Orange and Thyme Chicken Recipe

With just one skillet and a very minimal prep time, this recipe delivers tender chicken legs with golden skin and a sweet, citrusy flavor.

It might sound a little strange to use ketchup in the sauce with all the other ingredients, but just try it out – it adds richness and body, and a different flavor from the typical range of orange sauces. Think of something like a sweet orange BBQ sauce rather than a clear orange glaze.

Chicken legs are nice to cook with because they don’t dry out as easily as chicken breasts, so they’re pretty low-maintenance for the chef.

And you get that delicious layer of skin on the top: what’s not to appreciate about that? And like any other kind of baked chicken, this recipe is great for leftovers and lunchboxes, whether you heat it up or carve the meat off the bones and serve it over a salad.

The sweetness makes this recipe a great one for kids – well, that and the fact that you can put it on the table almost as soon as they get hungry. Try it with some sweet potato fries for kid-friendly finger food and maybe some oven-roasted cauliflower for a non-starchy vegetable.

Orange and Thyme Chicken Recipe

SERVES: 4 PREP: 15 min COOK: 30 min

Ingredients

• 6 chicken legs, skin on
• Zest and juice of 2 oranges
• ¼ cup homemade ketchup
• 3 tbsp. coconut aminos
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
• 2 tbsp. cooking fat
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
2. In a bowl, combine the orange juice, orange zest, ketchup, coconut aminos, and thyme.
3. Season each chicken leg with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Melt some cooking fat in an oven-proof skillet placed over high heat.
5. Brown the chicken legs for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
6. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.