• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Laura Fuentes
  • Healthy Eating
  • Cookbooks
  • Recipes
  • About
  • #MOMLIFE
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Eat Healthy
  • Fasting
  • Meet Laura
  • Contact
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Eat Healthy
  • Fasting
  • Meet Laura
  • Contact
×

Quick Orange Chicken Marinade

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Are you ready for a fast and simple marinade recipe? Great! This recipe for Quick Orange Chicken Marinade will show ybou that you can add a burst of flavor to your chicken dinner fast!

With just six simple ingredients, your tastebuds are about to be on high alert. This homemade chicken marinade is quick, flavorful, and has a pop of citrus taste! If you’re ready to take your next chicken night to a whole new level, this orange marinade recipe is ready and waiting!

orange chicken on a plate with roasted vegetables

How Long Can Chicken Marinate in Orange Juice?

For a fast and easy marinade, 20 minutes will do the trick. You can also marinate for longer, but I don’t recommend any more than 4 hours of time. Marinating time can vary and just depends on how much time you have.

Orange Marinade Ingredients

All you need to make this citrus chicken marinade recipe are easy ingredients that you may already have at home! Here are the ingredients needed:

  • olive oil: coats the chicken and helps to add flavor.
  • orange zest: perfect for adding a hint of orange flavor and natural sweetness.
  • orange juice: great for soaking into the chicken breasts for an all-over flavor.
  • salt: to your liking.
  • pepper: to your liking
  • chicken breasts: boneless skinless chicken breasts work best!

More epic marinades for chicken breasts here!

orange chicken marinade in a bag with four chicken breasts

Swap your citrus and try my Lemon Chicken Marinade here!

How to Marinate Orange Chicken

Once you’ve gathered up all the ingredients, it’s time to whip up the marinade. Trust me when I say that this marinade is top-notch and delicious!

  1. Add to an airtight bag
    Pour all the ingredients into a sealable bag. Seal it and place it in the fridge. The length of time to marinate should be between 20 minutes up to 4 hours.
  2. Preheat
    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Be sure that you organize the oven racks so that they’re in a position to cook the chicken in the best way possible. Have one oven rack on the middle shelf and one right below it.
    Also, line your baking sheets with parchment paper to avoid having a big mess to clean up. Save yourself some time after dinner!
  3. Bake
    Once the chicken is done marinating, place the chicken on the parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 35-40 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken to be sure that it’s done baking all the way. The perfect temperature for the chicken to be cooked and safe to eat is 165 degrees.

Watch this video to see the magic happen in 30 seconds!

How to Cook Marinated Chicken

Now that you know how easy it is to make this marinade, let’s talk about all the ways that you can use it! First off, if you aren’t quite ready to cook dinner yet, you can freeze your marinated chicken for up to 9 months.

You can easily use this marinade for baking chicken, but that’s not all.

This orange chicken marinade recipe is stellar on pan-seared chicken, grilled chicken, or even on chicken kabobs, too!

side by side images of orange chicken breasts on a baking sheet before and after baking

If you LOVE the flavor (which I know you will!), you can literally use this simple marinade recipe on any type of chicken cooking method that you want.

overhead view of plate of cooked chicken and roasted vegetables

What to Serve with Orange Marinated Chicken

Even though you could totally enjoy every glorious bite of chicken without a side dish, let’s all just agree that side dishes pack so much flavor and fun! Below you’ll find some simple side dishes that you can easily serve up with any chicken dish.

  • Sautéed Cabbage
  • Roasted Frozen Vegetables
  • Carrots & Radishes
  • Asian Kale Salad
Print

Quick Orange Chicken Marinade

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

This delicious Orange Chicken Marinade is the perfect way to add flavor to the chicken. Fast, simple, and just six ingredients needed! 

  • Author: Laura Fuentes
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: dinner

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 1 orange, zested 
  • 1 orange, juiced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6oz each)

 

Instructions

 

  1. Place chicken and marinade ingredients in a zip bag or airtight container and marinate for 20 minutes up to 4 hours.
  2. Place one oven rack on the middle shelf and another directly below it. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 
  3. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Discard the marinade. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked to 165F. 

Equipment

chicken ebook displayed on an ipad and phone screen

Chicken. It’s What’s for Dinner

Buy Now →

Marinade Bags

Buy Now →

Notes

nutritional information below is for one, 6oz chicken breast after being marinated.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 breast
  • Calories: 257
  • Sugar: 4 g
  • Sodium: 149.7 mg
  • Fat: 8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 5.8 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 38.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 124.1 mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @MOMables on Instagram and hashtag it #momables

More Chicken

  • What to Do About Freezer Burn Chicken
  • Baked Pesto Chicken Thighs
  • Pan-Seared Lemon Garlic Chicken & Asparagus
  • Garlic Chicken and Green Beans

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I'm Laura.
I inspire moms to live a healthy lifestyle while juggling their family and work with fresh recipes and practical advice.

More about me →

Let's Be Social!

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram YouTube
Download The Busy Mom's Guide to a Healthier Life

Fresh Favorites

  • Authentic New Orleans Chicken Gumbo
  • Fluffy Chocolate Chip Pancakes
  • 20+ Low Carb Lunch Ideas
  • Crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs

Trending Now

  • Teen Girl Gift Ideas for New Drivers
  • Paleo Chili Recipe | All Meat Veggie Chili
  • How to Roast Vegetables
  • Benefits of Intermittent Fasting for Women

Footer

^ back to top

Browse

  • Recipe Index
  • Weekly Meal Plan
  • Clean Eating Program

Download the Busy Mom's Guide to a Healthy Life

laura holding meal plan guide in front of prepped food

Useful Links

  • Contact
  • Permissions
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

COPYRIGHT © 2023 LAURA FUENTES · DESIGN BY FUENTES MEDIA