Cast Iron Blood Orange Chicken Recipe
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.
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.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!