Description
A festive yet comforting dish, Cranberry Orange Glazed Chicken with Alfredo Pasta features juicy seared chicken breasts topped with a tangy cranberry-orange compote, served over creamy linguine Alfredo for a delightful blend of savory and sweet.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup fresh cranberries (or 3/4 cup canned whole berry cranberry sauce)
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 8 oz fettuccine or linguine pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup baby spinach or kale (optional)
- 1/2 cup mandarin orange segments (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- In a saucepan, combine cranberries, orange juice, zest, and honey. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until cranberries pop and sauce thickens. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in heavy cream and simmer. Whisk in Parmesan until smooth. Add spinach if using and cook until wilted.
- Toss cooked pasta with Alfredo sauce.
- Plate pasta, top with seared chicken, and spoon cranberry orange glaze over the top.
- Garnish with mandarin segments if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Substitute turkey for chicken to use holiday leftovers.
- Use zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice for a low-carb version.
- Add toasted nuts like pecans or walnuts for extra crunch.
- Include red pepper flakes in the glaze for a spicy kick.
- Store chicken and pasta separately to maintain texture when reheating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with pasta
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 45g
- Cholesterol: 145mg