Roast Chicken with Blood Orange and Olives

Next time you pick up a package of chicken, think about stopping by the olive bar and produce section for a couple of quick additions. The briny green olives and sweet acidity of the oranges makes a wonderful sauce when you deglaze the pan with a little Marsala. Red onions, a little garlic, and thyme are the only other players in this game.

I’ve got a long history with chicken and citrus here on the blog, my MEYER LEMON ROAST CHICKEN uses a little Limoncello in the sauce, the epic ROAST CHICKEN WITH CLEMENTINES is a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe, and LEMON CHICKEN BIRYANI is one of my faves.

The raspberry-citrus flavor and blush color of blood oranges is irresistible to me, but don’t despair if you can’t find them, any number of sliced citrus fruits would work here, you could try Meyer lemons or tangerines, for instance.

What are blood oranges?

Blood oranges are a Mediterranean variety with dramatic ruby flesh colored by anthocyanins — the same antioxidants found in blueberries and black rice.

• Flavor is bright, citrusy, and slightly berry-like
• Juice ranges from rosy pink to deep crimson
• Gorgeous in dressings, desserts, cocktails, and sauces
• Main varieties: Tarocco, Moro, and Sanguinello
• Color intensity depends on climate and growing conditions

From the outside they look like regular oranges, so check labels in the produce section ~ they’re easy to miss 👍

Are blood oranges worth the effort to find them?

Yes! But not because they’re trendy or healthy (which they are) but because they’re such a pleasure for all your senses. You’re only going to find them in season, in the middle of winter, so hunt some down soon!

I love blood oranges for their beauty and their unique flavor. Also try my Blood Orange Pound Cake and Blood Orange Margarita Cocktail!

Ingredient spotlight ~ Marsala wine

Marsala is a fortified Italian wine (like sherry or port) with rich, complex flavor and a higher alcohol content than table wine.

• Essential for classic Chicken Marsala and many Italian sauces
• Adds deep savory sweetness to stews, pan sauces, and risotto
• Buy drinking-quality Marsala from the wine aisle — skip “cooking Marsala”
• Dry Marsala is best for savory dishes
• Keeps for months in a cool cupboard

A small bottle goes a long way ~ once you have it, you’ll find yourself reaching for it often.

Add The View from Great Island as a Trusted Google Source

Chicken with Blood Orange and Olives

4.20 from 20 votes

Roast chicken with blood oranges and green olives is an easy one-pan dinner with bold sweet-tart citrus and savory briny flavor ~ simple enough for weeknights, special enough for company.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time:20 minutes minutes

Cook Time:40 minutes minutes

Total Time:1 hour hour

Servings: 6

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

• 1 fryer chicken, cut into 8 parts
• 2 Tbsp olive oil plus more for brushing
• salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 medium red onion, peeled, halved, and cut into thin wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 cup Marsala
• juice of 1 blood orange
• 1 cup green olives
• 2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced

garnish

• extra thyme sprigs

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375F
• Heat a heavy skillet that is big enough to fit all the chicken in a single layer on medium high and lightly coat the bottom with olive oil. Brush the chicken pieces with oil and season with salt and pepper on all sides. Brown the chicken on both sides, starting with the skin side down, and working in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Add more oil if necessary.
• Remove the chicken to a plate and reduce the heat. Add the onions to the pan and saute for a few minutes, just to soften them a bit. Add the garlic and saute for a minute or two more.
• Pour the Marsala into the pan and stir to get any browned bits off the bottom, then add the orange juice. Arrange the chicken pieces back into the pan, skin side up. Add several sprigs of thyme, bring to a boil, and then put the pan in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Take the chicken out of the oven and add the olives and orange slices. Put back in the oven for a further 20 minutes, or until the chicken is done through. If you’d like more caramelization, slide the pan under the broiler for a few minutes, but watch it carefully.
• Serve right away, garnished with fresh thyme leaves. Be sure to spoon all that good sauce over the chicken, too!

NEW FEATURE! Click here to add your own private notes.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: blood orange, chicken, citrus, dinner, healthy, Mediterranean

Nutrition

Calories: 396 kcal · Carbohydrates: 8 g · Protein: 24 g · Fat: 27 g · Saturated Fat: 7 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 14 g · Trans Fat: 0.1 g · Cholesterol: 95 mg · Sodium: 443 mg · Potassium: 333 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 4 g · Vitamin A: 301 IU · Vitamin C: 12 mg · Calcium: 37 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

Did You Make This?We love seeing what you’ve made! Tag us on social media at @theviewfromgreatisland for a chance to be featured.

Variation ideas

• Use all chicken thighs if you like.
• Any type of olive will work, I think the black wrinkly Kalamata olives would be great, too.
• For Paleo and Whole 30, use chicken broth in place of the Marsala.

*Recipe lightly adapted from A Bird in the Hand by Diana Henry