Description
This Sticky Glazed Christmas Chicken recipe features juicy, bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks marinated in a fragrant blend of orange zest, cider vinegar, brown sugar, and warm spices. Roasted to a deep golden caramelized finish, the chicken is sticky, sweet, and bursting with festive flavors, perfect for holiday gatherings or a special winter meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1.2 kg / 2.4 lb chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
- 800 g / 1.6 lb chicken drumsticks, or more thighs
Marinade
- 5 tsp orange zest (from 2 oranges)
- 1/2 cup orange juice (from the zested oranges)
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar (can substitute white wine, sherry or champagne vinegar)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 whole star anise
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Serving and Garnishes
- 2 oranges, cut into wedges or halved then sliced
- Good value leafy greens – like endive, watercress, for the bed
- Orange zest curls
Instructions
- Marinate Chicken: Mix all marinade ingredients in a jug thoroughly. Place the chicken pieces into a large ziplock bag and pour the marinade over. Massage the bag gently to coat the chicken evenly. Ideally, marinate the chicken for 24 hours to develop maximum flavor; the minimum marinating time is 3 hours, with 12 hours being acceptable.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Trays: Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F), or 180°C (350°F) if using a fan-assisted oven. Line two baking trays with foil followed by parchment or baking paper to prevent sticking and facilitate easier cleanup.
- Arrange Chicken and Start Roasting: Remove chicken from the bag and distribute the pieces evenly on the prepared trays. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. Place the trays in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
- Continue Roasting and Baste: Roast for an additional 20 minutes, periodically basting the chicken with pan juices two or three more times. Initially, the juices will be watery but will thicken and darken into a sticky glaze in the last 10 minutes. When this happens, baste more frequently and generously to build a deep golden, sticky coating.
- Swap Tray Positions for Even Cooking: When the top tray is nearly done, swap the positions of the trays so they finish cooking at the same time, ensuring all chicken pieces are cooked evenly and achieve a uniform caramelized glaze.
- Final Baste and Serve: Just before plating, give the chicken one last generous baste with the sticky pan juices. Serve the chicken over a bed of leafy greens, and decorate with orange slices or wedges and orange zest curls for a festive touch.
Notes
- Chicken skin is crucial as it helps the glaze caramelize beautifully. Bone-in pieces retain juiciness and resemble a “mini-ham” when cooked.
- Using a ziplock bag to marinate is best to ensure even coverage. If you prefer not to use plastic, use a non-reactive bowl and increase the marinade amount by 50%, tossing occasionally during marination. Do not pour the extra marinade onto the trays as it can dilute the glaze and make it too salty.
- To make orange zest curls, use a zester or sharp knife to cut thin strips. Twist them around a wooden spoon handle, leave for 15 minutes or more until they hold their shape.
- If after 50 minutes the tray juices haven’t thickened to a syrup, remove chicken and keep warm under foil. Return the empty trays to the oven to reduce the juices quickly to a thick glaze, then return the chicken to baste.
- Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days or can be frozen. Reheat gently in the microwave or loosely covered in a 180°C oven for about 15 minutes. The glaze and juiciness reheat well.
- You can prepare this recipe ahead: combine chicken and marinade, freeze immediately, then thaw in the fridge for 24 hours to marinate before cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 200-250g cooked chicken)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg