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Simple Spoonfuls

January 18, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Cast Iron Blood Orange Chicken Recipe

Dinner

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If you’re looking for a flavor packed dinner that’s sure to wow your guests, this savory blood orange chicken recipe is a winner! The color of the blood oranges makes this dish *almost* too pretty to eat, but you’ll have no problem devouring the whole batch.

chicken thighs with blood oranges in a skillet

“By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Juice Products Association and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”

The concept for this recipe struck me while walking through my local grocery store and seeing the most beautiful stack of winter citrus. I knew I HAD to come up with something to highlight the gorgeous seasonal blood oranges.

Mediterranean flavors are often my go-to because they are light and bright and leave you feeling satisfied and not weighed down. I highly recommend serving these blood orange chicken thighs over a bed of fluffy couscous that can soak up the delicious sweet and savory sauce. If you’re looking for something special and pink to make for Valentine’s Day, THIS is your dish!

Cooking with citrus

If you’ve been with me from the beginning, you know my obsession with cooking with citrus. It started when I had a client I cooked for who had an allergy to garlic and onions among many other key ingredients. I learned to lean heavily on the brightness of citrus juice and zest to add a punch of flavor so they didn’t miss the aromatics.

When I’m cooking with citrus, I almost always include the zest as well. Why? Because who wouldn’t want the extra flavor!? In general, if you want a bright citrus flavor, add a squeeze of juice at the end of cooking. For a sweeter flavor, add early on in the cooking process.

The other benefit of cooking with citrus is that a cup of fresh squeezed fruit juice is almost equivalent in nutritional value to a cup of the actual whole fruit. It’s just one more way you can ensure your family is meeting their daily fruit intake and hitting those nutritional goals. I call that a win!

  • cutting board with blood oranges
    Blood oranges have the most beautiful variations in color.

ingredients

  • chicken thighs-bone in and skin on
  • red onion
  • blood oranges
  • garlic
  • chicken stock
  • dijon mustard
  • honey
  • green olives
  • couscous
  • fresh thyme

Substitutions

CHICKEN-I like to use a mix of chicken thighs, breasts and drumsticks so everyone in the family gets the light or dark meat that they prefer. Using bone in and skin on will yield the juiciest results and make sure they don’t dry out. See the notes in the recipe card if you’d like to use skinless or boneless because the cook times will change.

BLOOD ORANGES-The blood oranges are really the star in the recipe so I wouldn’t recommend swapping them out, however regular Navel or Cara Cara Oranges *would* totally work. I would leave out the honey in that case though because they are a touch sweeter than blood oranges.

RED ONION-If you don’t have any red onion on hand, you can swap out for shallot or yellow onion.

COUSCOUS-I love the light fluffiness of couscous but you can also use quinoa, rice, or a delicious cauliflower mash! Anything to soak up the yummy sauce!

FRESH THYME-Thyme has a nice delicate flavor and the woody herb holds up well in the oven. However you could also swap out for rosemary. If you use parsley, just sprinkle on the chopped fresh parsley at the very end.

skillet with chicken thighs topped with blood orange slices

EXPERT TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE

I’m a sucker for a one pot meal and this cast iron blood orange chicken recipe is exactly that! If you want to make it like a pro, here are a few key pointers in addition to following the steps below.

  • Brown both sides of chicken
  • Remove chicken and caramelize sliced red onions
  • Add orange juice, zest, and chicken stock
  • Add chicken back to pan
  • Add green olives and sliced blood oranges
  • Cook at 425 degrees for 15-25min
  • Make sure you pat the chicken dry with a paper towel before browning. The oil should sizzle when you add the chicken to the pan, otherwise it’s not warm enough yet. Wait before flipping the chicken to brown the other side. If it doesn’t release from the pan, it’s not ready to flip yet and the skin will tear.
  • When it comes to caramelizing the onions, you aren’t looking for a jammy consistency like you would get for a burger topping. You’ll cook them at a medium heat to get them to brown. I like to slice them on the thick side, about 1/4″ so they hold their shape during the cooking process.
  • If you use chicken breasts, they will take 5-10 minutes longer to cook than chicken thighs or drumsticks. Once the chicken thighs reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees (165 degrees is safe for eating but the temperature will continue to climb even after) I pull them out of the cast iron skillet and let them rest on a plate covered in foil. That way the chicken breasts will keep cooking until they also reach 160 degrees. A digital meat thermometer is one of your greatest assets in the kitchen!
  • You don’t need to worry about reducing the sauce on the stove because the heat of the oven will reduce the sauce to a nice thick consistency while the chicken cooks through.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are blood oranges?

Blood oranges are a Mediterranean variety of oranges known for their distinct deeply reddish-purple color. Their exact hue is dependent on the growing conditions so it’s always a fun surprise when you cut into one to see what color you get! From the outside, they will vary from having tiny red spots on the skin to just looking like a regular old orange.

There are three main types of blood oranges you’ll find in the store: Tarocco, Moro and Sanguinello.

What do blood oranges taste like?

Blood oranges vary in flavor but have very nice floral and tart notes to them. They are less sweet than their cousins, the Navel orange. They can even have a hint of fruit punch or raspberry to their flavor profile.

Do I have to use a cast iron pan?

Nope! I often use an enamel pan as well. You just need a pan that is safe to transfer to the oven.

Plate of couscous topped with blood orange chicken

Other recipes you will love

If you love this recipe, please leave me a rating and comment below. It would mean the world to me! And if these blood orange chicken thighs are calling your name, you’d also love these one pot or skillet recipes.

Sausage and Mushroom Baked Gnocchi-a delicious weeknight Italian-inspired meal my whole family loves!

Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps-with just one pan, you can layer the flavors of these delicious and veggie packed lettuce wraps.

Orange Skillet Chicken-If you don’t have blood oranges on hand, this recipe from Chrissy Teigen is a great alternative.

Cast Iron Blood Orange Chicken Recipe

Katie Clack
If you're looking for a flavor packed dinner that's sure to wow your guests, this savory blood orange recipe made with chicken thighs is a winner! The color of the blood oranges makes this dish *almost* too pretty to eat, but you'll have no problem devouring the whole batch.
0 from 0 votes
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Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • cast iron or enamel skillet

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 lb chicken thighs or breasts, bone in and skin on
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil or any high heat oil
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 cups 1/4" thick sliced red onion
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 cups 100% blood orange fruit juice (about 4-5 blood oranges)
  • 1 tbsp blood orange zest
  • 1 whole blood orange, sliced
  • 3/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2/3 cup pitted green olives
  • 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Heat a cast iron or enamel skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp oil. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Add to the pan, skin side down first. After about 5 minutes, when the chicken releases from the pan without tearing, flip to the other side and cook an additional 3-5 minutes.
  • Remove chicken from the pan and let rest on a platter. Using a dry paper towel, blot any excess fat from the pan. Add another tablespoon of oil and the sliced red onion to the pan.
  • Cook the onion until lightly caramelized and soft, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  • Add the blood orange juice and zest, chicken stock, dijon and honey to the pan. Stir until all incorporated. Add the chicken back to the pan along with any juices on the platter. Scatter the green olives and thyme around the pan and top the chicken pieces with sliced blood orange.
  • Place the cast iron skillet in the preheated oven. Cook until chicken thighs reach 160, checking with a meat thermometer, or until the juices run clear if pierced, roughly 15 minutes. If using chicken breasts as well, remove the chicken thighs from the pan while the chicken breasts continue cooking to reach 160 degrees. Remove from oven and cover with foil while the chicken temperature continues to climb to 165 degrees.
  • Serve over couscous and garnish with blood orange segments!

Notes

  • If using boneless or skinless chicken breasts or thighs, the cooking time will be less.  You’ll want to check the temperature sooner.  
  • If you don’t have blood oranges, the next best alternative are cara cara oranges.  If substituting with navel oranges, leave the honey out of the sauce mixture.
Keyword mediterranean, chicken skillet, cast iron, blood orange
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simple_spoonfuls

If taco Tuesday can be a thing, why not wrap Wedne If taco Tuesday can be a thing, why not wrap Wednesday? 🌯😋 Wraps are the perfect way to use up a hodgepodge of ingredients you have on hand. 

I like to rely on a mix of things I’ve meal prepped (sweet potatoes, brown rice, and cilantro jalapeño sauce), pantry staples (black beans) and fresh finishes (romaine, bell peppers and tomato). 

Cheese or chicken would have been delicious too.  However i strive to eat less meat and I find that lunch is one of the easiest places to keep things plant-based since I’m usually fending for myself and not feeding my meat-loving troops. 

What’s your go to for a quick and easy lunch? 

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I have a secret to tell you...I don’t actually m I have a secret to tell you...I don’t actually meal prep every weekend. 🙊 Sometimes life is too busy or life is actually not busy and I’m able to make meals from scratch on the daily.  And sometimes I’m just too tired to even think about meal prepping.  But there’s something you should know:

-Meal prep doesn’t have to be done on a weekend. 
-Meal prep doesn’t have to be done all in one session.
-Meal prep doesn’t have to mean an entire weeks worth of meals.

So shake off whatever preconceived notions you have of what meal prep means and discover what it actually means to YOU.  Some weeks all I can muster up os a batch of hard-boiled eggs and that’s OK. Those egg save my ass when I’m starving and need some thing in a pinch.

During weeks like this, I try to focus on making extra of some thing to at least give me a leg up on the next meal. 

For lunch today I whipped up a batch of couscous which takes five minutes. Then I topped it with some of my favorite green vegetables and made a big batch of lemon basil vinaigrette.  And that’s it! Now I have extra couscous, asparagus, and vinaigrette to help me out come dinner time.

I hope this helps take some of the overwhelm out of meal prepping for you! Is there anything that stresses you out about meal prep?

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Ahhhh I’m so happy the weekend is finally here! Ahhhh I’m so happy the weekend is finally here! This last week was a blur but these open faced sandwiches with smashed avocado and egg salad were a life saver when I didn’t have anything planned for lunch. 🥑🥚🍞

Well that’s a wrap on this week’s meal plan.  Scroll through to see the highlights. 👉 I have a hard time picking a favorite but I think it might be the breakfast burritos.

Which recipe is your fave from this week? I’d love to know so it can help me plan more good stuff for you! Let me know in the comments 🙏👇

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Last but not least from this week's meal plan was Last but not least from this week's meal plan was a tasty caramelized onion, squash and bacon flatbread! 🥓🧅🧀🍕Since the onion, squash and bacon were already prepped, all I had to do was pop it in the oven at 400 for about 8 minutes. 🙌

I used a piece of pita bread since it's what I had on hand but pizza dough or naan would be equally delish!  For the base, I simply spread some olive oil with a minced clove of garlic and then added the toppings.  I kept it light with a sprinkle of goat cheese and some fresh arugula after bake.

The only thing that would have made this better would have been a drizzle of balsamic reduction if I had some on hand. 🤤

I forgot how quick and easy flatbread is, and it’s such a great option for helping clean out your fridge.

All in all, the flavors hit all the right notes but the fact that dinner was so stress free was just as enjoyable! 

What toppings would you add?

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Getting up close and personal with this delicious Getting up close and personal with this delicious lentil salad with bacon and squash!  I’m the only one who will eat lentils in our house, so luckily that meant I got it all to myself! 

In a skillet, I crisped up the bacon I precooked and warmed up the cubed and roasted butternut squash.  I ended up using a package of presteamed lentils to make things extra easy.  They don’t even need to be heated up! 

I assembled a bowl of the lentils, some fresh arugula, and the warm squash and bacon.  To take it to the next level, I added dried cranberries and goat cheese on top and drizzled it with my honey balsamic dressing. 

If you use the base formula of the lentils, greens, and balsamic dressing, the sky is really the limit with what kind of toppings you can add!  I love to mix it up with roasted Brussel sprouts or mushrooms.  How would you customize this salad?

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Welp, everything I typed up got deleted so I’m g Welp, everything I typed up got deleted so I’m gonna keep this short and sweet! Tuesday’s steak tacos got repurposed into last night’s steak salad 🙌🥩🥗

Being super Irish, I’m a real meat and potatoes kind of girl, even when it comes to my salads!  If you’ve never tried warm, roasty potatoes on your salad, you’re missing out! I like to use arugula or kale because they can stand up to warm steak and potatoes without getting wilty. 

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As far as salads go, this one will leave you completely satisfied!  Make sure you like and save so Instagram knows you like my recipes 🙏

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Never not looking forward to taco Tuesday! I made Never not looking forward to taco Tuesday! I made flank steak this week, sliced it thin and served it over mashed avocado and those yummy peppers and caramelized onions I pre-prepped.  Delish! You’ll definitely want to save this idea! 🙌🌮🥩🥑

In order to get two meals out of this flank steak, I cut it in two pieces before I seared.  One of them was cooked to perfection for the steak tacos.  The other piece I undercooked by about 10 degrees knowing I’d be reheating it for tomorrow’s steak salad.  That way it’s not not over cooked and tough. 

I love how easy this dinner was! It took 10 minutes to wear the steak which was just long enough to char some corn tortillas, reheat the veggies and mash the avo. 🥑🧅🫑 

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How many of you are having tacos tonight? Let me know in the comments! 👇

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Happy Monday! After meal prepping this weekend, I Happy Monday! After meal prepping this weekend, I was SOO looking forward to these breakfast burritos!  I loaded them up with all the good stuff like soft scrambled eggs, caramelized onions, bell peppers, crispy bacon, roasted potatoes, cheddar cheese, and salsa.  They are absolutely dynamite! 🌯💥

You actually assemble the burritos ahead of time and keep them in the fridge, or even freeze them.  Just make sure all of the ingredients have cooled to room temperature before assembling to avoid any sogginess.  Then wrap them tightly with plastic wrap or foil and store in the freezer inside an airtight container or ziplock.  To reheat, just microwave for about 4 minutes. 

I also like to crisp them up in a skillet or grill pan in order to add extra crunch and texture to the tortilla.  Once you do this, there’s no going back! 

Are you team Cholula or team Tabasco?  In our family we have an ongoing debate over which hot sauce is better, but luckily that means we never have to share our hot sauce with one another! 😁🌶

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