Blood Orange Chicken

I was so excited to find blood oranges a few weeks ago. They were even on sale! I don't usually see them at the grocery store I frequent so I scooped them up and started searching for recipes. Elly's recipe sounded perfect because it was a one pan dish and affordable as well. Dave and I both enjoyed this dinner and some leftovers for lunches. I never roast chicken thighs but I'm realizing now that I should. As long as you have the extra time to marinate and roast, these are hands-off enough to make a simple weeknight meal. We aren't usually home until late during the week so this was a better weekend option for us. You could also use any orange, but I highly recommend you try to find the blood orange variety.

For the chicken, you will need:
*1 teaspoon blood orange zest

*1/4 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice
*2 tablespoons olive oil
*
3 cloves garlic, minced
*
2 tablespoons cilantro

*1 jalapeño, chopped and seeded (can keep seeds for a bit more heat)
*
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root
, grated
*1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

*3/4 teaspoon smoked hot paprika

*1.75 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

*Optional toppings for serving: sliced scallions, cilantro, and orange wedges

1. Combine the zest, juice, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, ginger, salt, and paprika in a blender or food processor. Pulse until pureed.

2. Combine the chicken and marinade in a large bowl, tossing the chicken pieces to be sure they are covered. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour prior to cooking. (Longer is preferred for more flavor)

3. Preheat the oven to 475. Put the chicken thighs in a pan and discard the leftover marinade. Roast until for about 40 minutes, or until meat and juices are no longer pink. Serve with your desired sides and/or topping. See side suggestion below**

**I followed Elly's example and baked Yukon potatoes in with the chicken. I diced two potatoes and seasoned them with a bit of garlic powder, paprika, and pepper.  I roasted asparagus on the side, but you could also roast a veggie in with the dish by adding it in the later part of the cooking time.

Recipe originally adapted from Cook This Now by Melissa Clarke.