These baked orange ginger chicken breasts are a quick and easy dinner idea the whole family will enjoy.
Chicken breasts are baked in the oven with orange zest, honey, ginger, nutmeg and garlic.
These baked chicken breasts are so easy and can be served with any salad including our strawberry spinach salad or a simple greek salad.
Baked Orange Chicken
This easy recipe takes boring chicken breasts and zests them up with a delicious orange ginger sauce.
- Chicken breasts that are flavored with homemade orange-ginger sauce definitely taste better!
- You’ll have a new flavorful dinner recipe for busy weeknights with a few simple fresh ingredients.
- This chicken can be meal prepped then sliced. Leftover chicken pieces can be used in mason jar salads for lunches.
- Consider brining the chicken in advance like we did with our ranch chicken breasts recipe. This simple step takes only 15 minutes and creates juicy, tender meat.
- Serve this chicken with brown or white rice, quinoa, pasta, green beans or a kale salad for a delicious meal.
Recipe Ingredients
CHICKEN BREASTS: This recipe uses four boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can always use more or less, but cooking time will vary slightly. This recipe will also work with drumsticks, chicken thighs and tenders.
SAUCE: The juice and zest from fresh oranges are combined with honey, olive oil, ground ginger, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
VARIATIONS: Use orange marmalade for a faster sauce. Add soy sauce, red pepper flakes, green onions, and fresh orange slices. Try fresh ginger, fresh garlic, lemon juice, fresh orange juice or orange juice concentrate for an easy replacement.
How To Make This Orange Ginger Chicken Recipe
- Zest the peel of the orange using a cheese grater. Slice the orange in half and squeeze out juice.
- Add juice, zest, honey, oil, and spices to a medium bowl. Mix together according to the full recipe instructions at the bottom of this article.
- Place chicken breasts to a baking dish (or oven save large skillet) and drizzle sauce overtop. Bake until chicken is fully cooked. Drizzle extra sauce overtop of chicken before serving.
LEFTOVERS: Potato wedges can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Leftover chicken can be served cold in salads or warmed in the microwave.
This recipe can easily barbecued using an outdoor grill or cooked in a heavy skillet on the stove.
How Long To Cook Chicken Breasts At 400°F
Cooking chicken at a higher temperature can help to seal in the flavor. The size and thickness of your chicken breasts will vary the cooking time. For example, a thin chicken breast that’s 5-6 oz will only take 25-30 minutes.
The more chicken you cook at once, the longer it will take. I used four thick chicken breasts and it took 50 minutes to cook, but I like my chicken breasts to be a little over-cooked.
The best way to tell if the chicken is done is with a meat thermometer. Poke it through the center of the chicken breast to read the temperature. Once it reaches 165°F internally, it’s cooked.
More Chicken Breast Recipes
- Ranch Chicken Breasts are brined and coated with ranch dressing.
- Pineapple Chicken is full of flavor with a sweet and sour sauce and served on rice.
- Everything Bagel Chicken Breasts are coated with seasoning and topped with a yogurt dressing.
- Low Carb Pizza Chicken Breasts – one of my favorite ways to enjoy pizza flavors.
- Dump and Bake Salsa Chicken – Easy homemade salsa is combined with chicken breasts and baked in one dish.
Did you love this chicken recipe? Be sure to leave a rating below!
Baked Orange Ginger Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts - or boneless chicken thighs
Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil - olive oil, grapeseed oil, canola oil etc.
- 1 large orange - zested and juiced
- 2 Tbsp honey - maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 tsp ginger
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt and ground pepper - ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Wash and scrub a large orange. Use a grater to zest the whole orange peel.
- Slice the orange in half then squeeze out orange juice. Remove any seeds.
- Add orange juice and orange zest to a bowl along with honey, ginger, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix together and set aside.
- Add chicken breasts to a baking dish. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
- Pour the orange ginger sauce over top of the chicken.
- Bake for 50 minutes, basting once or twice during the process. Chicken is cooked when the inside is no longer pink, juices run clear and reaches 165°F as an internal temperature when poked with a thermometer.
Recipe Notes:
- The size and thickness of your chicken breasts will vary the cooking time.
- 5-6 oz chicken breast will only take 25-30 minutes.
- The more chicken you cook at once, the longer it will take.
- Use a Meat Thermometer: Poke it through the center of the chicken breast to read the temperature. Once it reaches 165°F internally, it’s cooked.
- Consider brining the chicken in advance like we did with our ranch chicken breasts recipe. This simple step takes only 15 minutes and creates juicy, tender meat.
Nutrition
Please note these nutritional values provided above are just an estimate. Actual numbers will vary based on brands and ingredients you choose, and your preferred portion sizes.