Citrus and Herb Baked Chicken

This past weekend was the BlogHerFood Conference in Austin, which sadly I did not attend. But, several of the fabulous ladies from my cooking board did, and I was lucky enough to have dinner with them on Friday night. It was great to meet some of them in person for the first time, and to see another for a second time. We had a great dinner, lots of laughs, and overall a great time. Seeing pictures of the rest of their weekend on Facebook really made me sad I didn’t go to the conference. But, there’s always next year!

It would seem that I do not adhere to the unspoken rule of summer heat to not use the oven very often, because I have been baking/roasting quite a bit lately. So I run the air conditioner a little more those days…it’s totally worth it when I pull something like this out. I don’t usually cook chicken with skin on it, but with that golden, crispy top, how could I resist??

The marinade was easy and didn’t take too terribly long, and it was well worth it. I was a little confused when the recipe said to place the citrus slices UNDER the chicken, But I did as I was told, and it turned out perfect. A little messy to eat, but totally worth the sticky fingers!

You may opt to wait until the temperatures are a little cooler to fire up the oven, but you should definitely save this recipe and make it as soon as you can!!

Citrus and Herb Baked Chicken

As seen on The Comfort of Cooking

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 whole lemons, one juiced and one sliced
• 2 whole oranges, one juiced and one sliced
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 10-12 pieces (about 4 1/2 lbs.) bone-in chicken parts (thighs and legs are best)
• 1 medium onion (any kind), thinly sliced
• 1 tsp dried thyme, or 2 tsp fresh chopped
• 1 Tbsp dried rosemary, or 2 Tbsp fresh chopped

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine olive oil, garlic, sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, Italian seasoning, paprika, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and a small bowl and stir to mix.
3. Place chicken in a rimmed 9×13 baking dish and pour the olive oil mixture over the top, turning pieces to coat all sides.
4. Place chicken skin side up and spread them out evenly in the pan. Arrange slices of lemon, orange and onion around and under the chicken. Sprinkle generously with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
5. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Remove parts to a serving platter and garnish with additional chopped fresh herbs, if desired.