Shelly's Recipe

ORANGE-HONEY GLAZED CHICKEN THIGHS - Cooks Illustrated

Category: Chicken

1 1/2 cups orange juice plus an additional 2 tablespoons
1/3 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat, with three diagonal slashes through the skin
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium shallot, minced

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large measuring cup whisk together 1 1/2 cups orange juice, corn syrup, honey, mustard, vinegar, red pepper, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add the flour to a wide, shallow dish. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper then coat both sides of the chicken with the flour. Pat off excess flour.

Add the oil to an ovenproof 12-inch skillet. Set the pan over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the chicken thighs skin-side down; cook until the skin is well browned and most of the fat has rendered, about 8-14 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook until the second side is lightly browned, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from pan. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the orange juice mixture to the pan and increase the heat to high. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is syrupy and has reduced to 1 cup - a heatproof spatula should leave a slight trail when dragged through the glaze, about 6 to 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and tilt so the glaze pools in the corner of the pan. One at a time, dip the chicken thighs in the glaze, coating both sides evenly and then place the thighs skin side up in the skillet.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through - it should register 175 F on an instant read thermometer, about 20 to 25 minutes (my thighs were smaller and only needed 10 minutes in the oven so keep an eye out). Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Set the skillet back on the stove top (remember, the handle will be VERY hot!) over high heat and cook the glaze, stirring constantly, until it is thick and syrupy - a heatproof spatula will leave a wide trail when dragged through the glaze, about 1 minute. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of orange juice and whisk to combine. Drizzle each chicken thigh with some of the glaze before serving. (The remaining glaze can be passed at the table.)