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Think about the best orange chicken you have ever had from a Chinese restaurant. Okay? This orange glazed chicken is ten times better than that. I promise you.

It is lighter, fresher, and sweeter in a less artificial way. I found this recipe via Nick at Macheesmo. I believe he based it on an America’s Test Kitchen recipe, which explains why this is unbelievably delicious.

Nick used chicken breasts for this, but I used bone in chicken thighs, and I served it with some Chinese stir fry cabbage. We all loved this dish and it has definitely earned a spot in the dinner rotation. You should make it. Soon.

Follow up:

Orange Glazed Chicken

• 1 1/2 cups Orange Juice plus 2 tbsp
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1/4 cup ap flour
• 4-5 bone in skinless chicken thighs
• 2 teaspoons grapeseed or canola oil
• 1 shallot, minced

1. Preheat oven 400F.
2. Combine the first 4 ingredients together in a bowl and whisk them together until well combined. Set aside.
3. Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed oven safe pan. I like to use my Le Creuset braiser for this. Season your chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then dredge them in the flour to get a light coating, shake off the excess.
4. Sear the chicken in the pan for 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside. If there is more than a teaspoon of oil left in the pan, pour the excess out. Pour the glaze into the pan and scrape up any brown bits left from the chicken. Add the minced shallots. Let the glaze simmer and thicken for 10-15 minutes. Eventually the glaze will reduce to a syrupy consistency, which easily coats the back of a spoon.
5. Place your seared chicken thighs into the glaze and coat them entirely. Put pan into oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken thighs are about 170-175F. (I like my dark meat chicken to be FULLY cooked, perhaps even a bit overcooked. Don’t worry, they won’t be dry). About halfway through cooking, flip the chicken so the other side gets another coating in glaze.
6. Remove chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. While the chicken is resting, return the pan to the stove top and add the additional 2 tbsp of orange juice to the pan. Allow this to simmer and reduce for a few more minutes. Then pour this deliciousness all over your chicken.

Purple cabbage is pretty.

Here are chicken thighs searing:

That is a pan of orangy honey yumminess:

Chicken into glaze:

Final thickening of the glaze: