This oven baked 3-ingredients orange marmalade chicken is one of those almost-too-easy family recipes that still feels special enough for a holiday. My aunt makes this sticky glazed dish for Easter dinner every year, and it really is just 3 ingredients—no secret extras. The chicken bakes up in a glass dish with a glossy orange glaze that caramelizes around the edges, and the whole kitchen smells like citrus and Sunday supper. It’s perfect for busy weeknights too, because you can toss it together in a few minutes and let the oven do all the work.
I like to serve this orange marmalade chicken with fluffy white rice or buttery mashed potatoes to soak up all that extra sticky sauce from the baking dish. Steamed green beans, roasted broccoli, or a simple side salad round it out without much extra effort. For Easter or a slightly dressier dinner, pair it with roasted baby carrots and a loaf of warm crusty bread so everyone can swipe up the caramelized glaze from the corners of the pan.
Oven Baked 3-Ingredients Orange Marmalade ChickenServings: 4
Ingredients
2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6–8 pieces)
3/4 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish so the glaze doesn’t stick too much.
Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and trim any excess skin if needed. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the glass baking dish, skin side up, leaving a little space between each piece.
In a small bowl, whisk together the orange marmalade and soy sauce until smooth and well combined. It should look like a loose, shiny glaze.
Spoon or pour the marmalade mixture evenly over the chicken thighs, making sure each piece is well coated. Use the back of the spoon to spread the glaze over the tops so the skin is covered and glossy.
Place the baking dish on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 35–40 minutes, basting once or twice with the pan juices, until the chicken is cooked through (an instant-read thermometer should read 165°F/74°C in the thickest part, not touching the bone).
For extra sticky, caramelized edges like in the photo, turn the oven to broil on high for 2–3 minutes at the end of cooking. Keep a close eye on it so the sugars in the marmalade don’t burn—pull the dish out as soon as the glaze is deeply glossy and the edges look slightly charred and sticky.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. The glaze will thicken slightly as it cools, clinging to the chicken and pooling around the edges of the glass dish. Serve the chicken straight from the pan, spooning the extra orange glaze over each piece.
Variations & Tips
If you like a little heat with your sweet, stir 1–2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes into the marmalade and soy sauce mixture before coating the chicken. For a more savory, less sweet version, swap half of the marmalade for additional soy sauce (still keeping the total to just those same 3 ingredients). You can also use bone-in chicken drumsticks instead of thighs; keep the same glaze and temperature, but check for doneness around 30 minutes and cook until they reach 165°F. For meal prep, bake the chicken on Sunday, then slice the cooled thighs off the bone and store them with the extra sauce—reheat and serve over rice or quinoa for quick weeknight lunches. If you want crispier skin while keeping the sticky glaze, pat the chicken extra dry and avoid covering the dish while baking so the skin can render and brown nicely.
