My Go at Orange Marmalade Chicken
Okay, so I decided to tackle this orange marmalade chicken idea I saw floating around. Sounded easy enough, and I had some chicken thighs sitting in the fridge needing a purpose.
First thing, I pulled out those chicken thighs. About four of ’em. Rinsed them off, patted them dry with paper towels. You gotta do that, right? Helps things stick later. I seasoned them up just a bit, mostly salt and pepper. Nothing fancy.
Then, the sauce part. I grabbed the jar of orange marmalade. It was maybe half full? Scooped out a good few spoonfuls into a bowl. Maybe like, half a cup? Eyeballed it, really. To that, I added some soy sauce – maybe two or three tablespoons? Gave it a splash. Needed something savory.
Mixing it up:
- Orange Marmalade (the star, obviously)
- Soy Sauce (for that salty kick)
- Little bit of garlic powder (because why not?)
- Some ginger paste I had in a tube (easier than grating fresh)
I stirred that all together. It looked kinda weird, gloopy but smelled pretty decent. Sweet and tangy. Seemed like it would work.
Got my baking dish out. Sprayed it quick with some non-stick spray. Placed the chicken thighs in there, skin-side up. Then I just spooned that marmalade mixture over the top of each piece. Tried to get it coated evenly, but you know how it goes. Some bits got more sauce than others.
Into the oven it went. I set it to around 375 degrees Fahrenheit (that’s about 190 Celsius, I think?). Let it bake. Took a while, maybe 40-45 minutes? I checked it halfway through, spooned some of the sauce from the bottom of the dish back over the chicken. The kitchen started smelling really good around the 30-minute mark.
Pulled it out when the chicken looked cooked through and the sauce was bubbly and caramelized nicely on top. The skin got a little crispy in spots, which was great.
Served it up with some plain rice. Honestly? It turned out pretty tasty. Super simple. The marmalade gets sticky and sweet, the soy sauce adds depth. Didn’t require much effort, which is always a win. Definitely something I’d probably make again when I’m feeling lazy but want something flavorful.
