Holiday Roast Chicken with Cranberry Orange Pan Sauce
The best part of roasting a chicken is the moment you lift it from the pan and see the browned bits left underneath the rack. They look like cleanup, but…
Tip: save now, cook later.The best part of roasting a chicken is the moment you lift it from the pan and see the browned bits left underneath the rack. They look like cleanup, but they’re the start of a sauce with far more depth than anything poured from a bottle. I scrape them up with wine and broth, then let cranberries and orange turn the pan juices into something tart, bright, and just sweet enough.
This Holiday Roast Chicken with Cranberry Orange Pan Sauce is built around a whole bird, roasted until the skin is browned and the meat is tender. Thyme tucked into the cavity gives the chicken a gentle herbal aroma without crowding the citrus in the sauce. I like that the sauce comes together while the chicken rests, so the carving board and saucepan are both doing useful work. Each slice gets a spoonful of glossy cranberry sauce, with a little orange to cut through the richness of the roast.
Kitchen Note
Frozen cranberries can go straight into the saucepan; there’s no need to thaw them first. They soften as the sauce simmers, just like fresh berries.
Save this Holiday Roast Chicken with Cranberry Orange Pan Sauce for a roast with browned skin and a bright, tart cranberry finish.
The Sauce Starts With What Sticks to the Roasting Pan
A good pan sauce doesn’t begin with a separate stockpot or a long list of ingredients. It begins with the browned bits left behind after the chicken roasts. Pouring wine and some of the broth into the roasting pan lets you scrape those bits loose and carry their savory, roasted flavor into the saucepan. Pour off excess fat first, but leave the brown bits in place; they’re what give the sauce a connection to the chicken instead of tasting like cranberry jam on its own.
The fruit and liquid have different jobs once they’re in the saucepan. Cranberries burst as they simmer, giving the sauce body and a sharp tartness. Orange juice and zest keep that tartness lively, while sugar rounds it out rather than making the sauce candy-sweet. The result should thicken slightly, not set like a relish or turn into a thick glaze. That lighter consistency is just right for spooning over carved chicken, and it still lets the roast’s browned flavor come through.
What the Cranberries, Orange, and Wine Each Bring
- Whole chicken — The 4- to 5-pound size is what the roasting time is based on, and the breast and innermost thigh both need checking. Patting the bird dry helps the skin brown instead of steaming. For a bird outside that size range, don’t rely on the same timing.
- Orange — Fresh zest brings fragrant citrus oils that juice alone can’t match. If you don’t have a fresh orange, use the same amount of bottled orange juice; the sauce will be less aromatic without the zest.
- Cranberries — Their sharp, tart flavor keeps the sauce from tasting heavy, and their natural body helps it thicken as they burst. Fresh or frozen both work; choose firm fresh berries if you’re shopping for them.
- Dry white wine — A dry wine gives the sauce acidity without adding sweetness. If you’re avoiding alcohol, use the same amount of additional low-sodium chicken broth; the sauce will taste softer and less wine-bright.
- Shallot — Its mild onion flavor blends into the sauce without taking over the fruit. Finely chopped yellow onion works in its place, though it tastes a little more assertive.
- Unsalted butter — It adds a rounded finish and lets you control the seasoning. Standard unsalted butter is fine here; for a dairy-free sauce, olive oil can replace it in both additions, with a lighter, less buttery finish.
- Fresh thyme — The sprigs perfume the chicken from inside the cavity. If you don’t have fresh thyme, leave it out rather than scattering dried leaves into the cavity; the chicken will simply have less herbal aroma.
Roast the Bird First, Then Build a Sauce From Its Pan
Season and Roast Until Both Cuts Are Done
Heat the oven to 425°F and set a rack in a 9×13-inch roasting pan. Season the chicken inside and out with kosher salt and black pepper, rub the skin with olive oil, and tuck the thyme sprigs into the cavity. Set the bird breast-side up on the rack and roast for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes. Check the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh with a thermometer; both should read 165°F before you take the chicken out.
Rest the Chicken and Save Its Juices
Transfer the roasted chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving. Juices will collect on the board as it rests, so keep them rather than wiping them away. Those juices go into the sauce with the fruit and broth. Resting also gives you time to make the sauce without rushing through the carving.
Deglaze the Pan and Soften the Shallot
Pour off the excess fat from the roasting pan while leaving the browned bits behind. Pour in the wine and half of the broth, then scrape the bottom of the pan until the bits loosen; transfer that liquid to a 2-quart saucepan. Melt the first tablespoon of butter over medium heat, add the finely chopped shallot, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until it softens. If the shallot starts to brown, keep stirring and lower the heat so it softens without taking on a toasted flavor.
Simmer Until the Berries Burst
Add the wine mixture, the remaining broth, cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, sugar, and the juices from the cutting board to the saucepan. Bring everything to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Look for burst berries and a sauce that has thickened slightly; if the cranberries are still whole, keep simmering until they soften and pop. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the remaining butter, then carve the chicken and serve it with the sauce.
How to Make the Cranberry Orange Sauce Dairy-Free or Alcohol-Free
Use olive oil instead of butter
For a dairy-free sauce, replace each butter addition with the same quantity of olive oil. The shallot will still soften well, and the sauce will have a lighter finish without butter’s creamy roundness.
Skip the wine
Replace the wine with the same amount of additional low-sodium chicken broth. You’ll still pick up the roasted bits from the pan, though the sauce will have less acidity and a gentler flavor.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store chicken and sauce in separate airtight containers for 3 to 4 days. The refrigerated sauce will set up a little as it cools.
- Freezer: Freeze carved chicken and sauce separately in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating: Warm chicken in a covered baking dish at 325°F until it reaches 165°F. Reheat sauce gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring; add a splash of broth if it has thickened too much. Avoid heating the sauce hard, which can make it reduce more than you want.
Questions That Come Up While the Chicken Rests
Holiday Roast Chicken with Cranberry Orange Pan Sauce
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F and set a rack in a 9x13-inch roasting pan.
- Season the chicken inside and out with the salt and pepper.
- Rub the chicken skin with the olive oil.
- Place the thyme sprigs in the cavity.
- Set the chicken breast-side up on the rack and roast for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes, until a thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and rest for 20 minutes.
- Reserve any juices that collect on the cutting board.
- Pour off excess fat from the roasting pan, leaving the browned bits.
- Pour the wine and 1/2 cup of the broth into the pan and scrape up the browned bits.
- Pour the liquid into a 2-quart saucepan.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the shallot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until softened.
- Add the wine mixture, remaining 1/2 cup broth, cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, sugar, and reserved chicken juices.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
- Carve the chicken and serve with the sauce.