Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Stovetop Cranberry Chicken with Holiday Spices from Cleo Coyle #ChristmasRecipe

  

🍒 From Cleo CoylePoultry with cranberry sauce is a combination that thrums heartstrings in many of us, and it’s just one reason that Marc and I enjoy this easy stovetop recipe, especially during the fall and winter months. Another reason we enjoy it is the combination of seasonings in the dish. Cranberry, cinnamon, ginger, and orange bring an amazing aroma to your kitchen and festive holiday flavors to your plate. 

So, let's start cooking....




Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery
 series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

 A Recipe Note From Cleo

This dish is conveniently versatile. You can use skinless chicken breasts or skin-on chicken parts (whatever you have on hand). And you can have fun experimenting with the seasonings, depending on your taste.

One day you might like a more sweet-hot flavored version by kicking up the cayenne to a higher level. Another day, you might want a more sweet-orange version by leaving out the cayenne completely, and maybe even grating in a little orange zest. So have fun with it, and however you make it, Marc and I hope you will eat with joy to the world. Happy holidays, everyone!

~ Cleo



To download this recipe in a free 
PDF document that you can 
print, save, or share, click here.


🍒 Stovetop Cranberry Chicken 
with Holiday Spices 
from Cleo Coyle

Serves: 4 (or 2 with leftovers) 

Ingredients

4 large or 5 small skinless chicken breasts 
or 3 to 3-1/2 pounds chicken parts with skin left on, your choice

1 cup all-purpose flour seasoned with…

Salt and pepper, to taste, and

Cayenne pepper generous pinch (optional or increase for more heat)

1 cup oil (for frying, approximately)

One 14 or 16 ounce can of whole sweetened cranberry sauce (or make about 2 cups of sweetened sauce from fresh cranberries*)

2/3 cup orange juice

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of ginger

1/2 large sweet onion (such as Vidalia), chopped 

*Scroll to the end of this recipe if you'd like instructions on making your own cranberry sauce.

Step 1. Cut each skinless chicken breasts into thirds (lengthwise) and coat with the flour, which has been seasoned with salt, pepper, and cayenne for a little kick. If using skin-on chicken parts, simply coat the whole pieces with the seasoned flour.


Step 2. In a heavy, deep skillet or sauté pan, lightly brown the flour-dusted chicken pieces in about 1 cup of preheated oil. NOTE: You are not cooking these completely. This is a quick, light frying to cook the raw flour and give the chicken some color. Brown the chicken on all sides. Once finished, set the pan of chicken aside. (Note: Most of the oil will be used in the cooking, but you can can drain any extra oil from the pan at this point before setting it aside.)

Step 3. In a separate, medium size saucepan, mix together the remaining ingredients (cranberry sauce, orange juice, cinnamon, ginger, and chopped sweet onion). Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. 


Step 4. Pour the cranberry mixture over the chicken in the deep skillet or sauté pan (from Step 2). Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium, cover with a lid and simmer for about 40 to 50 minutes. The dish is done when the chicken meat is tender. 





We enjoy this chicken dish served over Basmati rice. If you don’t like rice, try plating it with a side of glazed carrots, roasted sweet potatoes, and/or freshly steamed and buttered green beans, add some crusty rolls, a French baguette, or sliced Italian bread on the side to dip into that sweet, tangy, cranberry infused sauce and you're all ready to eat with joy to the world!




*HOW TO MAKE
HOMEMADE 
CRANBERRY SAUCE
with Optional Holiday Flavors

👉 Bring 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add one 12-ounce package of whole, fresh cranberries. (**Add optional holiday spices now, see below for the list.) Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20 to 30 minutes to reduce to a thick sauce, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and serve. Store in fridge.

🎄🎅 **HOLIDAY FLAVORS: To infuse holiday flavors into your cranberry sauce, add the following spices to the pot as it boils: 1 cinnamon stick1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice, and be sure to remove the cinnamon stick before serving. 🍒




Quickie Decorating Tip


A little reminder of an easy, inexpensive, yet expressive way you can make your tables appear more festive and romantic during the holiday season. Choose pretty glassware, making sure it's thick, sturdy glass. Fill or partially fill the containers with water and float tea candles in them. 

We use plain and scented tea candles: apple-cinnamon, berry, pine tree, and French vanilla are all lovely aromas for the holiday season. Marc and I always have fun searching thrift stores for retro glassware of all shapes and sizes.







May your holidays be bright!



New York Times bestselling author
of The Coffeehouse Mysteries &
Haunted Bookshop Mysteries



CLEO COYLE is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the long-running Coffeehouse Mysteries, now celebrating more than twenty years in print. With more than 1 million books sold, they have gained an enthusiastic following. Cleo's "relentlessly entertaining" (Criminal Element) novels have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Czech; earned starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus; received Best of Year selection honors from multiple reviewers; and have been recommended by Booklist as among the best culinary mysteries for core library mystery collections. Alice and Marc are also accomplished media tie-in writers who have penned bestselling properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. They live in New York City, where they write independently and together, including the nationally bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries.


Visit Cleo's online coffeehouse here.

Follow Cleo at: Facebook | Twitter | Bluesky 


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The Coffeehouse Mysteries are bestselling works
of amateur sleuth fiction set in a landmark 
Greenwich Village coffeehouse, and each of the 
21 titles includes the added bonus of recipes. 




National Mystery Bestseller 

(Triple) #1 Amazon Category Bestseller 

Fresh Fiction Readers' Selection


To Buy:

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble

Bookshop.org

+ More Buy Links




"EASILY ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS THAT I HAVE READ THIS YEAR...10 STARS!"  Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book 

 

"A KNOCKOUT STORY....one of the best books in this endearing series...a TERRIFIC READ..." —Dru Ann Love, Raven Award-winning reviewer, Dru's Book Musings








No Roast for the Weary is also a culinary mystery with a killer menu of delicious recipes. Click here or on the image below to see the free illustrated guide to our book's recipe section...

Click here or the image above for
Cleo's Free Illustrated Guide to
the recipes you'll find published in
 No Roast for the Weary.



Get a free Title Checklist of
Cleo Coyle's Books in Order
Click here 
or on the image below.

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To download this recipe in a free 
PDF document that you can 
print, save, or share, click here.








16 comments:

  1. Hi, Cleo - I'm a big fan of your Coffeehouse books. I really loved No Roast for the Weary (didn't see that ending coming!) and I hope you have a new one one the way. This chicken dinner looks perfect for the holidays. I'll be trying it for sure. Sara P.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Sara -- Thank you for the kind comment, and Marc and I are glad to report that we do have a new Coffeehouse Mystery coming next year (2026). We're very excited about this particular story, and we can't wait to tell you more. Keep in touch, happy holidays to you, and let's all have a great New Year!

      ~ Cleo
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  2. I will be making this! All those holiday flavors must make that chicken taste amazing. Thanks, Cleo, and thanks very much for your entertaining mysteries. I always enjoy them. Happy holidays! Rita

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Rita -- The holiday flavors in this chicken dish really do make it a festive meal for this time of year, and Marc and I hope you enjoy it. We also thank you for the sweet words about our books. Happy holidays to you, too!

      ~ Cleo
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  3. I like this idea with the chicken because I never eat turkey without cranberry sauce, in fact I love that combination so I will definitely be making this. Thank you for all your wonderful books and recipes. Keep them coming, and Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Mary -- That's how I feel. My Thanksgiving dinner plate is never complete unless cranberry sauce is on it. It's one reason I enjoy this chicken dish so much. It combines classic flavors of poultry and cranberry in a way that tastes like the holidays. Thanks for dropping by the Kitchen today, and cheers for your kind words about our books and recipes. Very nice of you. Merry Christmas to you, as well!

      ~ Cleo
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  4. Thank you so much for the Stovetop Cranberry Chicken with Holiday Spices and homemade Cranberry recipes! Both sound delicious and will giving them a try.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your kind comment, Kay. Cheers for stopping by the Kitchen today. Marc and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

      ~ Cleo
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  5. Poultry and cranberries are definitely a favorite holiday season pairing and your recipe looks delicious, Cleo! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Kim, Marc and I always enjoy this recipe, and we hope everyone does. Cheers for stopping by the Kitchen today. Happy Holidays to you and your family!

      ~ Cleo

      Delete
  6. I usually make my own cranberry sauce. Never had a problem within making it until this year. ( It was in November.).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I grew up with my mother using the old-fasioned canned kind, but now I make my own. It's easy and also gives me a chance to add spices and flavors. I included that option in the cranberry sauce recipe I shared in the post above (at the end of the chicken recipe). Wishing you the best for the holiday season.

      ~ Cleo
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  7. Another tasty contribution.
    "Once finished, set the pan of chicken aside." Leave it with the remaining oil it cooked in?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Libby - Most of the oil will be used in the browning of the chicken pieces (see my photos above), but any extra certainly can be drained. I hope that helps!

      ~ Cleo
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