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Cranberry Maple Roast Chicken

Cranberry maple roast chicken with a lacquered golden skin, roasted to juicy tenderness with a Dijon-maple glaze. Fresh cranberries burst in the pan while red onion and rosemary perfume the drippings for a spoon-over pan sauce.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and seasonings
  • 5 lb whole chicken Whole chicken (about 5 pounds), patted dry.
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp butter Softened.
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary Chopped.
Aromatics and pan ingredients
  • 1 orange Halved.
  • 1 head garlic Halved crosswise.
  • 1 red onion Cut into wedges.
  • 2 cup fresh cranberries
Glaze and sauce
  • 1 3/4 cup maple syrup About 1/3 cup; measure as 1/3 cup.
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 cup chicken broth

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Preheat and season
  1. Preheat oven to 425F. Pat the whole chicken dry and season inside and out with salt and black pepper.
  2. Stir softened butter with chopped rosemary, then rub it under and over the skin. Arrange the rosemary-butter coating so the skin looks evenly lacquered.
  3. Stuff the cavity with orange halves and garlic halves. Set the chicken in a roasting pan with red onion wedges all around it, so the onions sit near the drippings.
First roast
  1. Roast for 50 minutes at 425F. Keep the pan in the center rack so the skin browns evenly and the juices begin to render.
Glaze and finish roasting
  1. Whisk maple syrup with Dijon mustard until smooth. Brush half of the glaze over the chicken and immediately add fresh cranberries and chicken broth to the pan.
  2. Roast 25-30 minutes more at 425F, brushing with the remaining glaze partway through. Continue until the thigh reaches 165F, with cranberries bursting and the skin turning deep golden.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest chicken for 15 minutes on a cutting surface. This lets the juices set so carving stays clean and juicy.
  2. Carve the chicken and spoon the cranberry pan sauce over the top. Serve right away while the pan sauce is glossy and thickened.

Notes

Pro tip: to keep the skin crisp, don’t cover the chicken—let the oven heat fully dry the surface before glazing. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge up to 3 days; freeze up to 2 months (best for rewarming with a splash of broth). For a lighter option, use olive oil in place of butter and expect a slightly less lacquered skin.