By Becky Hardin
Published Nov 27, 2020
Get in the festive mood with these finger licking cranberry chicken wings! These baked wings are a wonderful mix of sweet and salty and they make a great addition to your holiday menus!
If you are looking for a crowd pleasing appetizer to serve up this Christmas , you cannot go wrong with these delicious cranberry chicken wings.
Super easy to make and the flavors are out of this world! I promise you, these will be a hit!
For more holiday appetizers, be sure to check out my Easy Antipasto Skewers and Easy Bacon Wrapped Shrimp .
Why you’ll love Cranberry Chicken Wings:
- Easy: The wings are baked on a sheet pan so clean up is a breeze and this recipe requires very little prep.
- Perfect for a crowd: This recipe makes 24 wings and the recipe is easily halved or doubled.
- Great for any occasion: These wings aren’t just for Christmas! They are a great appetizer all year round and are a great choice for the Super Bowl!
How to make cranberry wings
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce.
- Marinate the chicken wings in half the sauce and set the rest aside.
- Place the marinated wings on a baking sheet and bake in a pre heated oven.
- Heat the remaining sauce and bring to a simmer to thicken it.
- Base the wings with the sauce and bake.
- Serve the wings with the reduced cranberry sauce.
Can you make them ahead of time?
Wings are best served as soon as they are made, but you can make the sauce and marinade the wings for up to 4 hours before you plan to serve them.
If you do have leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them at 350f for 10 to 20 minutes until heated through.
Why bake wings rather than frying them?
When making wings at home, I always prefer to bake them rather than fry. It takes longer, but it’s so much easier and pretty hands off. It’s obviously also healthier and they turn out just as good!
What do you serve them with?
Because of the cranberry sauce on the chicken wings, I would skip the ranch dip on this occasion. The beauty of these wings is that they are best served with the reduced cranberry sauce to really enhance the flavor, so no need to worry about making extra dips!
Tips!
- Line your baking sheets with foil to make clean up a breeze.
- Leave space between the chicken pieces on the baking sheet so that they get crispy all over.
- Pat the wings fry before adding the to the marinade to help crisp them up.
More Chicken Wings
If you think these cranberry chicken wings look awesome, be sure to check out some of our other favorites!
Slow Cooker Honey BBQ Chicken Wings
Baked Chicken Wings
Buffalo Wings
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Baked Korean Hot Wings (Gochujang Wings)
Crock Pot Chicken Wings
Sticky Sesame Chicken Wings
Crockpot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 5 pounds chicken wings
For the Sauce
- ▢ 14 ounces canned jellied cranberry sauce
- ▢ 2 tablespoons Ginger Paste or grated fresh ginger
- ▢ ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ▢ 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- ▢ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ▢ ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ▢ 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ▢ Zest and juice from 1 large orange
- ▢ Juice from 1 medium lime divided
Instructions
- Place wings in a zipper-style plastic bag.
For the Marinade/Sauce:
- In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients, reserving half of the lime juice for later. Pour half of the marinade/sauce over the chicken wings. Squeeze extra air from the bag, seal and refrigerate the wings at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Flip the bag of wings over every ½ hour, if possible.
- Place the remaining marinade/sauce in a medium saucepan, cover and set aside.
- After the wings have marinated, preheat the oven to 400°F and adjust oven racks to middle-lower and middle-upper positions. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Use tongs to transfer half the wings to each baking sheet. Be sure to leave at least 1-inch between each wing. (Discard the leftover marinade in the plastic bag.)
- Bake the wings at 400°F for 20 minutes then rotate and move the baking sheets from top to bottom and bottom to top. Bake an additional 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring the reserved marinade/sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce the temperature to low and simmer until the sauce thickens. When it is the desired thickness, remove from the heat.
- When chicken is cooked through, turn off the oven and remove the wings from the oven. Brush (baste) the wings with extra sauce. Be sure to keep the basting sauce separate from the serving sauce. Return the basted wings to the oven for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve the wings drizzled with remaining half of the lime juice with a side of the reduced Cranberry Sauce.
- Enjoy!
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Becky’s Tips
- Line your baking sheets with foil to make clean up a breeze.
- Leave space between the chicken pieces on the baking sheet so that they get crispy all over.
- Pat the wings fry before adding the to the marinade to help crisp them up.
- Makes 24 wings.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Cranberry Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 5 pounds chicken wings
For the Sauce
- 14 ounces canned jellied cranberry sauce
- 2 tablespoons Ginger Paste or grated fresh ginger
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Zest and juice from 1 large orange
- Juice from 1 medium lime divided
Instructions
- Place wings in a zipper-style plastic bag.
For the Marinade/Sauce:
- In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients, reserving half of the lime juice for later. Pour half of the marinade/sauce over the chicken wings. Squeeze extra air from the bag, seal and refrigerate the wings at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Flip the bag of wings over every ½ hour, if possible.
- Place the remaining marinade/sauce in a medium saucepan, cover and set aside.
- After the wings have marinated, preheat the oven to 400°F and adjust oven racks to middle-lower and middle-upper positions. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Use tongs to transfer half the wings to each baking sheet. Be sure to leave at least 1-inch between each wing. (Discard the leftover marinade in the plastic bag.)
- Bake the wings at 400°F for 20 minutes then rotate and move the baking sheets from top to bottom and bottom to top. Bake an additional 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring the reserved marinade/sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce the temperature to low and simmer until the sauce thickens. When it is the desired thickness, remove from the heat.
- When chicken is cooked through, turn off the oven and remove the wings from the oven. Brush (baste) the wings with extra sauce. Be sure to keep the basting sauce separate from the serving sauce. Return the basted wings to the oven for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve the wings drizzled with remaining half of the lime juice with a side of the reduced Cranberry Sauce.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Line your baking sheets with foil to make clean up a breeze.
- Leave space between the chicken pieces on the baking sheet so that they get crispy all over.
- Pat the wings fry before adding the to the marinade to help crisp them up.
- Makes 24 wings.
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
