This orange glazed chicken is made with a sweet and spicy marinade and basted with a date syrup glaze. Seared and then baked, the chicken turns out crispy on the outside, tender and juicy in the center, and so delicious!
Looking for more flavorful chicken dishes? Try my smoked paprika chicken and honey garlic chicken, too.
This orange glazed chicken gets its incredible flavor from a simple marinade of fresh orange juice, hot sauce, mustard, and thyme, then a glossy finish of rich date honey (known as silan in the Middle East). The citrus, thyme, and sweet date honey create a uniquely delicious balance. It’s deep, aromatic, slightly tangy, and beautifully caramelized.
As the chicken roasts, layers of date honey form a sticky, golden glaze that pairs perfectly with the bright orange slices and fresh thyme on top. It’s an easy, impressive entree that showcases how date honey can transform classic orange glazed chicken into something truly special. I love it for Rosh Hashanah, but it’s perfect for everything from special occasions to weeknight dinners!
Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete ingredients and instructions!
- Chicken – Use bone-in, skin-on chicken for a crispy exterior. I prefer legs or thigh quarters, but any cut will work.
- Oranges – I use orange juice and zest in the marinade, infusing the chicken with a sweet, citrusy flavor. Then, I always include extra orange slices for serving.
- Hot Sauce – Use as little or as much as you like, depending on your spice preferences.
- Olive Oil – This forms the base of the marinade, allowing the mixture to cling to the chicken and contributing to the crispy skin.
- Mustard – I use Dijon mustard for a tangier flavor, but yellow mustard also tastes great.
- Thyme – This adds a touch of brightness that pairs well with the citrus and balances the flavors nicely.
- Date Honey Syrup – My simple syrup comes together with just pitted dates and hot water. It infuses the chicken with sweet flavor and creates a beautiful golden, crispy exterior.
How to Make Orange Glazed Chicken
- Prepare the marinade. Whisk orange juice, hot sauce, olive oil, mustard, orange zest, salt, and pepper until smooth. Place the chicken pieces in a sealable bag or large dish, and pour the marinade on top, coating them completely. Cover and marinate for at least three hours or ideally overnight.
- Sear the chicken. Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, sear the chicken in oil until the skin is golden brown on both sides. This creates a crispy skin and locks in flavor!
- Layer and bake. Arrange orange slices in an even layer in the bottom of a greased baking dish. Sprinkle fresh thyme on top, and add the chicken skin side up. Brush each piece with date honey, cover, and bake, basting the chicken frequently, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Brown the skin. Baste the chicken again, and continue to bake uncovered until the glaze is bubbly and shiny. Be careful not to burn!
- Serve. Garnish the glazed orange chicken with a fresh orange slice and thyme sprigs, and enjoy it warm.
Tori’s Top Tips for Success
- Don’t rush the marinating time. If possible, let your chicken marinate overnight. This allows the marinade to really sink into the meat, tenderizing the chicken and infusing it with flavor. If marinating overnight isn’t possible, make sure to allow for at least three hours!
- Don’t skip searing. Searing the chicken before roasting adds color, flavor, and helps create that signature sticky glaze once the date honey goes on.
- Baste generously and consistently. Date honey can thicken quickly. So, brushing the chicken every 15 minutes ensures an even, glossy glaze without burning.
- Keep an eye on the final broil. The sugars in the date honey caramelize quickly. Watch closely during the last five to ten minutes so the glaze bubbles and shines without turning too dark.
- Let it rest before serving. Resting the chicken for five to ten minutes helps the juices settle and keeps the meat tender.
Date Glazed Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 large chicken pieces, bone in, skin on I prefer leg/thigh quarters
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 cup hot sauce
- 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons mustard Dijon or yellow
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 bunch fresh thyme divided
- 3 large navel oranges divided
- 2/3 cup date honey syrup
Instructions
- If using chicken leg quarters, I generally like to remove the “knuckle” end of the drumstick bone before cooking. It makes for a more elegant presentation on the dinner table. To do this, use a sharp chef’s knife to carefully slice around the bottom knuckle of the bone, cutting through the skin and tendons. Then, grasp the cartilage area with a towel and pull strongly, twisting to remove it, and discard. FYI, this may take some practice and a bit of elbow grease. Be very careful with the knife when you are making the slice around the bone– you don’t want to slip!
- Whisk together orange juice, hot sauce, 3 tbsp olive oil, mustard, orange zest, 1/2 tsp salt and pinch of black pepper to form a marinade. Place chicken pieces into a plastic zipper bag or into a ceramic or glass dish. Pour marinade over the chicken and add 6-8 sprigs of thyme. Seal the bag (if using) or cover the dish with plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 3 hours, up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Remove chicken from marinade and discard the excess marinade. Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium until hot but not smoking. Add the chicken pieces skin side down, three pieces at a time, and let them cook for 5-10 minutes until the skin is nicely browned. Remove from skillet and repeat with remaining 3 pieces. Remove the skillet from heat.
- Lightly grease a roasting pan or dish. Slice two of the large navel oranges into rounds and lay them on a single layer, covering the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle some thyme sprigs into the bottom of the roasting pan as well (reserve some for the final platter/garnish).
- Place the chicken back into the pan, skin side up. Brush each piece generously with date honey.Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes, basting the chicken every 15 minutes with more date honey.
- After 45 minutes the chicken should be cooked through and internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees F (I usually cook it to 170). If not, re-cover and continue to cook until it reaches temperature.Uncover the chicken. Baste once more with remaining date honey. increase heat to 500 degrees F and cook for 5-10 more minutes until the date glaze is bubbly and shiny. Keep a close eye to make sure the glaze doesn't burn, it contains a lot of natural sugar and will blacken if you're not careful.
- Slice up the remaining orange. Serve each piece of chicken garnished with a fresh orange slice and fresh thyme sprigs.
NOTES
Nutrition
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FAQs
This dish pairs well with simple sides that complement the sweet, citrusy glaze. Try serving it with smoked paprika roasted potatoes, wild rice, cauliflower couscous, or a light green salad. Steamed green beans, sautéed spinach, or roasted carrots also work well with the orange and date flavors.
Once cool, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to four days. Reheat in a covered dish at 325°F until warmed through. You can also freeze the cooked chicken (without the orange slices) for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge, and bake as usual when you’re ready to serve.
I made this for my mom this last Hanukkah. The whole family LOVED it! Seriously!! And I was only able to let marinade for an hour. I’m going to make it again this week. Planning ahead for an overnight marinade this time. It should be mind blowing! Can’t wait!! Thank you for this amazing and amazingly easy recipe.
Glad to hear this Sheri!
Looks amazing! Do you think I can make this in the crock pot? I know that it won’t have that crispiness but will the sugars burn? (I’d plan to make this on a Friday afternoon to have for Sabbath lunch). Thanks!! Love your site btw!
Hi Yael! You know, I’m not sure… without testing it first I would hesitate to recommend. If you try it will you let us know how it went?
I am happy for the best recipe of chicken with oranges
Love this!
I made this tonight using boneless chicken breasts and cooked it at 350-400 without basting. I also had marinated it for over 24 hours. While delicious, it was a little spicier than when I marinated it for only a couple of hours. Also, I preferred how it came out when I used bone in thighs and breasts. I was having 17 people and thought boneless would be easier. Love the recipe and would use it again!
Hi Tori! I made this last week to test the recipe for Rosh HaShana and it was delicious! My question is-i need to make this for 20 people and was wondering if you have any suggestions on how to do that easily? I know that pre frying looks prettier, but does the taste change if I skip that step?
Glad you like it! The frying step makes the skin a bit crispy, but the 500 degree roast at the end will help with that as well. You can also do a quick broil at the end if you need to crisp it up further, just watch VERY carefully to make sure the skin doesn’t burn… the date has natural sugars that can blacken quickly if you don’t keep a close eye. 🙂 L’shana tova!
I’m not sure about the hot sauce
Could I use ketchup instead?if not, could you please suggest some alternative?
Thanks
The hot sauce does not make the end product spicy, but if you want to sub it just add an additional 1/4 cup of orange juice. I do not recommend ketchup.
Instead of discarding the marinade, is there any reason it couldn’t be boiled to kill any bacteria and to thicken it and then to use it as a sauce?
You can, but be careful – you’ll need to boil it well to kill all the bacteria, and citrus juice can get really bitter when you reduce it too much. It might work, but I tend to avoid doing this with citrus marinades due to the bitterness factor. Also I generally prefer making a fresh sauce rather than using marinade– just a personal preference.
Can any other type of honey/syrup be used? If so, what kind?
Agave works. Regular honey works too, but reduce the amount a bit because it’s naturally sweeter than date honey.
Quick question: if I double the recipe, how should I adjust the oven temp/cooking time?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Liz! Oven temp will be the same, but it may take a bit longer to cook the whole batch. Just make sure you use a thermometer to check both dishes of chicken, they each need to reach 165-170 degrees Fahrenheit internally before increasing the temperature for browning the glaze.
HI,
I am making this for tomorrow and I realized that the oil amount is a bit confusing. Is it 3 tbsp in the marinade and the 1/2 cup for the frying?
Thanks and Happy New Year,
Julie August
Happy new year Julie! It is 3 tbsp oil in the marinade and 1/2 cup for frying. Enjoy!
Hi Tori,
This recipe sounds lovely!
Can I use something other than
hot sauce? When serving on a platter,
should the orange slices be on the
bottom or top of chicken?
L’Shana Tova,
Miriam
Hi Miriam! You can omit the hot sauce if you prefer. I typically serve with the orange slices on the bottom, since they don’t always look very pretty after the roast. Enjoy!
1/4 cup hot sauce = Please explain what that is and give an alternative for those living outside USA