For Sunday supper, I love switching it up and making my orange baked chicken. It’s super herby and zesty from the citrus, plus beyond flavorful. After it’s baked, it comes out so juicy y’all. Get at it.
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How to make Orange Baked Chicken
Step 1: Add the orange juice, orange zest, lime juice, honey and garlic and blend until just smooth then drizzle in olive oil with the blender on low then add in the parsley and cilantro. Finally, add in salt and pepper. Taste the marinade and adjust seasoning if needed. Remove 1/2 cup of the marinade and place it covered in the refrigerator. This will be used later for a sauce.
Step 2: Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides then add to a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Step 3: Pour the remaining marinade, about 1 cup, over the chicken then add the Italian seasoning, cumin, smoked paprika, rosemary, oregano, red pepper flakes and minced garlic. Rub all over the chicken really letting the flavor seep into each piece then add to the fridge for about 3-4 hours, covered, or overnight if you can. Once the chicken is marinated, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come back to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
Step 4: Add orange slices and onions to the pan in between the chicken pieces then place butter pats over the top. There should be 1 butter pat for each chicken leg/thigh. If there is not enough cut up more butter to place on top of the chicken.
Step 5: Roast for approximately 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and cooked completely through with juices running clear.
While chicken is roasting, remove the remaining marinade from the fridge and add to a small pot to heat up to serve with the chicken.
Garnish with cilantro and parsley and serve with rice and remaining the marinade that was turned into a sauce.
Orange Baked Chicken Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 1/3 cup Florida’s Natural® No-Pulp Orange Juice
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 garlic cloves peeled
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For Chicken
- 3 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 5 tablespoons salted butter cut in half (use more as needed)
- 1 medium sized orange sliced into rounds
- 1 medium sized sweet onion sliced into rounds
Instructions
For the Marinade
- Add the Florida’s Natural No-Pulp Orange Juice, orange zest, lime juice, honey and garlic and blend until just smooth then drizzle in olive oil with the blender on low then add in the parsley and cilantro. Finally, add in salt and pepper. Taste the marinade and adjust seasoning if needed. Remove 1/2 cup of the marinade and place it covered in the refrigerator. This will be used later for a sauce.
For the Chicken
- Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides then add to a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Pour the remaining marinade, about 1 cup, over the chicken then add the Italian seasoning, cumin, smoked paprika, rosemary, oregano, red pepper flakes and minced garlic. Rub all over the chicken really letting the flavor seep into each piece then add to the fridge for about 3-4 hours, covered, or overnight if you can.
- Once the chicken is marinated, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come back to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
- Add orange slices and onions to the pan in between the chicken pieces then place butter pats over the top. There should be 1 butter pat for each chicken leg/thigh. If there is not enough cut up more butter to place on top of the chicken.
- Roast for approximately 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and cooked completely through with juices running clear.
- While chicken is roasting, remove the remaining marinade from the fridge and add to a small pot to heat up to serve with the chicken.
- Garnish with cilantro and parsley and serve with rice and remaining the marinade that was turned into a sauce.
Notes
What to do with leftovers
If you have leftover herbal orange baked chicken, here’s what to do: Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.Freezer: Wrap individual portions of cooked chicken in aluminum foil and place them in a freezer-safe bag. You can freeze the chicken this way for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat leftovers in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until warm.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Room temperature: Make sure the chicken is at room temp before baking to ensure even cooking.
- Thermometer: For perfectly cooked chicken, use a meat thermometer to measure an internal temperature of 165F.
- Avoid burning: If your chicken is browning too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil.
- Rest: Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes after cooking, which redistributes the juices and prevents a dry texture.
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I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Recipe Help
Yep but you will need to adjust the cooking time. Just know they can dry out faster too.
Yep, you can make it 24 hours before you need to use it. Just keep it covered.
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great dish, and a nice set of ingredients for chicken, thank you and a good recipe to add to my rotation!
This is such a great recipe, the chicken turned out so tender and the flavors were amazing! Definitely a keeper x
Oh wow, this looks so delicious. My family is going to devour it!
A delightful twist on traditional baked chicken! The herbal orange infusion adds a refreshing and aromatic flavor that elevates this dish to a whole new level of deliciousness
This orange chicken looks delicious! What a great combination of flavors with all the herbs, plus the citrus.
Well, let’s just say that this is one of my favorite dinners ever. Fantastic recipe!