If you want to take a break from ham this upcoming holiday, try this tender and flavorful Drunken Cranberry Chicken recipe at your next holiday dinner.

To start, preheat your oven to 450 ºF. In a medium pot over high heat, combine fresh cranberries, red wine and red wine vinegar and bring the mixture to a boil for 4 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer until the cranberries are soft.

Remove from heat and blend the mixture, ensuring to leave some cranberry chunks. Refrigerate 1 cup of the cranberry sauce for serving. Cranberry sauce is sweet and tart and complements the savory chicken when served together.

Prepare the chicken by cleaning out the cavity and patting the entire chicken dry. By doing this, you remove any excess moisture that will cause the chicken skin to be soggy when it’s cooked.

Next, truss the chicken by tying the wings and legs close to the body with cooking twine. This ensures the chicken is cooked more evenly.

Insert orange wedges into the cavity of the chicken. Place the trussed chicken, breast side up, in a foil-lined roasting pan. Brush the chicken with melted butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 15 minutes.

Next, remove the foil and brush the chicken with half of the cranberry mixture. Roast for another 10 minutes, then apply the second half of the cranberry mixture. Layering the cranberry mixture creates a sweet and crispy crust on the chicken.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 ºF and continue roasting for another 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 ºF.

When done, serve this delicious and juicy Drunken Cranberry Chicken with cranberry sauce on the side. You’re going to love this recipe, and you’ll want to cook it for every holiday.

Prep Time:  15  minutes   |    Cook Time:  2 hours, 15 minutes   |    Total Time:  2 hours, 30 minutes   |    Servings:  10

Ingredients:

• 3 cups  Southern Grove  Dried Cranberries
• 3 cups  Winking Owl  Merlot
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 5 pounds  Never Any!  Whole Chicken
• 1 orange, cut into eight wedges
• ¼ cup  Countryside Creamery  Butter, melted
• Stonemill  Iodized Salt, to taste
• Stonemill  Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:                                   

1. Preheat oven to 450º.
2. In a medium pot over high heat, combine cranberries, wine and vinegar. Remove rosemary leaves from stems and add to pot; discard stems.   Boil for 4 minutes, lower heat and simmer for 3 minutes or until cranberries are soft. Remove from heat and blend, making sure to leave some chunks. Refrigerate 1 cup for serving. Reserve remaining 2 cups.   
3. Clean out the chicken cavity and pat entire chicken dry. Truss the chicken (or loosely tie the wings and legs close to the body) with twine. Insert orange wedges into the cavity of the chicken. Place chicken, breast side up, in a foil-lined roasting pan. Brush with melted butter; season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 15 minutes.
4. Remove foil; brush the chicken with half of the cranberry mixture. Roast for another 10 minutes, then apply second half of cranberry mixture. Reduce temperature to 350º and roast for another 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165º. Rest for 5-10 minutes. Remove string and excess sauce. Serve with refrigerated cranberry sauce.

TIP: If wings or legs start to burn, cover with aluminum foil.

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Recipe Courtesy of Chef Megan, ALDI Test Kitchen