These oven baked, citrus marinated chicken thighs roast off easily in the oven and are drizzled with a lovely citrus-y sauce for serving. A quick and easy weeknight meal!
The funny thing about citrus is that it is just seems to fit perfectly in to any season. There’s just something about those bright flavours that is just as welcoming in Summer as it is in Winter. These citrus marinated chicken thighs are just such a meal. I enjoy it year round and it’s in regular rotation in my kitchen. You’ll also love that they cook up entirely in the oven!
Ingredients and substitutions
Chicken – I am a fan of bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe, but bone-in and skin on chicken breasts will work equally well. Even boneless chicken will work with this recipe. Only the cooking time will change.
Orange Juice – You can use any oranges you have on hand.
Lemon and or Lime – a touch of lemon and/or lime juice in the sauce is never out of place. I will always add a bit if I have some on hand.
Recipe tip!
Be sure to check for doneness with an instant read thermometer to be sure. Chicken is done when it registers 165F internal temperature, when tested in the thickest part of the meat.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
You could make this dish ahead and reheat in a 350F oven loosely covered with foil. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. This chicken will also freeze well.
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Get the Recipe: Citrus Marinated Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 5-6 skin-on/bone-in chicken thighs
Marinade:
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/4 inch slice fresh ginger, about 1-inch diameter or 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1/2 cup fresh citrus juice, orange, lemon, lime or any mixture *see Note 1 below
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, low sodium recommended
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
For sauce:
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Place chicken thighs in a large resealable plastic bag and pour in marinade. Press out as much air as possible, seal and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.
- Place oven rack in top third of oven and preheat oven to 425F (non-convection) Remove chicken from bag and onto a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the marinade to a small saucepan and stir the cornstarch into the mixture. Roast chicken until cooked through, about 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken thighs.
- When chicken is almost done, bring sauce to a boil in the saucepan, then simmer until slightly reduced and thickened. Spoon over chicken, to serve. Nice with rice and a green vegetable.
Notes
More chicken thigh recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
My mom never cooked with chicken thighs so it took me until I had my own kitchen to realize how delicious they are! I love the glaze you have going on here! Perfect weeknight meal!
i don’t think my Mom cooked with them either, but they’ve won me over. Love the crispy skin and the moist dark meat. And yes, that glaze was delicious!
I love that citrus marinade – what a mouthwatering weeknight meal!
Thanks Laura ;)
That shimmer on the chicken looks perfect, Jennifer! I definitely look forward to the abundance of winter citrus each year, but I absolutely use it year round in my kitchen as well. It’s always my favorite way to brighten any dish!
Thanks so much, Liz :)
Skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs are my favorite too! There is just SO much more flavor, right? Unfortunately my husband doesn’t feel the same way… which I guess isn’t really a problem, because I just eat ALL the chicken myself. :) SCORE! I am drooling over this chicken, Jennifer! I love how you switch up the citrus to what’s in season! Genius!!! Cheers, friend!
Thanks so much, Cheyanne and yes … more chicken for you! :)
Love citrus in anything year round too! And for the past couple of years, I’ve enjoyed chicken thighs way more than breasts – so much more moist and flavourful and withstand so much more cooking time. This one looks and sound fabulous, Jennifer!
Thanks so much, Dawn :)
My store is now carrying Meyers all the time, so I’ll use them for these, we’re big fans of chicken thighs! I love the result when chicken is cooked at high temps, too, this is a winner :)
I wish we had Meyers year round, Sue! In fact this year they were scare and only showed up for a short time.
I love anything citrus year round too Jennifer! And if I had the choice of something that I could eat every day it would be chicken thighs. Always juicy and delicious. This recipe sounds like something we’d all love at our house.
Thanks so much, Mary Ann. I’m sure you would love this one :)
I completely agree about citrus – I love it year round. And I love a quick and easy weeknight meal like these chicken thighs. This lovely recipe will make an appearance on our grill very soon. A wonderful dinner that I could eat for breakfast :)
Thanks Tricia! I could eat this for breakfast, too :)