Spicy Orange Marinated Chicken

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice from 3 to 4 large navel oranges, or 6 small oranges, peeled and chopped

1 onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 of a 7-ounce-can of chipotle chili peppers in adobo (3 1/2 ounces total)

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 Tbsp fresh marjoram or oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried of either

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (4 pounds if buying bone-in)

Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley and orange slices for garnish

Directions

Make the marinade: In a blender or food processor, combine the orange juice or chopped oranges, onion, chipotle in adobo, garlic, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and salt. Pulse a few times to make a coarse purée. Transfer to a large bowl.

Trim the fat from the chicken thighs: With scissors, snip off the excess fat from the thighs.

Pound the chicken thighs to even thickness: Put the chicken thighs between two sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until an even thickness of about 1/2-inch.

Marinate the chicken: Add the chicken to the bowl of marinade (or transfer both to a zipper freezer bag). Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Cook the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron pan or heavy skillet on medium high heat. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, blotting off the excess (but not all) with a paper towel. Working in batches, cook the chicken pieces for 5 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through.

To serve: Sprinkle the chicken with chopped cilantro or parsley, garnish with orange wedges and serve with Spanish rice.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: Serves 6
• Calories: 443 kcal
• Total Fat: 22 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 277 mg
• Sodium: 809 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 4 g
• Protein: 56 g