Pollo a la Naranja
We’re off! To Tasmania, that is! The whole clan is headed for a weekend trip and it’s going to be a blast! So if you don’t hear from me for a few days – you now know why! In the meantime, I’ll leave you with The Blog Monster’s quick and easy weekday meal. Pollo a la Naranja, literally translated, means Chicken in Orange Sauce.
When the Blog Monster is around (she stays in my house when she is on holiday), one of our nightly rituals is to sit down and discuss “what’s for dinner tomorrow”. Sometimes, as you can imagine, there is a long debate that ensues. We look through cookbooks, reminisce about recent meals in wonderful restaurants or talk about fine dishes we’ve had in the past. Sometimes, we nominate an ingredient and go over numerous variations before deciding on “the one”.
The other night we nominated chicken. It felt a bit like a game show where The Blog Monster would rattle off one dish that she thought would be great to make using the chicken and I would counter with another dish. The winner, would be the one who came up with the best dish.
“Chicken Imperial” (she said)
“Roast Chicken” (me)
“Chicken in Garlic Sauce (her turn)
“Fried Chicken” (mine)
…. and on and on… until she said “Pollo a la Naranja” and it just clicked!
When you try this dish you will understand why this was the winner. A deliciously braised chicken dish finished off with some white wine and the juice and rind of a few oranges. And of course, honey to give the sauce a richer flavour!
Chicken in Orange Sauce
Recipe (serves 4 to 6)
- 6 chicken thighs
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced finely
- 2 oranges
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock (optional)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- salt and pepper to taste
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper
- In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and fry the chicken pieces until golden. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- In the same pan fry the onions over medium heat until translucent. Add the chicken back into the pan.
- Add the white wine into the pan and reduce until you have half the liquid
- Remove some orange rind and juice the oranges.
- Add the orange juice and simmer until the chicken is cooked and tender, around 20 minutes.
- If the sauce isn’t enough at this point feel free to add some chicken stock (maybe half a cup or so) Add the orange rind and honey and simmer a little longer until the sauce thickens.
- Test for seasoning before serving
Pollo a la Naranja
Trissalicious 
It s like a poor man s versison of duck a la orange, if you like that orangy flavor. So easy to fo and no need of many ingredients at hand.
This looks like an incredible chicken dish. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe.
Mmmm…. I bet the use of orange and honey provide that delicious sweet and tangy flavours on the chicken! Have fun in Tassie Triss!
It looks gorgeous! I can see why it just “clicked” when that suggestion came up.
Ooh! Another “blog monster” specialty…love the use of citrus here! Enjoy Tassie Trissa!
Hope you’re having a fantastic time in Tasmania! I still have yet to visit it. So wonderful that you get to have these food conversations with The Blog Monster 🙂
ooh yum, this sounds and looks delicious. i love the nightly debates that you have, at least there are no surprises at dinner time and you get what you want 😉
Have a great trip and take lots of pictures to post the the blog! I love the photos you took here. Just lovely!
hi! looks yummy! iv never played around white/red wine when it comes to cooking so i dunno which brand to use. any suggestions? thanks! will definitely try this dish
So simple, so tasty! I was just reading a book on Spanish cuisine and a recipe very close to this one was included in the chapter on Valencia – Pechuga de Pollo a La Naranja (Chicken Breasts with Orange). Yours is simpler in that the sauce over top is a sweet orange-y glaze. The Pechuga has a puree of sauteed carrots,onion, lime juice, orange juice, a tiny bit of sugar, and white wine that serves as a sauce in which the seared chicken breasts rest… until they are gobbled up! Both are worthy! Love your use of thighs! Dark meat is more flavorful to me! And less expensive also! Yum! Kudos to you and Blog Monster!
Tasmania is a beautiful place that I traveled there many years ago!
Enjoy your trip with your family, Trissa!
Have fun in Tasmania, this trip sounds wonderful. Pollo a la Naranja looks very yummy. I made a braised chicken with fennel and lemon the other day and we loved it. I feel your chicken will be same delicious.
Looks fantastic. Really refreshing with the orange flavor. Whatever chicken dish you cook, I will eat it Trissa. 😀
love orange flavored chicken. have a good trip!
Have a fantastic time in Tasmania!! And take some photos for me of the Tasmanian devil… 🙂 I hear they are very voracious (truly… I have no idea how you write that word… forocius? Foracieus…??) Have fun and in the meantime I will salivate all over that Pollo a la Naranja. I just love citrus fruit with chicken!!
Mmm!! I love the combination of citrus & white meat. My Mum makes a similar dish with pork and it’s great too. I want this for dinner!
Trissia,
I like swet and savory dishes, and this one looks fantastic. I’ll have to try it, especially that it looks delicious!
Nisrine
I would love to make a Duck version of this………………the BM ROCKSSSSS!!!!!!!! Move over Tris….just for a few days and have a great time in Tasmania
I love the orange flavour to the chicken. I’m sure the sauce taste awesome. It’s a beautiful dish. Have a lovely trip, Trissa!
Super recipe! Love orange with chicken.
Have a fabulous trip!
This was so delicious, I had to eat as much of it as I cud! A definite crowd pleaser!!
Have fun on your trip! While you are gone, I will continue to be tantalized by this beautiful dish. It sounds quite fantastic.
It is such an ordeal for me to decide on recipes to make as well! Takes hours.
have a great time in Tassie! This chicken looks superb -I have made marmalade chicken before, and I really liked the orange-chicken combination.
Good to know you’re going on a family vacation, Trissa. Have fun, all of you! Thanks for leaving us with something to drool over … until your next droolworthy post! 🙂
It really strikes me as lovely how much both you and your mother love and respect food =) Have a great time in Tasmania, and I hope you get a chance to try out the local produce!
Have a great trip Trissa. Your mum should needs her own page on your blog. The Blog Monsters Chronicles. Eheheheh. Oranges and chicken are a fab combination. I’m sure this was absolutely delicious.
Yep, this dish deserved to win the dinner contest. I’m beginning to like the Blog Monster more and more.
Have a great trip Trissa and family!
Have a great trip Trissa (and clan). I love citrus flavours and this looks right up my alley. Been itching to make that mango jubilee too but how cold did it get today? There’s always tomorrow 🙂
Have a great holiday, my friend! I was cleaning out my voicemail today and listened to the message you left me again. Fond memories of Australia!
Have so much fun:)
And everything tastes great in a cazuela..especially chicken w/ citrus..I had a wonderful cooking class last yr that incorporated those 3:)
Thank you~
Enjoy your weekend! I like the orange touch in this dish,must be delicious – reminds of a dish I had made years ago… I think it was rack of pork with orange glaze…
Chicken and orange go so well together..
I would enjoy your chicken. With the orange it must have such a fresh taste.
Can I drop by for a dinner cooked by your mom? This chicken recipe is a winner! HAve a great holiday in Tassie!
A divine chicken dish, Trissa!!
I so love it!!
Tasmania!!! Awesome !! Have loooadsa fun! :)))) can’t wait to hear about the trip when you are back! :))