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Cranberry Orange Glazed Chicken Bake with Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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This one-pan cranberry orange glazed chicken bake is bursting with sweet-tart flavor and paired with caramelized honey roasted sweet potatoes. It’s a cozy, crowd-pleasing meal that’s easy enough for weeknights but special enough for holidays.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries (or frozen)
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • Zest of 1 large orange
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme or rosemary, chopped (optional)
  • 2 large sweet potatoes (about 1.5 lbs), peeled and cubed
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. Peel and cube sweet potatoes. Toss with 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and smoked paprika if using. Spread in a single layer on one side of a large baking dish.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together orange juice, orange zest, 1/4 cup honey, Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp olive oil, minced garlic, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Stir in cranberries and chopped herbs if using.
  4. Nestle chicken breasts or thighs into the other half of the baking dish, tucking them slightly into the sweet potatoes.
  5. Pour the glaze evenly over the chicken, spooning cranberries on top. Coat chicken well.
  6. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165°F and sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Cover loosely with foil if glaze browns too quickly.
  7. Halfway through baking, baste chicken and sweet potatoes with pan juices.
  8. If needed, bake an extra 5-10 minutes until chicken is golden and sweet potatoes are caramelized.
  9. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra orange zest or herbs if desired.

Notes

For best flavor, marinate chicken in the glaze for 20-30 minutes before baking. Use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking. If sweet potatoes aren’t browning, broil for 2-3 minutes at the end. Swap sweet potatoes for butternut squash for a lower-carb option. Leftovers taste even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry orange chicken, chicken bake, honey roasted sweet potatoes, one pan dinner, fall recipe, holiday chicken, gluten free, dairy free, easy chicken recipe

Find it online: https://atomicbite.com/cranberry-orange-glazed-chicken-bake-recipe-easy-honey-roasted-sweet-potatoes/