Grilled Honey Orange Chicken Recipe

My Grilled Honey Orange Chicken recipe is one of those magical 30 minute marinade meals that only uses three ingredients! I love recipes with just a few ingredients.  Couple that with the 30 minutes to prep and this recipe is my jam!

Aren’t those just the best? Make this chicken with orange juice and honey for your next meal.

🍊 Ingredients

📝 Ingredient Notes

Orange Juice – Any orange juice will work, but since you only need one half cup, you should buy orange juice you will enjoy drinking.

Honey – Regular, cheap honey will work perfectly fine. No need to get fancy for marinating chicken.

Italian Seasoning Packet – Not only can you make a quick, tasty Italian dressing in a flash when you realize you don’t have any salad dressing you can also use this Italian seasoning packet for so many different recipes! You will find yourself keeping a stash on hand for “emergencies.”

If you don’t have a pack of pre-made Italian dressing and don’t want to make a trip to the store, don’t fret. Hop over to Bake at Midnight’s blog to catch her yummy copycat version of Italian Dressing Mix using spices you probably already have in your cabinet. Simple Italian Seasoning Substitutes are probably already in your pantry too!

Chicken Breasts – Look for fresh chicken that still looks pink. Avoid packages with excess liquid or slimy looking meat. Plan to rinse and trim your chicken breasts before placing them in the marinade. If you purchase extra thick meat, you can cut those in half so that they will cook more quickly.

⏲️ Equipment and Tools

GrillGrate | I love cooking on GrillGrates.  These sit on top of the regular grating and focus the heat on the fins.  That, in turn, creates a wonderful sear on the chicken. It is one of my favorite accessories for my grill that has helped improve my grilling. It works exceptionally well for recipes like this, where the meat is marinating. The oils help keep the food from sticking!

Wireless Meat Thermometer | Check out our list of the best wireless meat thermometers, including the one I use all the time.

🔥 Instructions

Step One: Add orange juice to a glass jar. A mixing bowl will also work.

Step Two: Add the honey next.

Step Three: Add the seasoning mix to the jar, cover it with the lid screwed on well. Shake it up thoroughly and pour it in a plastic zipper bag. You can also dump those ingredients in a mixing bowl and use a whisk to mix up your orange marinade for chicken.

Step Four: Add your chicken to the bag with the marinade. Close the bag and swish it around. Put it on a plate in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Step Five: Preheat your grill to 350ºF, remove your chicken from the plastic bag and place it on the hot grill for six to seven minutes on the first side.

Step Six: Flip your honey orange chicken breasts and cook them for six or seven more minutes or so on the second side. Use a wireless meat thermometer to avoid overcooking your chicken. Remove it from the grill when the internal heat reaches 165ºF.

❗ Recipe Tips and Tricks

Because this recipe marinates so quickly in the orange juice marinade, you will want to get the grill started up early. Set the grill for direct heat and bring the temperature to 350ºF.

Always verify your chicken is fully cooked by using a meat thermometer and checking that the internal temperature reaches 165°. It took about 12 minutes of total cooking time for the Big Green Egg with the GrillGrate.

Keep this recipe in mind when you are at the grocery store. It’s easy to remember (only three ingredients!) and easy to prepare.

🧑‍🍳 Storage and Reheating

Keep your leftovers in airtight plastic containers in the refrigerator for two or three days.

On the second day, if you know you will not eat it all in time, dice up your chicken and throw it in the freezer using airtight plastic or freezer-quality zipper bags.

Reheat the chicken on the stovetop in a skillet or in the microwave for thirty seconds at a time until it gets hot.

Meal Prep

Make extras to take with you to work for lunch. After dinner, dice up the extra chicken and put it in individual serving containers with a salad, rice, or pasta. Freeze extra diced chicken to thaw and use later in a quick stir fry, soup, sandwich, or salad.

Additions and Substitutions

If you can’t get chicken breasts for a reasonable price this week at the grocery store, you can substitute thighs or any bone-in chicken pieces in this recipe and it will still work.

Try a different juice for the orange chicken marinade to change things up. You could make this same recipe using mango juice or pineapple juice for instance.

This is a chicken, honey, orange juice recipe without soy sauce but you could add a little soy sauce and chili pepper flakes to the marinade for a more Asian version.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this delicious grilled orange chicken with a fresh salad in a citrus vinaigrette or a fruit salad and some crusty French bread or rolls. Try it with Grilled Cinnamon Pineapple Slices with Orange and Vanilla or Oven Roasted Honey Gold Potatoes.

❓ Recipe FAQ

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