Name: Cranberry-balsamic chicken with roasted roots
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs; 1 lb peeled carrots, 1/2-inch pieces; 1 lb peeled parsnips, 1/2-inch pieces; 3 tbsp olive oil, divided; 1 tsp fine salt, divided; 1/2 tsp black pepper, divided; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 cup fresh cranberries; 1/3 cup orange juice; 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 2 tbsp brown sugar

Cranberry-balsamic chicken with roasted roots

A tart cranberry-balsamic sauce goes over roasted chicken and roots just before serving.

Published October 2, 2026 · Updated October 15, 2026

4 portions · Estimated 1 hour 10 minutes

Cranberry-balsamic chicken with roasted roots

Ingredients & method

Before you start: Prepare and preheat: 25 minutes · Roast and make sauce in parallel: 40 minutes · Rest: 5 minutes

Equipment: Two rimmed sheets; saucepan; thermometer

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Method

Heat the oven to 425°F conventional and line two rimmed sheets. Prepare 1 lb peeled carrots and 1 lb peeled parsnips, then cut both into 1/2-inch pieces to help them roast at the same rate.
Toss the roots with 2 tbsp of the olive oil, 1/2 tsp of the fine salt, 1/4 tsp of the black pepper and the 1 tsp dried thyme. Spread them over one sheet in an even layer and roast for 15 minutes before adding the chicken to the oven.
While the vegetables get their head start, pat the 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs dry. Coat them with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, then unfold them on the second sheet with space between the pieces.
After the roots' first 15 minutes, place the chicken sheet in the oven. Roast both sheets for another 20–25 minutes, switching their shelf positions once; use that opportunity to turn the vegetables for more even browning.
Meanwhile, combine the 1 cup fresh cranberries, 1/3 cup orange juice, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp brown sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Simmer the sauce for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the liquid thickens around them. Reduce the heat if it begins to catch on the bottom, then take it off the heat once it has thickened.
Check the chicken in its thickest part with a thermometer and remove it only when it reaches 165°F. Check the roots separately: a fork should pass easily through their centers; remove either sheet when ready if the two finish at different times.
Let the cooked chicken rest for 5 minutes. Divide the chicken and roasted roots among four portions and spoon the cranberry-balsamic sauce over or alongside the chicken.

Keep the vegetables' head start

The carrots and parsnips enter the oven before the chicken. Keep their pieces near the listed half-inch size so that head start has the intended effect. Prepare the second sheet of chicken while the roots begin roasting, then put it in at the stage given in the method.

Use separate doneness checks for the two sheets. A fork should pass through the roots, while the chicken needs its thermometer check. If one sheet finishes first, take it out rather than leaving it in solely to match the other sheet's schedule.

Watch the cranberry sauce as it reduces

The saucepan sauce is made separately from the roasting sheets. Stir initially to dissolve the brown sugar, then watch for the cranberries to burst and the liquid around them to thicken. Keep scraping along the saucepan's bottom as the mixture becomes less fluid, lowering the heat if it starts catching.

The chicken rests before the sauce is spooned over or alongside it. Serving the sauce at the end leaves the roast vegetables distinct from the tart cranberry mixture and lets each of the four portions receive a share.