Cranberry BBQ Chicken

A few months ago, I attempted to open a can of black beans only to realize I had grabbed a can of cranberry sauce by mistake. So I dumped the sauce into a freezer bag and tried to figure out what I could do with it.

And then I thought, “barbecue.”

So I made a cranberry barbecue sauce and marinated some drumsticks in it. The sauce was delicious. I didn’t think Zach would like it (he generally doesn’t like cranberry), but he loved it. Another win for me!

Cranberry BBQ Chicken

• 6-8 drumsticks
• 1 can cranberry sauce, with whole berries
• 1 cup ketchup
• 4 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsps brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tap garlic powder
• salt
• pepper

To make in the oven:

Step 01: In a medium bowl, mix everything except the chicken.

Step 02: Lay the drumsticks in a single layer in a prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Step 03: Pour the sauce over the chicken. Move the chicken around until each drumstick is completely covered. Marinate for at least an hour (you can marinate overnight for more flavor). While the chicken is marinating, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Step 04: Bake the chicken for 45-60 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 165°F. Remove the chicken from the sauce and place on a pan. Bake for another 15 minutes (this is so the sauce bakes to the chicken–I didn’t do this until after the pictures).

To make in a crock pot:

In a medium bowl, mix everything except the chicken. (You can also do this in the crock pot. Add the chicken to the crock pot with the sauce. Mix until the chicken is completely covered. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot, place on a baking sheet, and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, so the sauce bakes to the chicken.

Freezer Friendly Tips

• To freeze this, just mix the sauce. Put it in a gallon-sized freezer bag with the chicken.
• Can be frozen for 6-12 months.
• When you thaw the meal, wait for it to completely thaw, shake the bag (so any water from thawing mixes with the sauce), and let it sit and marinate for at least 1 hour.

Budget Friendly Tips

• Any kind of chicken will work with this, so go ahead and get whatever is on sale.

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