About this time of year, pretty much every year without fail, I usually go a little nuts in the produce section, buying up all the citrus without plan or abandon. A lot goes into marmalade, sure, but then what’s one to do with all that marmalade? I mean, you can only eat so much toast.
Turns out marmalade makes a pretty fantastic glaze for meat, chicken especially. This version combines a lovely bitter orange marmalade with a bit of vinegar, thyme, and honey for added sweetness (but feel free to leave it out if your marmalade is already on the sweet side).
It’s a new and flavorful twist on our basic oven-roasted chicken breast recipe, roasted in a cast iron skillet on a bed of oranges, garlic, and herbs (far better than a bed of roses, don’t you agree?) If you don’t have a skillet you could certainly use a baking sheet or an oven-safe baking dish instead. But truthfully, for $15 there is really no reason NOT to have a cast iron skillet in your kitchen. It’s just one of those essentials every cook should have.
The secret (that’s not so secret, really) to moist, juicy chicken breasts is to buy them and bake them bone-in. Yes, they take longer to roast this way and are a bit trickier to slice and eat, but trust me, it is well worth it. Unless you happen to like dry chicken, and then, by all means, go forth and spend the extra dough on boneless skinless. But I won’t be joining you for dinner.
This chicken is infused with flavor from all sides: the marmalade glaze on the top and the bed of aromatics on the bottom (all it’s missing is a brine to give it flavor from the inside too, but it’s so moist and flavorful that it really doesn’t need it).
Don’t think the orange slices are just for looks, either: they bake up almost like a savory candied orange, absorbing the excess juices from the chicken, becoming a delicious bonus treat to accompany your roasted chicken.
A perfect flavorful weeknight dinner, with roasted bone-in chicken breasts slathered with a tangy orange marmalade glaze.
Let us know what you think!
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