
This is not the orange ginger chicken that’s an Americanized riff on Chinese food that comes in a white box with rice on the side. This is a surprisingly simple marinade that lets you toss an orange and some ginger root in a blender–peel and all–along with a little soy sauce and ginger. So unexpectedly easy. So impressively good.–Renee Schettler Rossi
Orange Ginger Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 navel orange, preferably organic, unpeeled, cut into quarters, plus more orange wedges for serving if desired
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 7 ounces fresh ginger, unpeeled, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed
- Sliced scallions, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a blender, puree the orange, juice, soy sauce, ginger, and sugar until smooth. (Yes, you toss both the orange and ginger in unpeeled. Trust us.)
- Transfer to a large bowl or resealable plastic bag, add the chicken, and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Place a wire rack in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the chicken, with some of the marinade still clinging to it, skin side up on the rack. Roast until the internal temperature registers 170°F (77°C), 35 to 45 minutes.
☞ TESTER TIP: You want a little—but not a lot—of the marinade to still coat the chicken when it goes in the oven. If there’s too much marinade smothering the skin, it won’t crisp properly.
- Turn the oven to broil and keep the chicken in the oven until the chicken is deep golden brown and lightly charred, about 2 minutes.
- Serve the chicken with orange wedges and sliced scallions, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This recipe was a winner through and through. The thighs turned out moist and delicious and they browned beautifully. The ginger-heavy marinade produced a delightful, tingly spicing. It amazed me how much the ginger flavor from the marinade came through but then again 7 oz is a whole lot of ginger root!
When I think of “orange ginger chicken”, the Chinese takeout staple that kept me well-fed during my college days immediately comes to mind. Along with white rice, the sticky, overly glazed, perfectly fried, meaty chunks I’m accustomed to could feed a family of four. I, however, would be determined to eat it all in one sitting because my dorm lacked a working microwave and oven. The good old days!
This chicken is moist and flavorful. The aroma of orange and ginger fills the kitchen as the chicken approaches doneness. The prominent taste are those of orange and ginger with the soy sauce adding a background flavor that holds it all together while the brown sugar adds a bit of sweetness and helps the crust to brown.
The seven ounces of ginger in this recipe were the biggest surprise for me. I don’t think I’ve ever prepared a dish that called for that amount, but the end result was moist, flavorful chicken with really crispy charred skin that wasn’t overpowered by what I expected to be the dominant ingredient. Instead, the ginger harmonized beautifully with the soy sauce, orange juice and fruit, and the brown sugar.
This is a very simple recipe. The marinade itself is special and we surely will make it again and we will keep it in a jar for a sauce to use over rice or vegetables or maybe to bake fish.
I generally trust both Christopher Kimball and Leite’s food instincts, and am a ravenous lover of all things ginger. However, after making this marinade in my mighty Vitamix and tasting a bit, I feared the ginger would overpower the dish for my family (currently my husband and brother, both of whom are not well at this time.) So I cut my losses, dumped the marinade and will prepare something else tried and true, perhaps roast chicken thighs Provencal. Not fair to rate since I didn’t actually cook this dish.
I hope you do give it a try when everyone is feeling better, Roni. My family all really enjoyed it and didn’t find the ginger overpowering, but I can understand how it might be a bit much for someone who is unwell.