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Cranberry Maple Roast Chicken

Cranberry maple roast chicken with lacquered golden skin and pan sauce, roasted until the thigh hits 165°F. The maple-Dijon glaze is brushed during roasting for a glossy finish with bursting cranberries and tender red onion.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

whole chicken
  • 1 whole chicken (5 pounds) patted dry
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp butter softened
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
  • 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 season
  1. Preheat oven to 425F. Set a roasting pan in the oven or prepare it on the counter for loading.
  2. Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper, then rub the butter mixed with rosemary under and over the skin. Pat everything evenly so the skin looks coated.
  3. Stuff the cavity with orange halves and garlic, then set the chicken in a roasting pan with the onion around it. Arrange the onion wedges so they sit beside the chicken, not on top.
First roast and make glaze
  1. Roast the chicken for 50 minutes. Look for the skin to be starting to turn golden and set on the surface.
  2. Whisk maple syrup and Dijon mustard, then brush half over the chicken. You should see a glossy amber sheen on the skin.
  3. Add cranberries and chicken broth to the pan. Distribute cranberries around the chicken so some are submerged in the pan liquid.
Finish roast and rest
  1. Roast 25-30 minutes more, brushing with the remaining glaze once during this window. Stop when the thigh reaches 165F.
  2. Rest the chicken for 15 minutes, then carve and spoon the cranberry pan sauce over the top. The juices should settle, and the sauce should look thick and spoonable.

Notes

For the glossiest skin, brush the glaze during roasting rather than after baking, and keep the pan liquid gently simmering by not overcrowding the cranberries. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days; freeze cooked chicken and sauce for up to 2 months. For a dairy-light option, use olive oil in place of butter to keep the rosemary coating intact.