In only 10 minutes you can dress up your boring weeknight chicken with a fresh citrus and herb pan sauce! This "No Work" baked chicken recipe is a healthy, clean eating dinner that takes advantage of seasonal ingredients for a nutritious and FAST family meal!
Winter in Virginia is just so darn cold, damp, and GRAY. During a recent week with 3 straight days of 40 degree rainy weather, I was in need of an easy dinner and I was craving bright and colorful flavors.
At this time of year, there's nothing better than a fresh, sweet burst of citrus to wake up any dish...including herb baked chicken!
As a base, I started with one of our favorites -- the "original" No Work Baked Chicken recipe. I wasn't sure if I could even improve upon the classic, but I'm here to say that I DID. This is a true WINNER!
I love that it's so simple (hence the name), but it's so pretty to look at that your family (or guests) will swear that you spent hours in the kitchen.
Here's What You Need
- Chicken - boneless and skinless breasts
- Honey - helps create a sweet and sticky flavor
- Dijon - for a spicy kick
- Orange juice - freshly squeezed for a delicious citrus kick
- Fresh herbs - rosemary and thyme
- Orange & lemon - fresh slices
Add this tasty dish to your New Year of healthy living. It's the perfect way to balance out the indulgent holiday goodies that we have all been consuming over the past few weeks, and it will keep your tastebuds and your waistline very happy!
How to Make No Work Citrus and Herb Baked Chicken in 4 Easy Steps
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In a bowl, whisk together honey, mustard, and orange juice.
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Place chicken in a large baking dish. Sprinkle chicken with a little bit of salt and pepper, to taste.
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Pour sauce over chicken and toss to make sure that each piece of chicken is well coated. Place citrus slices and sprigs of fresh herbs in the dish (tucked among the chicken).
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Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Be sure to spoon plenty of the delicious pan sauce over the chicken before serving!
Top Tips and Variations - Citrus & Herb Baked Chicken
- Make sure to use boneless chicken to speed up the cooking time and go for good quality for best flavor
- Make sure to use freshly squeezed orange juice
- Don't use dried herbs as they won't have the same fragrant flavors
- Check the chicken is cooked all the way through with a meat thermometer it should read 165F
- Make sure to spoon the sauce over the chicken when serving you don't want to lose that delicious flavor
- Serve with veggies or rice
More Easy Chicken Recipes You Might Like:
- Dump and Bake Aloha Chicken & Rice
- Slow Cooker Italian Chicken and Spaghetti
- Parmesan Ranch Chicken Tenders
- Dump and Bake Mushroom & Chicken Casserole
"No Work" Citrus and Herb Baked Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (can substitute with about 8 chicken thighs)
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed orange juice
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 orange sliced into rounds
- 1 lemon sliced into rounds
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a bowl, whisk together honey, mustard, and orange juice.
- Place chicken in a large baking dish (about 9-inch by 13-inch) that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with a little bit of salt and pepper, to taste.
- Pour sauce over chicken and toss to make sure that each piece of chicken is well coated. Place citrus slices and sprigs of fresh herbs in the dish (tucked among the chicken).
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Be sure to spoon plenty of the delicious pan sauce over the chicken before serving!
Notes
- Make sure to use boneless chicken to speed up the cooking time and go for good quality for best flavor
- Make sure to use freshly squeezed orange juice
- Don't use dried herbs as they won't have the same fragrant flavors
- Check the chicken is cooked all the way through with a meat thermometer it should read 165F
- Make sure to spoon the sauce over the chicken when serving you don't want to lose that delicious flavor
- Serve with veggies or rice
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
Oh this chicken looks fantastic, Blair! I'm always looking for new ways to make chicken, so this sounds perfect. I love the citrus flavors in here. So fresh and flavorful!
Blair
Thanks so much, Gayle! It's definitely fresh and flavorful! 🙂
cottercrunch
can i lick that glaze??? cause it looks so good. NO WORK for the win! pinning!
Blair
Isn't the glaze THE BEST? "No work" is definitely the way to go!
Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners
There's nothing I like more than a quick, easy, healthy recipe and this goes to the top of the list. The flavors are amazing and just what is needed in January after all that heavy holiday food. Beautiful recipe, Blair. Just looking at it brightens your day!
Blair
Thanks so much, Robyn! I couldn't agree more -- quick, easy, and healthy is ALWAYS the best!
Kristine | Kristine's Kitchen
Mmmm, this looks absolutely delicious, Blair! I love how you brightened up the flavors of this easy dinner with citrus!
Blair
Thanks, Kristine!! The citrus and herbs bring out such a great flavor in the chicken!
Karen
I just wanted to let you know how successful this recipe was for me! I saw it on Pinterest, took a chance and served it to company (10 of us) before testing it first. I made it exactly as you stated and it was perfect! In fact, a few people wanted to eat the citrus pieces too. We served the "sauce" on the side in addition to spooning it over the chicken before plating. Excellent spring recipe! Thanks for sharing it. It's my new "company" chicken dish.
Blair
Hi, Karen! I'm so happy to hear that the dinner was a success, and I really appreciate the fact that you came back here to let me know. You totally made my day! 🙂
Becca
Could you use halos instead of oranges? Just curious if that would make much of a difference:)
Blair
Yes, halos will work fine! 🙂
Sean Brown
This was amazing and very easy. I'm not a food connoisseur so I can't describe the notes of orange married with the Dijon, etc but what I can say is it's freaking delicious.
Blair
Yay! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed it, Sean! 🙂