious. No crazy exotic flavors or anything like that, but sometimes classic flavors are just what we all need, and I feel like the cranberries give this dish a bright update. Not to mention they are so good! They add just the right amount of bittersweetness which pairs so well with the roasted chicken and especially the rosemary.
They’re pretty too…even kind of festive….if you think the way I do!
Another awesome aspect… it’s done in an hour AND dirties up just ONE skillet. <–my dream way to cook everything.
Skillet Cranberry Roasted Chicken.
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 495 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 skin-on chicken breasts or thighs
- 1/4 cup olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- zest + juice of 1/2 lemon
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 pound baby potatoes halved
- 3 carrots chopped
- 1 cup white wine or chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Rub the chicken with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the thyme, rosemary, garlic and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken, skin side down, and sear until golden, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook 5 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons butter, the potatoes, carrots, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine, deglazing the pan and scraping up any browned bits off the bottom. Simmer the wine for 5 minutes or until reduced slightly. Remove from the heat and nestle the chicken into the potatoes. Add the lemon juice.
- In a small bowl, toss together the cranberries, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the cranberries over the chicken. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Plate the chicken and potatoes and drizzle with the sauce left in the pan. EAT!
Bottom line: I made us chicken, and I hope it makes your Thursday perfect!
I made this tonight and it got rave reviews from my husband and two-year-old! Only thing I did differently was swap the amounts of thyme and rosemary because I love the taste of fresh rosemary more than thyme. Fantastic recipe! Thank you!
Yay! So happy you guys liked them!! Thank you Christina!!
I am currently making this now! Thank you for the recipe. Just subed the potatoes for sweet potatoes and apple cider vinegar because I didn’t have balsamic, should be good though with the sweet potatoes! I’m excited for it to finish!
Awesome! I hope it turns out great for you Darla! Thanks!!
what a wonderful recipe it was delicious. Thank you.
You’re welcome and thank you!!
I don’t have a cast iron skillet big enough so I was going to use a dutch oven, do you think that will work okay? Also should the skillet be covered when it goes in the oven? Thanks!
Hey Rachel! A dutch oven will work great! Leave it uncovered in the oven. Let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love this. Thanks!
5 min till this is done and ready to serve…the aroma has been amazing and ever changing since lighting the stove! SALIVATING… The timer just went off……
Oh, my! THIS was delicious…a keeper!
Woo!! Really happy you enjoyed this recipe so much Donna! Thank you!
Would it be a bad idea to make this with skinless chicken thighs?
Thanks!
Hi! I am not sure, without the skin the seasoning really does not have anything to stick to. I am sure it would still be great, but just different. Let me know if you have questions. Thank you!
Can I use maple syrup instead of the brown sugar?
Yes, I think that will be great! Let me know if you have questions. Thanks!
I just stumbled across this recipe and it looks amazing! I’d like to make it sometime this weekend. In the photo it looks like you halved a head of garlic and let that bake in the pan with everything else, but I didn’t see it mentioned in the recipe. Did you bake it with extra garlic? Thanks!
Hey Melissa! I baked it with a head of garlic, sorry I will mention that in the recipe. Please let me know if you have questions. Hope you love this! Thanks! 🙂
This looks amazing. How big of a cast iron skillet did you use for this? I’ve been wanting to get one (so many recipes I want to try use them!) but I’m not sure if the 10.5 inch I have my eye would on would be big enough.
Also wondering! There’s at least 3 recipes in my bookmarks that are for cast-iron skillet cooking and they are around the same size (9-10 inch) and I’m dying to try this as well, but need to buy one first! lol
Hey Kelly! 10 inch is my preferred everyday size. For this recipe however, I use a 12 inch. Both sized will work. Also, I love Staub. it is my favorite! Let me know if you have questions. Thank you!!
Hey Shannan! Mine is 12 inches, but 10 inches works great. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you! 🙂
Hey there! This recipe is making me drool! I’m planning on cooking this this week and I see that dried cranberries can be a substitution for fresh but I was wondering if you can use frozen as well? Which do you think would be better between dried and frozen? Thanks!
Hey Nadia! I would use frozen and then you can add them when I direct into the recipe. If you used dried, add them after cooking. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you so much! 🙂
Skillet dinners are the best and I love the cranberries for a festive touch!
The cranberries are my favorite part!!
This was awesome!!
Added carrots and Brussels sprouts, stunning and delicious!
You recipes are always gorgeous and do-able ?
Thank you Anon!!
This looks soooo good and yes, so festive with the addition of the cranberries, which I happen to have a lot as well! Although I must admit that I have never used them for any savory dishes, but like always, your creativity is an inspiration… I love that it all just cooks in one pan and it’s an all-in-one meal! Will definitely make this.
One special dish to me, Lumpia Shanghai (sort of an egg roll with meat and veggies), because this always reminds me of my Mom. She always brought this to PTA meetings when I was in grade school and always have it on my birthdays.
Right? So easy and convenient with one pan! And that dish sounds amazing! Thanks Sheila!
I don’t see the carrots listed anywhere in the ingredients or instructions? I could be missing it though. Long day at work!
So sorry! I left them out by mistake, recipe is fixed, thank you! Hope you love this!
What a gorgeous dish! I can’t wait to make this for a dinner party!
Awesome!! I hope you and your party loves this when you make it Christine! Thanks!!