Blood Orange Chicken Thighs
The following recipe and photography were provided by local blogger Carolyn Hodges of The Dinner Shift.
Come winter, citrus fruits abound in Heinen’s Produce Department! Take advantage of the season’s most delicious offerings by incorporating citrus into meals and snacks. Here, I’m showcasing the amazing color and flavor of one of my favorite citrus fruits, blood oranges! They’re both sweet and tart and remind me of a cross between a navel orange and a pink grapefruit.
Gerber’s CARE Certified bone-in chicken thighs are pan-roasted and basted in a bright, citrusy sauce made with blood oranges, cider vinegar, brown sugar and honey. Requiring just 10 minutes of prep time, this is a simple main dish that can be prepared any night of the week.
I suggest serving these chicken thighs over rice or quinoa with a simple green vegetable, like steamed or roasted broccoli. Be sure to top the chicken and rice with the juices from the pan.
Blood Orange Chicken Thighs
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients
- 2-3 blood oranges
- 2 Tbsp. Heinen’s apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. Heinen’s brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. Heinen’s honey
- ¼ tsp. Heinen’s red chili flakes, or to taste
- 1 family-size package Gerber’s CARE Certified chicken fryer thighs, bone-in (3-3 ½ lbs.)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. Heinen’s avocado oil
- Sliced green onions, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Zest one of the blood oranges. Juice the remaining oranges until you have ½ cup of juice. If desired, slice an orange to bake with the chicken thighs.
- Whisk together the orange juice, zest, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, red chili flakes and a large pinch of kosher salt. Set aside.
- Season the chicken thighs liberally on both sides with kosher salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large (12-inch) enameled or cast iron skillet. Once hot, add the chicken thighs, skin-side-down. Sear the chicken thighs without moving them for 8-10 minutes. Flip the thighs and top each with a slice of orange (optional), then pour the blood orange mixture over top. Transfer the pan to oven to bake for 25-30 minutes, basting the chicken with the cooking liquid at least once. The chicken is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove the pan from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes, then top with sliced green onions, if desired. Serve the chicken topped with juices from the pan.
