Cast Iron Blood Orange Chicken Thighs
Crispy skinned chicken thighs with an easy citrus and rosemary pan sauce make this sweet and savory Cast Iron Blood Orange Chicken Thighs a dish that is sure to delight your family and impress friends!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 832kcal
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 ½ lbs. (about 6-8) chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 blood oranges, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Blood Orange Glaze
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 ½ cups fresh squeezed blood orange juice (about 6 blood oranges)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Pat chicken thighs dry using paper towels.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Sprinkle evenly over both sides of the chicken thighs.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or other heavy oven safe pan over medium heat until hot and add olive oil. Carefully arrange the chicken in the pan, skin side down, and cook without moving the chicken for 7-9 minutes, until the fat on the skin has rendered and the skin is nicely browned and crispy.
- Flip the chicken over and top each thigh with a slice of blood orange. Arrange the rosemary sprigs on top and transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Roast for 18-20 minutes, until the chicken thighs are cooked through and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when tested with an instant read meat thermometer.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer the chicken thighs to a plate. Keep warm. Drain any fat in the bottom of the pan, then place on the stove over medium heat again. Add the sliced onion to the pan and cook, scraping up any fond (leftover browned bits of chicken) from the bottom of the pan. If the pan is looking dry, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until the onions have softened and begin to caramelize.
- Add the blood orange juice, chicken broth, honey, rosemary, and black pepper to the pan and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half and a slightly thicker glaze remains, about 6-8 minutes. Taste and season with salt, if needed, then return the chicken to the pan and spoon the glaze and caramelized onions over the top to serve.
Notes
Chicken thighs can vary in size, so you may need to adjust cooking times slightly for larger or smaller thighs.
You could use naval or other oranges if blood oranges aren't available in your area.
Nutrition
Calories: 832kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 277mg | Sodium: 1018mg | Potassium: 889mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 435IU | Vitamin C: 56.4mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2.5mg