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    Home » Kitchen Laughter Recipes Blog » Poultry » Chicken

    Grilled Honey Orange Chicken Recipe

    Published: Mar 28, 2022 by Jason C · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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    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.

    two grilled boneless chicken breasts having been marinated in a honey and orange mixture.
    Grilled Honey Orange Chicken Breasts
    Contents hide
    1 🍊 Ingredients
    2 📝 Ingredient Notes
    3 ⏲️ Equipment and Tools
    4 🔥 Instructions
    5 ❗ Recipe Tips and Tricks
    6 🧑‍🍳 Storage and Reheating
    7 Meal Prep
    8 Additions and Substitutions
    9 Serving Suggestions
    10 ❓ Recipe FAQ
    11 Grilled Honey Orange Chicken Recipe

    🍊 Ingredients

    ingredient photo showing the chicken breasts, orange juice, honey and Italian seasoning.
    Simple 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

    process photos showing how to make the marinade with honey, orange juice, and Italian seasoning and then grilling it.
    Simple and Quick Marinade and Grill

    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.

    roasts veggies on a cutting board with the honey and orange chicken on top.
    Serve with Roasted Veggies

    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

    How to cook honey orange chicken in the oven?

    You can absolutely cook this in the oven if you didn’t want to fire up the grill tonight. Preheat your oven at 375ºF and spray a cookie sheet or line it with foil. Place the marinated chicken on the cookie sheet and cook in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees. Thighs and thin chicken breasts will cook faster than the plump chicken breasts.

    How to make an orange honey glaze for chicken?

    Our glaze is very simple. It is made from orange juice, honey and an Italian seasoning packet. Stir it up and you are good to go!

    Is there honey in orange chicken?

    Not always, but our orange chicken marinade recipe is definitely better for the honey and we think you should try it. You will love it!

    How to make a chicken honey orange juice recipe without soy sauce?

    Follow our simple recipe using orange juice, honey and an Italian Seasoning packet! No soy sauce required to make this orange juice marinade.

    Related Recipes

    • Grilled Half Chicken
    • Delicious Grilled Beer Can Chicken
    • Juiciest Boneless Skinless Grilled Chicken Breast {10 Minutes}
    • Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs {35 Minutes}

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!

    two grilled boneless chicken breasts having been marinated in a honey and orange mixture.

    Grilled Honey Orange Chicken Recipe

    This is one of the best marinades I have made. The sweet honey and citrus flavor from the orange work well with these grilled chicken breasts.
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    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 79kcal
    Author: Jason

    Ingredients

    Honey Orange Marinade

    • ½ cup Orange Juice
    • ¼ cup Honey
    • ½ Italian Seasoning Packet or make your own

    Chicken

    • 4 each Chicken Breasts

    Instructions

    Prepare the Marinade

    • Combine orange juice, honey and italian seasoning to create marinade.
    • Combine marinade with chicken in a gallon Ziploc bag and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
    • Remove chicken from marinade and discard remaining marinade.

    Grill the Chicken

    • Set the grill for 350° using direct heat.
    • Add the chicken and grill for 12 – 14 minutes. Turn it over half way through.
    • Remove when the internal temperature reaches 165°.

    Notes

    Oven Directions: You can absolutely cook this in the oven if you didn’t want to fire up the grill tonight. Preheat your oven at 375ºF and spray a cookie sheet or line it with foil. Place the marinated chicken on the cookie sheet and cook in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature is 165ºF degrees. Thighs and thin chicken breasts will cook faster than the plump chicken breasts.
    Air Fryer Directions: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking to allow to come to room temperature. Preheat the AF to 375ºF (this should take 3-5 minutes, depending on your machine) and place the chicken into the air fryer. Cook for 8-12 minutes, or until the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 160-165ºF, flipping at 6 minutes. 
    Storage: 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.
    Freezer Friendly: This chicken freezes so well. If you won’t use it all up within 3 days, cut it up into one-inch pieces and freeze it in an airtight container for future use. It will keep in the freezer for about three months in a sealed container or your favorite freezer bag. 
    Reheating Directions: Reheat the chicken on the stovetop in a skillet or in the microwave for thirty seconds at a time until it gets hot. 
    Internal Temperature: 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. 
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4servings | Calories: 79kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 73mg | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 15.5mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @kitchenlaughter or tag #kitchenlaughter!
    Grilled Honey Orange Chicken RecipeGrilled Honey Orange Chicken RecipeGrilled Honey Orange Chicken Recipe
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