Thai-Spiced Mandarin Orange Roasted Chicken Thighs

Thai-Spiced Mandarin Orange Roasted Chicken Thighs are a simple sheet pan supper, perfect for weeknights. You’ll love the flavors of citrus and red curry! This post is brought to you by Wonderful Halos.

One of the most frequently questions I hear is “what’s for dinner?” I hear this from my family, I hear it from friends, and I hear it from strangers. Yes, strangers — like when I’m checking out at the grocery store! Between you and me, I wish I could say that I am one of those people who meal plan for the week and can easily answer this age-old question at the drop of a hat. But the truth is, in most cases, I am the worst at meal planning, and guilty of leaving the decision of what to make for dinner until the last minute.

My version of meal planning, if you could call it that, looks like this:

Go to the market and head to the butcher counter. Settle on a variety of proteins, one of which invariably will involve chicken thighs, because goodness knows I can make so many things from chicken thighs. Whether in soup or in an adobo, I know I can always count on chicken thighs.

Once I’ve settled on the protein, then it’s time to check the produce and the pantry to see what strikes the imagination. My pantry is always stocked with red curry paste, onions, and garlic, and the fruit bowl on the counter is always brimming with sweet, juicy Wonderful Halos, which, as you know, I keep fully stocked for snacking and packed lunches. My kids love them because they are sweet, seedless and easy to peel. While Wonderful Halos are perfect for snacking, I have really loved how they add that unexpected twist and colorful addition to dishes, from muffins to salads, and now, dinner! Putting these ingredients together seemed a no-brainer.

I’ve found myself making this Thai-Spiced Mandarin Orange Roasted Chicken Thighs quite a lot this winter. Sheet pan suppers are always perfect for busy weeknights, and infusing brightness from mandarin orange zest into a Thai-style rub gives the chicken a flavorful twist that easily tricks my family into thinking that I had planned this meal well in advance.

With gorgeous caramelized vegetables and sticky slices of Halos mandarins that glaze the crisp chicken skin, you could easily serve these roasted chicken thighs for entertaining or for a simple weeknight supper. No one has to know that you didn’t plan it far in advance (though if you do allow the chicken to marinate, all the better) — your secret — our secret! — is safe with me.

Disclosure: This post is brought to you in partnership with Wonderful Halos. Thank you for supporting brands that matter to me; sponsored posts such as this help behind the scenes at Kitchen Confidante. All opinions in this post are, as always, my own.

MORE CHICKEN RECIPES

Soba Noodles and Chicken with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
Pressure Cooker Creamy Rotisserie Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Honey Mustard Citrus Chicken with Mango Chutney

SIDE DISHES TO SERVE WITH ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS

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Broccoli Risotto
Bok Choy Risotto with Coconut Milk
Hot Chili Blistered Asparagus with Sriracha Aioli
Puto: Filipino Steamed Rice Cakes

Thai-Spiced Mandarin Orange Roasted Chicken Thighs

Thai-Spiced Mandarin Orange Roasted Chicken Thighs are a simple sheet pan supper, perfect for weeknights. You’ll love the flavors of citrus and red curry!

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5 from 1 vote

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Thai

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 534kcal

Author Liren Baker

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 lbs bone-in chicken thighs 8 pieces
• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• ▢ 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon mandarin orange zest
• ▢ kosher salt to taste
• ▢ freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ▢ 3 Wonderful Halos mandarin oranges thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 onion sliced in 6 wedges
• ▢ 1 fennel bulb sliced in wedges
• ▢ 1 head of garlic halved crosswise
• ▢ fresh basil for garnish
• ▢ fennel fronds for garnish

COOK MODEPrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F with the wire rack placed in the center of the oven.
• Pat the dry chicken with paper towels and place on a foil lined baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, red curry paste and mandarin orange zest until well combined.
• Gently rub the red curry paste mixture between the skin and flesh of the chicken thighs, as well on the skin.
• Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, toss the mandarin orange slices, onion, fennel and garlic in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and scatter on the baking sheet with the chicken.
• Roast in the oven for 35 minutes, or until the chicken is 165°F.
• Garnish with basil and fennel fronds. Serve immediately.

Notes

Have some time? If you'd like to marinate your chicken for extra flavor, prepare the chicken thighs with the red curry paste and salt and pepper as explained in the recipe above. Refrigerate in a non-reactive container (such as a glass dish or a large zip top plastic bag) for 2 hours. Continue with recipe and bake on a foil-lined baking sheet as directed.

Nutrition

Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 189mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 656mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1290IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg

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