How many ways can one cook chicken? Well, just out of curiosity I Googled “chicken recipes” and got 12,400,000 results! That’s a lot of chicken goodness! In my personal recipe book, I have over 100 chicken recipes that I’ve created, adapted or revised over the years. This Braised Orange Ginger Chicken is one of those recipes and one of our favorites. It’s easy to make, full of flavor and has an awesome sauce! To make sure all of that awesome sauce gets fully appreciated, serve this dish with a side of rice, polenta, couscous or other grain. A side of bourbon carrots makes a complementary side as well.
For the rice we usually use a mix of brown and wild rice cooked with a few raisins. However, last week when I made this dish, I had just purchased a Bhutanese red rice, a rice grown in the Paro Valley of Bhutan. Bhutan red rice cooks like regular red rice (20 to 25 minutes with a 2:1 ratio of water to rice), but is completely different in both flavor and texture. It is a very earthy tasting rice with a firm, nutty texture. Cooked with a few raisins and some urfa chile flakes it yields a spicy, sweet, nutty rice which works great with this chicken and orange ginger sauce.
Braised Orange Ginger Chicken Recipe
A spicy and slightly sweet braised chicken that can be served over rice, noodles, couscous or pasta.
*See Kitchen Notes for more information, substitutions or related links.
- 8 chicken thighs*, skin removed
- 2 Tbsp. peanut oil
- 1 small to medium green bell pepper, diced
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 tsp. garlic ginger paste*
- ½ tsp. red chile powder*
- ½ tsp. paprika
- ¼ cup sake or vermouth
- ~2/3 cup orange juice (juice from 2 large oranges or 2 Tbsp. concentrate and 2/3 cup water)
- ½ – 1 tsp. cornstarch (optional)
Heat the peanut oil in a large brasier or Dutch oven over medium low heat. Brown the chicken on each side until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate or bowl.
- Add the bell pepper, shallot, and garlic ginger paste to the skillet. Cook stirring for 2 minute.
- Add the red chile powder and paprika. Cook stirring for 30 seconds.
Add the sake and deglaze to remove stuck tasty particles.
Add the orange juice and stir to combine.
Return the chicken to the brasier along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Spread the chicken out for 1 layer if possible.
Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover. Cook on low (at a simmer) for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid, turn the pieces over, increase the heat to medium, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, if you want the sauce thicker, transfer the chicken to a plate, increase the heat to high and sift in a little cornstarch, stirring, to desire thickness. (I usually add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon*.)
- Place the chicken on the serving plates and top with some of the sauce.
Chicken – We usually make this with all chicken thighs so that all 8 pieces of chicken cook evenly. However, you could use a whole chicken cut into 8 pieces.
Garlic Ginger Paste – You can substitute the garlic ginger paste with 4 large cloves of garlic, minced and 2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or ½ tsp. ginger powder.
Red Chile Powder – Be sure you are using “just” red chile and not a “chili” blend. Check the ingredients. The only ingredient should be “red chile powder”.
Cornstarch – When we serve this over rice or couscous, I use about 1/2 tsp. cornstarch for a relatively thin sauce. If I plan to serve it without a grain side, then I use 1 tsp. cornstarch for a thicker sauce.
If you like this Braised Chicken dish, then you’ll also like these chicken dishes:
I came across your blog while looking for some ginger chicken recipes and liked a lot. How amazing! I will keep an eye out for all your recipes 🙂
Thank you so much for your comment!
I’m always game for another chicken recipe—despite there being an abundance available! Love the flavors here 🙂
Thanks so much Liz!
That is a mammoth number of recipes! I have taken a fancy for your chicken recipe that you served with the Bhutanese rice. I need to hunt for this rice. You make it sound wonderful 🙂
Seriously – over 2 million is a lot! 🙂 I hope you find the rice. It’s actually quite good and very different from other rices we use. Thanks!
I’d love to look in your cupboard MJ. You always come up with the most flavorful dishes ever! This sounds wonderful and paired with the red rice truly sounds like all the flavors would be dancing in my mouth. Nice recipe. I’ll have to seek out that rice, I don’t recall ever using it before.
Thank you so much Vicki!
Returning and reporting. 🙂
We prepared this yesterday evening and thoroughly enjoyed it!!! I have a new “everyday pan” i was anxious to use and it worked perfectly for this preparation.
I took a few “have-on-hand” diversions as I really wasn’t in the mood to bang carts in the grocery store yesterday. Three skinless legs and 4 skinless thighs, red bell pepper instead of green (the color contrast was appealing) one large jalapeno (seeded, cored and sliced thin), the juice of two large blood oranges and the zest of one and some ground ancho chile powder.
This came together beautifully and the sauce was excellent on both the couscous and the steamed broccoli. I did stir a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar into the sauce right before serving, but that was just my tastebuds speaking their mind. 🙂 The orange juice, vermouth, garlic and ginger combination really made this recipe, and the other ingredients were very complementary.
Thank you very much. This one is a keeper in the ongoing saga of “Chicken #3,654,756… NOW what!?!?”
Living in Arizona for most of our lives and being big fans of southwestern cuisine, we have enjoyed discovering your website. Next Sunday morning, we are trying your “Egg & Sausage Breakfast Tostadas” with our favorite queso fresco. Can hardly wait…
Scott
Scott, THANKS!!! I’m SO VERY glad that you and your family enjoyed this dish! You obviously cook like me – recipes are guides and you just adjust them to what you have available and your own personal tastebuds.:) I bet the blood oranges really yielded a beautifully rich looking sauce. I usually use Cara Cara because I buy them by the bag at Costco. Great idea to add the jalapeno! Thanks you so much for your nice comments and feedback. Please share my website with your friends. 🙂 Hope you all enjoy the breakfast tostada! Cheers, MJ
Ohhh I love the citrusy fresh flavours of this chicken, very nice sauce indeed
Thanks Raymund!!!
Orange and ginger are such a lovely combination. This recipe sounds so full of flavor. It’s one that I believe will satisfy the hubs! Oh, and that rice has me curious. I’m going to keep an eye out for it so we can give it a try.
Thanks so much Jen!
I’ve got all the ingredients on hand save the fresh chicken ~ I’ll be making it this week 🙂 — chicken is overeaten in this household to be honest but it’s so versatile and well loved that it’s tough to find a protein equivalent. With delicious inspiration like this, how can we resist? Just love this idea Mj and I don’t believe I’ve ever braised chicken in OJ before – yay, something new! Looking forward to it.
Thanks so much Kelly! Good to hear that you’ll be making it. Please let me know how you and your family like it.
Delicious and that red rice sounds interesting. I first thought you had whipped up some red quinoa for your side.
Thanks Debra! Actually, red quinoa is something I have yet to try.
Just printed this out to make tomorrow (Sunday) with skinless legs & thighs, plated with garlic couscous and steamed broccoli . I’m thinking the sauce will complement both very well!!
Also considering the addition of a Tbsp or so of fresh orange zest in the sauce for a little extra zing, what do you think??? Will return and report.
Pssst. Sweet vermouth is one of my culinary “secret weapons”… 😉
Thank you so much Scott for letting me know that you’ll be making this. The addition of the zest sounds great…definitely a little more zing. And the sauce with couscous and broccoli…perfect! Looking forward to your feedback.
MJ your braised chicken orange ginger looks delicious and the ingredients sound amazing. I love your idea to serve it red rice and raisins and bourbon carrots. Wow out of those 12 million recipes on the internet ,yours has to be one of the tastiest. Sharing of course!
Thannk you so much Bobbi! This dish with rice and raisins, no matter what this rice is a keeper.
Orange and ginger are perfect for chicken, great recipe. And I wan to get my hand on that rice too now.
Thanks Evelyne! Yes…it’s hard to go wrong with chicken, orange and ginger. 🙂
Chicken is my staple meat and I don’t think I have ever spent a week in my whole life without having it at least twice! (I also count holidays abroad 😉 ), but I have never braised it with orange juice! This is why I love so much your blog… When I think I have already tried everything in a certain category of food… I come here and discover something extraordinary I would never think of making.
Your gorgeous photographs make me crave oranges (I suddenly forgot I was craving for summer fruit recently…).
Bhutanese rice sounds very tempting. I must check if they sell it somewhere here.
WOW! you do eat a lot of chicken! We usually have it 2 to 3 time a month, not counting leftovers. For instance, this meal actually give us two meals in one week. Braising in orange juice is really nice, especially with chicken. The spices and the orange give it a nice flavor that penetrates into the meat. As always, thank you for your very complimentary comments Sissi! I blush when I read them. 🙂
I love everything about this recipe, MJ! Orange and chicken are a great combo. I don’t think you can ever have too many chicken recipes in your arsenal. As always, great post!
thanks so much Bill! I’m with you – there’s always another chicken recipe to be cooked. 🙂
So many chicken recipes! Wow!!!
Nice recipe. Great idea to cook with oranges.
Thanks Minnie!! It’s amazing what one can find on the Internet. 🙂
Mmm, the Bhutan red rice sounds similar to black rice, also called forbidden rice, that we use. It is whole grain, yet takes less time to cook than brown. I’ll have to look for the Bhutan. And chicken thighs … such an easy and flavorful meal. I am a fan of ginger and garlic, so this recipe is a WIN!
Thanks so much Judy! At the same time I bought the red rice, I also bought some forbidden rice, but haven’t made it yet. It will be interesting comparing the two. I do like the way the rice rice didn’t take as long to cook; however, I still find brown rice worth the wait. 🙂
The chicken looks very saucy and tender. I bought a small package of red rice last month..this looks like a great recipe to use it.
thanks Angie!
Twelve million recipes for cooking chicken? Holy cow, I’d better get cooking if I’m going to get through all that. I’ve never heard of Bhutanese rice before but it sounds like the perfect pairing to this outstanding chicken.
I know!!! That’s A LOT of chicken recipes! 🙂 Thanks Maureen!
Bhutan red rice isn’t something I’ve used. Or even seen! Must look for it — sounds interesting. And speaking of interesting, this recipe sure delivers an awful lot. Looks like it has great flavor, and I like recipes that specify chicken thighs — nice size, and they’re the best tasting chicken cut IMO. Really nice recipe–thanks.
This was the first time I had seen it as well. It’s was pretty good; however, Bobby and I both agree that we enjoyed brown rice more. I did like the texture better…very nutty. Mutual agreement on the chicken thighs! Thanks for your comments John!