Baked Orange Marmalade Chicken
This Orange Marmalade Chicken is a unique spin on the popular Chinese takeout dish. Everyone loves this fast, easy, and budget-friendly version of classic orange chicken!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
✔ Minimal Prep Work — The orange marmalade sauce takes less than 5 minutes to whisk together, then it’s poured over the chicken and baked.
✔ Bursting with Flavor — The combination of sticky orange marmalade, salty soy sauce, and tangy rice vinegar mimics the orange sauce served at your local Chinese restaurant.
✔ Family-Friendly — Parents and kids alike will happily gobble up this simple recipe, especially when it’s served over fragrant jasmine rice.
If you love the breaded and fried orange chicken that your local Chinese restaurant serves, then you’re going to go nuts for this sweet and spicy orange marmalade chicken.
It’s a more wholesome and budget-friendly take on the popular takeout dish. Juicy chicken breasts are coated in a sticky orange sauce made from orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a few other Asian-inspired ingredients.
The sauce takes less than 5 minutes to whisk together, then it’s poured over the chicken and the whole thing gets baked.
If you’re constantly looking for quick and easy recipes to add to your weeknight rotation, I guarantee this will be a winner-winner-chicken-dinner.
★★★★★
Reader Review
“This orange chicken is a new family favorite! It has all the flavor we love from take out orange chicken but it is much healthier. And, truly, it is just as easy to make as it is to order/wait for take out! We had ours with steamed white rice and sesame green beans. Perfection!”
—Rachael
Tools You’ll Need
You’ll need a few kitchen tools to prepare this recipe. Here’s what I recommend having on hand before getting started:
- Measuring Cups and Spoons — For measuring out the sauce ingredients.
- Small Bowl and Whisk — For combining the sauce.
- Oven-Safe Skillet or Baking Pan — For baking the chicken.
Recipe Ingredients
This truly is the most incredible orange marmalade glazed chicken recipe. It requires just 9 simple ingredients and can be whipped up at a moment’s notice. Find the exact measurements and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken Thighs — We like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs, but you can also use bone-in, skin-on. For best results, I do recommend browning the thighs first if you use skin on.
- Soy Sauce — Swap with tamari to keep this recipe gluten-free.
- Chili Garlic Sauce — Just 1 tablespoon adds a subtle kick of heat without overwhelming the sauce.
- Rice Vinegar — Balances out the sweetness from the OJ and marmalade.
- Orange Juice — Ideally you’d use freshly squeezed, but bottled works too.
- Olive Oil — Feel free to use another favorite cooking oil.
- Sweet Orange Marmalade — This is the flavor foundation for the sauce, so choose a quality jar!
- Ginger Paste — Can be replaced with approx. ½ inch of grated fresh ginger.
- Cornstarch — Thickens the sauce and gives it a glossy sheen. Do not omit!
Katie’s Tip: I’ve only ever made this orange glazed chicken recipe with full-sugar orange marmalade. I’m not sure how the flavor or texture would be affected if you used low-sugar or sugar-free marmalade.
How to Make Orange Marmalade Chicken
This flavor-packed chicken recipe is ready for the oven in less than 10 minutes, perfect for those busy days. Here’s a quick overview of how it’s made:
- Make the orange sauce. Keep whisking until there are no more cornstarch lumps.
- Season the chicken. Good old salt and pepper will do.
- Bake, covered with foil. Douse the chicken in the orange marmalade sauce, then bake for 20 minutes.
- Baste, then continue baking. Remove the foil and baste the chicken with the juices. Keep baking, uncovered, until done.
The above is simply a quick summary of this orange marmalade chicken recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Recipe FAQs
Got questions about how to make this recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.
What type of orange marmalade should I use?
Use sweet orange marmalade, NOT bitter orange marmalade. They’re two separate products with wildly different flavor profiles.
Can low-sugar orange marmalade be used?
I’ve only ever made this orange glazed chicken recipe with full-sugar orange marmalade. I’m not sure how the flavor or texture would be affected if you used low-sugar or sugar-free marmalade.
Can I Use Chicken Breasts Instead of Thighs?
Yes, but chicken breasts may need to cook for a longer amount of time. For larger chicken breasts, cut them in half so they are closer to the size of chicken thighs.
Since chicken breasts are much thicker, I recommend browning them on both sides before baking.
What to Serve on the Side
- Carbs — Pair it with steamed or Instant Pot rice, coconut rice, or coconut quinoa.
- Vegetables — We love crispy roast broccoli or garlic green beans and mushrooms on the side (omit the bacon).
- Salads — Make an Asian cabbage salad (omit the chicken) to add some freshness.
Storage Instructions
Let any leftover chicken cool before storing in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
You can reheat the chicken in the oven or in a skillet with some of the sauce to prevent it from drying out.
Try Making This Recipe at Home!
Next time you’re looking for an easy take on your favorite carry-out meal, give this orange marmalade chicken recipe a try!
Has this become a family favorite weeknight dinner recipe? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this simple recipe.
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More Quick and Easy Chicken Dinners:
These Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps take just 20 minutes to prepare and are packed with your favorite Asian-inspired flavors.
Saucy Herbs de Provence Chicken is an easy one-skillet dinner recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights!
Baked Honey Mustard Chicken is one of our favorite recipes. Chicken tenderloins are baked in a sweet and savory honey mustard sauce with sprigs of fresh rosemary.
This Rosemary Roasted Chicken is super moist with a crispy skin. Enjoy tonight for dinner and repurpose the leftovers in another dish tomorrow!
Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.
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What’s your favorite easy chicken recipe?
Baked Orange Marmalade Chicken Recipe
Orange marmalade chicken is a quick, family-friendly dinner with a sweet, savory, and tangy sauce. This twist on takeout orange chicken is made with pantry staples and pairs perfectly with rice and veggies for a crowd-pleasing meal.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds chicken thigh, or tenderloins
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the Orange Marmalade Sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 cup sweet orange marmalade
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
For Serving
- White Rice
- Broccoli or Green Beans
For Garnish
- Sliced Green Onions
- Sesame Seeds
Instructions
Make the Orange Marmalade Sauce
- In a small mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, chili garlic paste, rice vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, orange marmalade, ginger paste, and cornstarch.
- Whisk everything together until the mixture is smooth and the cornstarch is fully dissolved with no lumps.
Baking the Orange Marmalade Chicken
- Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in an oven-safe baking dish. Use something like a braiser or any deep baking dish that fits the chicken comfortably. (I like to use my Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 3-1/2-Quart Round Braiser for this recipe.)
- Season the tops of the chicken with salt and pepper to your liking. Then, pour the prepared orange marmalade sauce evenly over the chicken.
- Cover the dish with a lid or foil and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the cover and use a spoon or baster to coat the chicken with some of the sauce from the pan. Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes.
- The chicken is done when it’s browned on top and cooked through with an internal temperature of 165°F.
Serving the Chicken
- Serve the chicken over white rice with a side of steamed broccoli or green beans.
- Spoon some of the extra orange marmalade sauce from the baking dish over the top for added flavor. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions.
Notes
Optional: For an extra touch of orange, add some orange zest to the sauce.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 381Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 502mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 0gSugar: 24gProtein: 26g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Andrea says
Just made this for my family and they’re still talking about how much they loved it! It’s the right amount of sweet and heat, easy to make; This recipe is going on the permanent rotation!
Rachael says
This orange chicken is a new family favorite! It has all the flavor we love from take out orange chicken but it is much healthier. And, truly, it is just as easy to make as it is to order/wait for take out! We had ours with steamed white rice and sesame green beans. Perfection!
Lesley says
This is my favorite recipe. However, if I don’t have orange juice, can I swap something else out? Do you think apple juice would be OK? Or should I just not worry about it.
Katie Kick says
Apple juice might not be a bad idea. Another idea would be to substitute chicken broth.
Denise says
Where do you get the chili garlic paste or what ingredients do you need to make it thank you
Katie Kick says
This is the chili garlic sauce I use. I find it at my grocery store, but you can also purchase on Amazon.
Laura says
I made this with skinless thighs. It’s very tasty and easy to make. Pretty much followed your recipe exactly, but used red wine vinegar since that’s what I had. You ought to put the orange juice into the printable recipe.
Katie says
Glad you liked it and thank you for letting me know about the recipe card issue. I have edited it to fix the problem. Have a great day!
Allison says
I love your honey mustard chicken and this looks amazing too! Definitely on the dinner menu!