Easy & Delicious Christmas Chicken Breasts

The colors and flavours of this Christmas chicken recipe are perfect for the holidays. Made in one pan with chicken breasts, cranberries, maple syrup and broccoli this is such an easy and simple baked chicken dish that your whole family will love.

Table of Contents

• Why you will love this recipe: 
• Ingredient notes:
• How to make (step-by-step):
• Tips and variations:
• How to serve:
• How to store:
• Frequently asked questions:
• Other recipes you will love:
• Recipe

Why did I call this recipe Christmas Chicken? Because the colours reminded me so much of Christmas. I could have also called it cranberry maple chicken or but I just loved Christmas Chicken so much more.

Of course you can eat this chicken recipe any time, not just at Christmas, but if you are looking for something other than turkey to serve for the holidays this chicken dish would be perfect. It would also be great to serve at Thanksgiving. Not only does it taste amazing, it's also really easy to make and looks so pretty!

Why you will love this recipe: 

• This cranberry maple chicken recipe is so good! The combination of maple syrup and cranberries mixes perfectly to give this dish the best taste.
• The mix of green from the broccoli and red from the cranberries gives it such a pretty, vibrant color.
• It's so quick and easy to make and because it's a one pan dish the clean up is also so simple.
• This chicken recipe makes great leftovers so it's perfect for meal prep. 
• This recipe is healthy, gluten free, dairy free and paleo friendly. 

Ingredient notes:

You should be able to find all of these simple ingredients at any local grocery store. For the exact measurements refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Chicken breasts – boneless, skinless chicken breasts are the meat used to make this holiday chicken recipe. I like to use free range chicken breasts but you can use any type that you prefer.
• Cranberries – fresh cranberries give this healthy chicken recipe such a pretty color and unique, delicious flavour. The cranberries and maple syrup combine beautifully to give this chicken such a brilliant taste. You should also use frozen cranberries, but just let them thaw first.
• Broccoli – fresh broccoli adds vitamins, minerals and fiber to this dish. The green also adds a fun pop of color to contrast with the red cranberries to give this dish the colors of Christmas. 
• Maple syrup – maple syrup adds the perfect amount of sweetness to contrast the tart cranberries while keeping this recipe refined sugar free.
• Balsamic vinegar – balsamic vinegar helps add more sweet flavour to this chicken and it also helps tenderize the meat. 
• Avocado oil - this is used to form the base of the delicious sauce on this chicken. Instead of avocado oil you could use olive oil instead.
• Seasonings and spices - Herbs de Provence spice blend, sea salt, mustard powder and ground black pepper all combine perfectly to give this one pan chicken meal the best taste.

How to make (step-by-step):

Step one:

First you are going to make the marinade. Simply put the marinade ingredients into a bowl or large measuring cup and stir well.

Step two:

Then place the remaining ingredients including the chicken breasts, broccoli florets and cranberries into a large glass or ceramic pan. Pour the marinade over the ingredients and turn the chicken breasts a few times to ensure they get coated well.

Step three:

Let the ingredients marinate for 30-60 minutes.

Step four:

Then turn on the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover the dish in tin foil and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the broccoli is tender. Then serve and enjoy!

Tips and variations:

• Try to use chicken breasts that are all the same size so that they cook evenly and at the same rate. 
• If you don’t have fresh cranberries you can use frozen cranberries instead. Just let them thaw first.
• Feel free to change up the seasonings on this chicken. Other great options include basil, rosemary, or thyme. 
• If you are serving a crowd feel free to double or triple this recipe. 
• Depending on the size of the chicken breasts you are using you may need to adjust the cooking time.

How to serve:

This festive chicken dish can be served in so many ways. A few of my favorite ways to serve it include:

• With white rice or cauliflower rice.
• Serve these baked chicken breasts with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower.
• With your favorite roasted vegetables or cooked vegetables such as green beans with slivered almonds, asparagus, roasted squash, glazed carrots and parsnips or Brussels sprouts with cranberries.
• With a apple and kale salad.

How to store:

Store any leftover chicken and broccoli in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Frequently asked questions:

Other recipes you will love:

• Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry Sheet Pan Meal
• Meatloaf with Blueberries
• Healthy Sloppy Joes
• Gluten Free Lemon Bars with Cranberry

Since you made it this far we are basically best friends so be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and Facebook where I share even more recipes and healthy living tips! And don’t forget to leave this recipe a star review before you go!

Recipe