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Cranberry rosemary chicken: One-pan roast with seared skin and a glossy reduced sauce Pinterest recipe pin

Cranberry Rosemary One-Pan Chicken

A simple one-pan roast of skin-on chicken with tart cranberries, fresh rosemary, and a reduced pan sauce; easy to make paleo or Whole30-friendly with clear timing and texture cues.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 460
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds total, patted dry
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil or ghee divided
  • 1 small yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock use compliant stock for Whole30
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries or thawed frozen cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup optional; omit for strict Whole30
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary plus extra for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional
Optional serving garnish
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley optional

Equipment

  • 1 12-inch oven-safe skillet (cast iron preferred)
  • 1 Instant-read meat thermometer
  • 1 Tongs or wooden spatula
  • 1 Small mixing bowl

Method
 

Prepare the chicken
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat chicken dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
Sear the chicken
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place chicken skin-side down and sear undisturbed 4–5 minutes until deeply golden, then flip and sear the flesh side 1–2 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
Build the pan sauce
  1. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining tablespoon oil if the pan is dry. Sauté diced onion 3 minutes until translucent, add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds. Pour in 1/2 cup chicken stock and scrape up browned bits.
  2. Stir in cranberries, maple syrup (if using), and tuck in rosemary sprigs.
Roast
  1. Return the seared chicken to the skillet, skin-side up, nestling pieces among the cranberries. Transfer skillet to the preheated oven and roast 18–25 minutes (about 20–25 for thighs) until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part of the meat.
Finish the sauce
  1. Remove skillet from oven and place over medium heat on the stovetop. Remove rosemary sprigs and simmer 3–6 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in lemon zest and 1 teaspoon ghee or olive oil off the heat for shine. Taste and adjust salt or maple syrup as needed.
Serve
  1. Spoon sauce over chicken, garnish with chopped parsley and extra rosemary if desired, and serve warm.

Notes

Pat chicken dry and sear in an uncrowded pan to keep skin crisp. Use 1/2 cup stock to avoid a watery sauce; reduce after roasting for a glaze. For Whole30, use ghee or avocado oil and omit maple syrup.