Citrus Marinated Chicken Thighs

I got a new camera for my 40th birthday and have been having a blast snapping pictures of all the foods that we cook at home! You can expect to see a bunch of new recipes over the next few months, as I play around with it and learn more.

This chicken recipe is an oldie but a goodie. In fact, I saw it in my files the other day and it surprised me that I created it! Ask any of my kids and they will tell you how much I dislike citrus! Not only the taste, but the smell is unpleasant to me.

However, many years ago one of my boyfriend’s aunts cooked the best roasted chicken I had ever tasted in my life and she told me her secret was to add a bit of orange juice to the pan to sweeten the gravy drippings. I played around with that and she was right!

This recipe was created back in those days of experimenting with adding orange juice to chicken. Despite the fact that I still have no desire to bring a slice of orange up to my lips, I made this recipe again after many years and still found it to be simply delicious!

Citrus Marinated Chicken Thighs

by Debbie Steinbock

Ingredients:
¾ cup orange juice
3 Tbsp. tamari
2 Tbsp. honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1” fresh ginger root, grated
6-8 chicken thighs (or breasts if you prefer white meat) bone-in, skin-on

Method:

1. Combine the orange juice, tamari, honey, garlic and ginger together in a large glass baking dish.
2. Clean and trim any excess fat off the chicken, and place in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least an hour (up to 6 hours), flipping it at least once.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the chicken (skin side up) for an hour (or until cooked thoroughly), basting every 20 minutes so the skin browns.
4. Enjoy with a side of simply steamed veggies—broccoli rabe, broccoli, asparagus, kale, etc.