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Cranberry Maple Roast Chicken

Cranberry maple roast chicken with a lacquered golden skin and a sweet-tang pan sauce. Roasted at 425F until the thigh reaches 165F, with cranberries, onion, rosemary, and a maple-Dijon glaze.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
resting 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1 whole chicken 5 pounds, patted dry
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp butter softened
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
Aromatics and glaze
  • 1 orange halved
  • 1 garlic head, halved crosswise
  • 1 red onion cut into wedges
  • 2 cup fresh cranberries
  • 0.33 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Use a roasting pan or Dutch oven sized for the whole chicken so it fits comfortably.
  2. Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Rub softened butter mixed with chopped rosemary under and over the skin.
  3. Stuff the cavity with orange halves and garlic, then place the chicken in a roasting pan. Add the red onion wedges around the chicken.
First roast
  1. Roast for 50 minutes at 425F. The skin should begin to turn golden and set around the edges.
Glaze and finish roasting
  1. Whisk maple syrup and Dijon mustard, then brush half over the chicken. Scatter the fresh cranberries in the pan and pour in the chicken broth.
  2. Roast 25-30 minutes more at 425F, brushing with the remaining glaze as it cooks. Continue until the thigh reaches 165F and the skin looks lacquered.
Rest, carve, and serve
  1. Rest the chicken for 15 minutes. Carve, then spoon the cranberry pan sauce over the top.

Notes

For the best lacquer, brush the glaze right after adding it to keep the skin sticky and shiny; avoid covering the pan so the cranberries can burst and thicken the sauce. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3-4 days; reheat gently in a 325F oven until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended for best texture of the cranberries and pan sauce. For a lighter option, use olive-oil instead of butter for rubbing (the skin won’t be quite as lacquered but still browns well).