Orange Roasted Chicken Thighs
The juiciest chicken in a sweet and sour orange marinade that will make your tastebuds flip!
Orange Roasted Chicken Thighs
In my house, chicken is always the preferred meat of choice. And this recipe gets all the raves every time. Orange does quite a number on these thighs. They are juicy, tangy, sweet, savory… Every time I put this on the table my boys will actually count the pieces and negotiate who gets dibs on the biggest pieces. I have also used bone in breasts, legs and wings with this marinade and it is a winner every time. Citrus does its magic on every piece and even the white meat pieces turn out super juicy.
This is an easy and fast recipe to prepare. And oh so rewarding!
Orange Roasted Chicken Thighs
Don’t skip the tucking in of orange slices between the pieces. Not only does each piece of chicken profit from awesome infusion of citrus goodness, but also the orange slices will absorb all the goodness of the marinade and chicken juices. All the while roasting away alongside the chicken. I love to bite into the roasted orange slices! Sweet! My youngest fights me for those too!
Always place the pieces skin side up. Those last minutes under high broil will give you crispy and sticky skin with a sweetly tangy bite.
Remember to save the juices after roasting. Serve this chicken with rice or mashed potatoes. A good drizzle of the cooking juices on rice or mash will elevate your experience with this one!
Orange Roasted Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 10-12 Chicken Thighs
- 1 cup Fresh Orange Juice
- 1/3 cup Lemon Juice
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp minced Garlic
- 2 Tbsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Paprika
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1 Large Orange, sliced
- 1 Large Onion, sliced
- 1 Tbsp dried mixed Italian Herbs
- 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- Fresh Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190C / 375F
- In a large bowl mix orange juice, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika and sugar.
- In a deep baking tray place the chicken thighs skin side up.
- Pour the orange juice mixture all over the chicken pieces, jiggling each to let the juice seep underneath.
- Tuck the orange and onion slices in between and all around the chicken pieces.
- Sprinkle the dried herbs and brown sugar over the pieces.
- Cover the tray with aluminum foil.
- Bake, covered for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more.
- Turn the oven to high broil and let the chicken skin brown, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Serve pieces garnished with the roasted orange slices and some fresh cilantro sprigs.