ORANGE SPICE CHICKEN – Orange slices, garlic and a myriad of spices and herbs come together in this baked chicken breast recipe. If you have one lonely orange on hand and a nicely stocked spice cabinet than you’re in luck. This could be dinner tonight.
Boneless chicken breasts are brushed lightly with butter and sprinkled with a mix of paprika, thyme, oregano, dill, parsley, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. There’s a little bit of heat to it from the cayenne but it won’t set your mouth completely afire.
Then they’re sprinkled with minced garlic, topped with orange slices and baked. Super easy. So easy you could make it on the fly. Last-minute like.
The juice from the orange drips over the chicken as it bakes and combines with the seasonings for a subtly sweet and savory flavor. Kind of like spicy sunshine.
You should definitely eat the orange flesh along with the chicken, don’t discard them.
Citrus and spice and everything nice.
That’s what the best chicken is made of.
ORANGE SPICE CHICKEN
Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or more if you like it spicier
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 large navel orange sliced into ⅓-inch thick slices
- 1 scallion snipped or chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking or roasting pan and set the chicken, not touching, into the pan.
- In a small bowl stir all of the spices together including the salt and pepper.
- Brush the tops of the chicken with the melted butter and sprinkle all over with the spices holding back about ½ teaspoon to sprinkle on the oranges.
- Sprinkle the garlic over them then top with the orange slices and sprinkle with the remaining spices.
- Bake until cooked through, 25 - 35 minutes, depending on their thickness, until the internal temperature on a meat thermometer reaches 165 - 174 degrees F.
- Let them sit five minutes before serving. Spoon any juices in the bottom of the pan over them, top with the scallions and make sure to eat the orange slices too - don't discard them.