Delicious One-Pan Orange Chicken Thighs with Bok Choy Recipe

Craving the flavors of Chinese takeout, but want a healthier and easier option? Look no further! This recipe for homemade orange chicken thighs, braised with tender baby bok choy and juicy mandarin oranges, is the answer. It’s a one-pan wonder that’s packed with flavor, and perfect for a weeknight dinner.

This delightful one-pan chicken entree features perfectly spiced chicken, sweet baby bok choy, and juicy mandarin oranges, all bathed in a flavorful sauce with ginger, garlic, shallot, soy sauce, and a hint of Sriracha. It’s an elegant yet simple dish that will impress your family and friends.

This recipe is inspired by a beautiful chicken dish I discovered in Eating Well magazine. I’ve adapted it to be a one-pan meal, braising the chicken in the sauce to infuse every bite with delicious flavor. The result? Tender, juicy chicken and bok choy that are simply irresistible!

Say goodbye to greasy, deep-fried takeout and hello to this healthier alternative. Serve it with fragrant jasmine rice or brown rice for a complete and satisfying meal.

Looking for a more traditional orange chicken experience? Try my homemade orange chicken recipe, which features battered and fried chicken in a wonderful sauce.

How to Make Orange Chicken Thighs

To prepare this amazing dinner, you’ll need a large, oven-safe skillet. If you don’t have one, no worries! You can use a baking dish for the second part of the cooking time. It’ll be two pans instead of one, but at least the baking dish is dishwasher-safe, right?

Once you’ve whisked together the sauce ingredients, pat the chicken dry and sprinkle it with Chinese five-spice powder. Heat the skillet and sear the skin side of the chicken until golden brown, which should take about five minutes. Flip the chicken, and nestle the halved baby bok choy and mandarin oranges around it.

Pour the flavorful sauce over everything and pop the pan into the oven for about twenty minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. That’s it! Dinner is served.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Chicken Thighs: This recipe calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the best flavor. You can remove the skin if you prefer a leaner dish.
• Chinese Five Spice Powder: This aromatic blend typically includes star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Szechuan peppercorns, and fennel. It adds a unique and delicious flavor. You can find it in most supermarkets in the spice aisle.
• High-Heat Oil: Choose an oil with a high smoke point, like grapeseed, avocado, or coconut oil, for searing the chicken.
• Baby Bok Choy: These adorable little cabbages have tender leaves and a sweeter flavor than regular bok choy.
• Mandarin Oranges: Be sure to reserve the syrup from the can; it adds a touch of sweetness to the sauce.
• Flavorful Sauce Ingredients: The sauce is made with reduced-sodium soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, shallot, garlic, ginger, and Sriracha for a balance of sweet, savory, and spicy.
• Cornstarch: This is used to thicken the sauce to a perfect consistency. Arrowroot powder is a good substitute.

Make It Your Own

• Prefer white meat? You can absolutely use chicken breasts in this recipe. Just be mindful of cooking times, as they tend to cook faster than thighs.
• Substitute pork. This recipe also works well with boneless, skinless pork chops or pork tenderloin. Make sure to brown all sides of the pork.
• Don’t have Chinese five-spice? You can substitute garam masala, a spice blend common in Indian cuisine, which has a similar flavor profile.
• More chicken thigh recipe ideas: Check out my recipes for slow cooker Moroccan chicken thighs with butternut squash or tarragon chicken with vegetables. You might also like Instant Pot chicken thighs and air fryer chicken thighs.

Make-Ahead Tips

For easy meal prep, you can stir together the sauce ingredients up to a day in advance and store them in the refrigerator. This saves a lot of time when you’re ready to cook dinner. You can also season the chicken earlier in the day, cover it, and refrigerate it. Don’t forget to wash and halve the baby bok choy so it’s ready to go!

Storage and Reheating Tips

Refrigerate: Leftover orange chicken is just as delicious the next day! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Reheat: You can reheat the chicken and bok choy in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds, or gently simmer it in a skillet over medium-low heat until heated through.