This recipe for Hoisin Orange Glazed Chicken Thighs makes succulent, juicy chicken with hints of orange, ginger, and garlic. Brown chicken in a skillet, then add a delicious sauce and bake it in the oven. An easy 30-minute recipe!
While you'll find over 80 chicken recipes here on Flavour and Savour, I'm always looking for more ways to cook chicken!
If you are too, here's an easy chicken recipe with Asian flavors that requires only a few ingredients and is quick to prepare.
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❤️Why this recipe works
Balanced flavors: This Hoisin Orange Glazed Chicken has a beautiful balance of sweet and savory. Oranges add just the right amount of natural sweetness and acid to balance the richly flavored hoisin sauce.
An easy weeknight meal: This recipe makes a simple weeknight dinner. Chinese orange chicken is also a great recipe for a simple dinner party, served over rice with green vegetables and an interesting salad.
Easy to double: You can easily double the recipe, and if you're using fresh chicken, freeze half together with the glaze to bake another day.
🛒 Ingredients for hoisin orange chicken
You'll find a complete list of ingredients with quantities in the recipe card below. You will need:
- chicken thighs: skinless, boneless chicken thighs or skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
- 2 large fresh oranges: one to zest and squeeze for the recipe, one to slice for a garnish
- orange juice: freshly squeezed is best, but I've also used prepared orange juice at times.
- tamari sauce: gluten-free, or coconut aminos for a Paleo diet, or soy sauce
- hoisin sauce: store-bought. Check the label to make sure it's gluten-free.
- fresh garlic cloves
- fresh ginger
- coconut sugar
- parsley or green onions for garnish
🔪 Easy steps to make hoisin orange glazed chicken
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large oven-proof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, then brown the chicken thighs on both sides for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Remove to a plate or bowl and cover with foil to keep them warm.
- Sauté the garlic then add the glaze ingredients (hoisin sauce, orange juice, tamari, ginger, orange zest, and coconut sugar) to the pan. Stir until well combined.
- Add the chicken pieces back into the skillet, and stir to coat evenly with the glaze.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165°F. when inserted into the thickest part of the thighs.
- Tuck orange slices in between the thighs, garnish with fresh parsley and/or green onions or sesame seeds, and serve hot.
🔁 Possible Variations
If you'd like to add a little more heat to this orange hoisin sauce, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the glaze.
This hoisin orange chicken sauce would be delicious as a glaze for air fryer chicken wings, too.
If you prefer, you can cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces before browning.
❓Reader's Questions
While you can technically replace hoisin sauce with oyster sauce in a recipe, it's important to note that they have distinct flavors and characteristics, so the result may not be the same.
Here's a brief comparison of hoisin sauce and oyster sauce:
Hoisin sauce is sweet, salty, and slightly tangy. It often contains ingredients like soybeans, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and spices. It's a thick sauce with a consistency similar to barbecue sauce.
It's commonly used as a glaze for roasted or grilled meats, a dipping sauce for spring rolls and dumplings, and as a condiment in stir-fries and noodle dishes.
Oyster Sauce has a rich, savory, slightly sweet flavor. It's made from oyster extracts, soy sauce, sugar, and other seasonings. It's thicker and stickier than hoisin sauce.
Oyster sauce is frequently used in stir-fries and as a finishing sauce for veggies and meats.
If you decide to substitute oyster sauce for hoisin sauce in your recipe for Hoisin Orange Glazed Chicken Thighs, be aware that the flavor profile will change. The dish may become more savory and less sweet compared to the original recipe.
🍽 What to serve with hoisin orange chicken
Elevate your meal of hoisin chicken with any of these side dishes.
- Brown or Jasmine Rice: Fluffy and fragrant, jasmine rice is the perfect accompaniment to soak up the delicious hoisin orange glaze. I like to cook it in my Instant Pot.
- Cauliflower Rice: for a low-carb option, serve it over cauliflower rice.
- Stir-Fried Vegetables: A variety of crisp, colorful vegetables like broccoli, bell peppers, and snow peas stir-fried with garlic and ginger make an ideal side for this easy meal.
- Asian Pear Slaw with Ginger and Lime: A refreshing slaw that pairs well with any Thai or Asian dish. It's naturally sweet and gently seasoned with ginger and lime.
- Steamed Bok Choy: Lightly steamed bok choy drizzled with a bit of tamari makes for a simple green side dish.
- Thai Mango Salad with Peanuts: a light, refreshing salad made with thinly sliced mangoes, red bell peppers, cucumbers, and onions.
- Asian Pear Chopped Salad: bursting with crisp pears, crunchy vegetables, sweet cranberries, and tangy blue cheese, all on a bed of fresh crisp lettuce.
- Asian Broccoli Salad with Peanut Dressing: Simply satisfying with amazing flavors!
- Miso Noodle Soup: A small bowl of miso soup can start the meal off with a warm, umami-rich appetizer that complements the chicken.
- Edamame: Add a pop of green to your meal with steamed edamame sprinkled with a little sea salt.
- Keep it easy with green beans! Try these Sesame Ginger Green Beans for a quick side dish.
🕑 Storage Instructions
To store: Refrigerate leftover chicken promptly in a covered container. It will last for up to 3 days.
To reheat: Want to enjoy it again the next day? Cover with foil and reheat in a 350°F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through.
Freeze it: Freeze cooked glazed hoisin chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
🗒 More chicken recipes
- Easy Thai Baked Chicken
- Sheet Pan Chicken and Roasted Harvest Vegetables
- Easy Baked Lemon Chicken
- Crock-Pot Sticky Chicken Thighs
📖 Recipe
Hoisin Orange Glazed Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 8 medium boneless, skinless hicken thighs
- ½ cup hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed is best
- 1 tablespoon tamari sauce, gluten-free, (or soy sauce or coconut aminos)
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 large orange, sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In a large oven-proof skillet, heat the oil, then brown the chicken thighs on both sides for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Remove to a plate or bowl and cover with foil to keep them warm.
- Sauté the garlic then add the glaze ingredients (hoisin sauce, orange juice, tamari, ginger, orange zest and coconut sugar) to the pan. Stir until well combined.
- Add the chicken pieces back into the skillet, and stir to coat evenly with the glaze. Tuck orange slices in between the thighs.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165°F. when inserted into the thickest part of the thighs.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and/or sesame seeds and serve hot.
Tracey-Lee Perry
This is a wonderful dish. Its become one of my go to dishes. The family love it 🙂
mary fischer
I'm going to serve this with Trader Joe's chicken fried rice for an easy, tasty meal.
Flavour & Savour
Oh! That sound like a great idea! I love fried rice.
jeff
This looks beautiful and delicious! Love your photos. Thanks for the recipe.
Bethany @ athletic avocado
WOW these chicken thighs look incredible! I'm actually drooling just by looking at the pics! Winner winner chicken dinner 😉
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Bethany! Yup--this one was a winner! 🙂
Flavour & Savour
Thanks! We love this dish. So easy!
Marie-Pierre Breton
This chicken looks just divine! Oh man I wish I could just grab one and bite into that caramelised crust! Yum!
Bernice Hill
I could probably live without oranges...but why would I want to? This sounds like a great dish to have as a last minute chicken dish arsenal!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Bernice! Yes, it's a quick one!