Ready for an easy, healthy(ish), one pan weeknight dinner to add to the rotation? Then you need to try these Skillet Honey Orange Chicken Thighs. Seriously…just look at it! So refreshing, so flavorful, and so easy to make. I also have been trying to expand our cast iron skillet recipes, and this chicken cooks to perfection. So if you are sick of your normal chicken dishes, please try this.
Many of you have probably noticed by now that we are not huge chicken people. I don’t know if it because I worked in Italian restaurant all my life and was sick of seeing Chicken Marsala, parmesan, and piccata on the regular. Yes, to some that sounds like a treat. To me, you kind of just get sick of seeing and hearing it. My husband is a meat and potatoes guy. So we just both aren’t that into it. But I had purchased some chicken thighs and knew I had to do something with them. So if you are in search of some new bone in chicken thigh recipes, look no further!
I came up with this Skillet Honey Orange Chicken recipe and I am actually excited for an easy chicken recipe that I can add to our cast iron cooking rotation. This chicken thigh recipe cooks to perfection in one pan and has such a tangy flavorful glaze on top.
This baked orange chicken recipe with honey is so easy!
What you need to make these Easy One Pan Skillet Honey Orange Chicken Thighs
Like to cook in your cast iron pan but hate cleaning it? Check out my How to Care for Cast Iron Cookware Post!
How to make this Cast Iron Skillet Honey Orange Chicken Thigh Recipe
First start by prepping your chicken thighs. I rinsed them off and trimmed any unwanted parts. Then brush each side of the chicken with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and any other seasonings of your choice.
Next slice up an orange and place a slice under the skins of the chicken thighs. You can add more orange slices to the pan as well.
How long do you cook chicken thighs in the oven at 400 degrees
Grab you cast iron skillet and lay the chicken in the pan. Cover with some foil and pop it in the oven for about 40 minutes to 50 minutes at 400 degrees. (Cooking times will vary depending on the oven and the thickness of the chicken).
For the Honey Orange Glaze
To make the glaze, combine the orange marmalade, honey, mustard, and melted butter in a bowl. Then whisk the ingredients up until all is well combined.
Remove the foil from the pan and brush the baked chicken thighs with the sauce.
Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes. The internal temp should be at least 165 degrees and the chicken skin should have a nice crisp to it.
Serve this cast iron chicken thighs recipe up with some rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes! And enjoy!
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Additions & Substitutions:
- If you have chicken breast you can use those instead. Chicken thighs are great to cook with since they are very tender and flavorful. They are generally more cost efficient, too.
- Want to spice it up a little? Add some red pepper flakes!
- Want to serve it up over pasta? Just make extra sauce for serving.
- Feeling a little brave? try adding some orange liquor to the sauce too!
- Other seasonings that would be great- garlic or onion powder.
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Skillet Honey Orange Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 1 cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 6 bone in chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp olive oil or similar
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1-2 naval oranges sliced
Honey Orange Glaze
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 3 tbsp regular honey or we like "Hot" Honey
- 3 tbsp mustard or Dijon Mustard
- 3-4 tbsp orange marmalade or hot pepper jelly
- red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the chicken thighs and brush both sides with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Add one slice of orange under the skin of each chicken thigh.
- Then lay the chicken in the cast iron skillet and bake covered for about 45 minutes at 400 degrees.
For the Honey Orange Glaze
- In a mixing bowl combine the melted butter, honey, orange marmalade, and mustard. (if using red pepper flakes-add them too)
- Whisk until all is well combined and then remove pan from oven and uncover.
- Then brush the chicken thighs with the honey orange glaze.
- Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes until chicken is cooked throughout and the skin is crispy. (Chicken should be at least 165 degree F)
Notes
February 6, 2022 at 2:46 pmThis looks like a wonderful recipe, but do the thighs really cook for 1½ hours at 400° without getting tough?
February 6, 2022 at 6:08 pmHi there I know I thought that too at first but my Thighs took 1 hour and then I put the Glaze on and another 20 minutes to get a crisp on top. So I figured it depends on how thick they are, etc. The pack i Bought was pretty thick. So probably NOT that long (which I wrote in the post) so I would just check them maybe at 45 minutes on their internal temp and go from there. Hope that helps!