![Skillet Chicken With Black Beans, Rice and Chiles](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/10/11/dining/ml-chicken-and-black-beans/merlin_160015383_4bd71410-dc4f-487f-92e6-c664995b50e0-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Skillet Chicken With Turmeric and Orange
![Skillet Chicken With Turmeric and Orange](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2022/07/25/dining/nb-orange-and-turmeric-chicken/merlin_207648057_ab4f8964-94a7-4246-a5fb-77484042845e-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- ½medium onion, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 5tablespoons olive oil
- 1tablespoon honey
- 2teaspoons dried mint
- 3garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
- 1tablespoon grated orange zest (from about 2 large oranges), plus ¼ cup orange juice
- 1teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¾teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼teaspoon black pepper
- 1pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
Preparation
- Step 1
Marinate the chicken: Place the onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, dried mint, garlic, orange zest, orange juice, turmeric, salt and black pepper in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the chicken and turn to coat with the marinade. Cover and leave in the fridge until ready to cook or for up to 12 hours.
- Step 2
When ready to cook, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet or frying pan over medium-high and wait for the pan to become very hot. (This ensures a nice sear.)
- Step 3
Add the chicken and the marinade to the pan, and cook until chicken is browned underneath and easily releases from the pan, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir the onions every now and then so that they cook evenly. If the pan looks dry, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan to prevent the juices from drying out. Flip the chicken and cook on the other side until the chicken is cooked through, another 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
A question for the experienced cooks out there: I’m wondering how you can add all that liquid marinade to the pan along with the chicken and expect to get a good sear. It seems to me you’d want to first sear just the chicken on both sides, nearly cooking it completely. Then remove to a plate, pour the marinade into the pan, bring it to a boil and then add the chicken back for a little more cooking. If you follow the instructions, don’t you end up with braised, flabby chicken instead of crust?
I have fresh mint. Do I need to dry it for this recipe or just double the amount?
LIChef is so right. Direction to add chicken and marinade to hot pan is insane and results only is messy splattering and not seared chicken. Drain chicken, sear separately then add marinade to reduce and fully cook chicken. Easier, smarter and cleaner.
This was a delicious take on boneless chicken. I used thighs. It was very easy because I had everything on hand - no running to the store for something or other - except I used fresh, instead of dry, mint. I grilled the chicken and put the remaining marinade in a small pot and cooked it a bit. Then I poured the heated sauce on the cooked chicken. The 1 1/3 lbs of chicken was barely enough for 3 of us - it was that good! Next time I'll use more chicken. And there WILL be a next time!
I stuck to recipe and used fresh mint but I seared each side then finished in oven at 375 for 20 minutes, very nice and juicy, the flavors exploded, next time I'll add raisins or dates to balance it out.
After reading through all the comments I couldn't decide whether to cook breasts or thighs in the skillet or on the grill. I decided to do both and my husband and I voted on the tastiest. I doubled the marinade recipe and was glad I did as I like to cook double to have leftovers for the next night's dinner and chicken for sandwiches and salads. We both agreed that the thighs on the grill were the tastiest, and the orange-mint flavour came through beautifully.
Also nice in a taco! And as chicken salad! I misread the recipe and added all of the oil to the marinade. But then to get the sear, I heated up the pan with nothing in it, then pulled out the chicken and put it in the pan. Then I immediately turned down the heat just a little and put in the marinade. After 8 minutes, I flipped and there was definitely a sear, even with all the liquid. The other side seared no problem, too. At the end, I took it off the heat and let it rest with a lid on.
I imagine this could be great on a grill?
Can do on the grill. Note that not all the oil goes in the marinade. Orange zest is essential. If you use fresh mint, triple the amount.
I used this with a small pork tenderloin and it was delicious! Took the suggestion of browning the meat in cast iron first, adding the marinade for a couple of minutes after initial browning, and then popping the pan into the oven at 375 until the internal temp was 145. Served with roasted potatoes and cauliflower. Yummy meal!
Delicious! I didn’t use orange juice and instead squeezed and orange. I also added a bit of adobo seasoning. I also used fresh mint instead of dried because that’s what I had on hand. Instead of a skillet I cut the breast into 1 inch strips, skewered them and grilled them like kebabs. So flavorful!!! I had a side of basmati rice that I seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon, sprinkle of 5 spice, and a little curry powder. Use more or less spice as you wish. I am in heaven.
This was easy and delicious. Even got a thumbs up from the family. I served it with rice, and the only change I would make next time would be to toss the rice in with the chicken before serving to soak up the seasoning.
I don’t understand why people are reluctant to cook the marinade and use it as a sauce. You’re eating the chicken that was in the marinade, right? You cook the chicken to kill the bad bacteria, you can do the same with the marinade. Throwing it away is wasteful.
Made this tonight as well as the commenter below. Only change I made was used an entire medium sized yellow onion. I used thinly sliced boneless breasts (like for making Marsala or piccata, cut into 1” wide strips. Served as my side basmati rice with about a half teaspoon of cardamom seeds from pods. It was delicious & I sprinkled fresh torn mint leaves over the chicken before serving.
This turned out perfectly. The marinade reduces nicely and the chicken browns just fine. You are not actually searing it, rather just braising till brown, The onions carmelize and form nice brown bits that can be spooned over the chicken. If you were to grill it, you miss out on the onions and the moisture of the orange juice. I served it on rice with a Cote du Rhone.
This was spectacular..was definitely skeptical about the sear with so much marinade but decided to trust the recipe and low an behold it was perfect! The flavors came together incredibly..I will say that 8 minutes on each side was not enough though..maybe my breasts were very thick, added 5 more minutes cooking time and it was perfect! Served Green Salad with Dill Vinaigrette by Eric Kim, added some spicy Moroccan olives and it was perfect!! Will definitely make again!
Definitely trust the process because the results are wonderful. You will get a sear on the chicken with this method. My 2 cents: use regular chicken breasts, not thin cut, a little less oil and watch your heat. Lower heat and cover for a few minutes if the chicken is not cooked through. Stir those onions (bigger pieces are better in this one) around with a spatula and scrape up all of the caramelization. I used a large yellow onion and 2 chicken breasts that weighed 1.5 lbs total. With basmati.
Added caramelized onion to the marinade instead of the raw onions. Also added wine when adding marinade to the frying pad. Excellent!
Excellent recipe. The chicken had a beautiful sear. Great flavor combination; will make this again!
This was delicious. The marinade had so many complementary aromas and flavors -- I couldn't wait to cook the chicken. I think I would use chicken breasts next time just to get a little more meat from the marinading and cooking process. I also first heated up oil in a cast iron skillet and then added the thighs for searing, followed by baking in a 375 oven for about 22 minutes. I'll definitely make this again. The meat was tender and tasty.
Doubled recipe, slow roasted in oven, covered with foil
Flavors are terrific but the second time I made it I did this: Left the onions out of the marinade. Seared the chicken by itself, which was much easier than doing it in the liquid marinade. Then I added the onions and cooked them until they were softened and a little brown on the edges. Next I added the marinade, brought it to a boil, reduced the heat and slapped a lid on it so the chicken cooked all the way through. A few more steps, but actually easier and it made a nice saucy dish.
Tastes great and seared nicely despite the marinade. I don’t like mint so minced some fresh rosemary which goes well with orange. I bit too much oil for my taste - next time I’ll use just two T in the pan.
This is a flawed recipe. As written, it calls for searing the chicken with the marinade and onions in the pan. This both interferes with the sear process and cooks the onions until black and astringent. Sorry to say, this dish was not worth the trouble and expense making. If the searing process was skipped and the chicken and onion marinade were braised together, the dish would have been palatable.
I made this recipe as is and had no trouble getting a sear on the chicken. I stuck a lid on it for a few minutes at the end to get it up to temperature. It was tender and delicious with an interesting combination of flavors. Great recipe!
A tasty recipe, but a bit sweet for me. Next time that I cook this I will not include the honey, and think about not adding the orange juice. I think the orange zest alone would be as sweet as I would like it. I used fresh cut mint rather than dried mint. I typically will brown chicken in a pot then bake it for 20 minutes on a sheet pan. I favor the dry spices style rather Han sauces.
Very good. I made it with boneless thighs and followed LIChef's suggestion that the meat be seared separately and then finished in the marinade. Used fresh mint. I wanted extra sauce, so I added a splash of orange juice to the pan with the marinade. Garnished with orange slices, mint leaves, and blackberries -- delicious!
Followed the directions (except did not stir the onions enough)and it was a massive fail. With the pan hot enough to sear the breasts, after 5 minutes they and the onions burned. After another 5 minutes the flip side was burned and the breasts were not cooked through. To get the breasts cooked through the whole thing was basically a burned failure. If I were to make it arson, which is unlikely, I would sear the breasts, then finish in the oven as others have suggested. But I didn’t like it try.
Not sure how this one isn't 5-star. It's excellent. The orange flavor comes through so beautifully, and the texture is just perfect. Soft and juicy. I used skinless chicken breasts. Make it, love it, and review it...let's get this recipe's rating up.
I made the marinade to the letter, using chicken breast fillets. After reading the comments about crispness, opted to grill them, which took only minutes due to their thinness. I reduced the marinade in a pan, however, it was mostly onions, and very little sauce. Next time I will half the onion (to a 1/4) and double the remaining ingredients. This was a simple but absolutely flavor-packed combo. The mint is light, but you get lots of orange and turmeric. Different and delightful!
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