If you need an easy chicken supper that feels a little different without being fussy, oven-baked orange marmalade chicken is a great one to keep in handy!
A simple glaze made with orange marmalade bakes into a sweet-and-savory sauce that turns tender chicken into a dinner the whole family will love. In fact, Papa, who is not a chicken guy at all, thought this was "really good!" High praise from a man of few words. 😉
I know chicken shows up on a lot of dinner tables because it’s budget-friendly and you can make it umpteen different ways. If you’re looking for a few more easy chicken suppers, you might also enjoy:
This is one of those easy-baked chicken dinners that turns simple pantry ingredients into something special. Orange marmalade, onion soup mix, and soy sauce combine to create a sweet-and-savory glaze that caramelizes slightly as the chicken bakes.
The result is tender chicken with a glossy citrus sauce that tastes like you fussed over it much more than you really did.
It’s the kind of recipe that works just as well for a busy weeknight as it does for Sunday dinner. Serve it with mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles so you can spoon that extra sauce over the top.
Easy enough for family, but tasty enough for guests.
The sauce caramelizes slightly in the oven, giving the chicken a glossy finish and just enough citrus flavor to brighten the whole dish. It’s especially good served with mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles to soak up that delicious sauce.
This easy chicken dinner pairs beautifully with simple sides like:
And don't forget something warm and bready on the table. Dinner rolls or homemade muffins are perfect for catching every last bit of that sweet citrus sauce.
It’s the kind of simple, tasty supper that works just as well for a busy weeknight as it does for Sunday dinner. Easy enough for family, showy enough for guests.
Orange marmalade chicken is one of those dependable dishes that gets gobbled up at the table. The sweet citrus glaze and tender baked chicken make it a comfortable, reliable supper when you want something easy but delicious and satisfying.
Once you try it, you may want to add it to your regular dinner rotation.
A simple 4-ingredient chicken, baked in a sweet-and-savory orange marmalade glaze.
I suggest that you peek at the pan a couple of times as it bakes and spoon some of the sauce over the chicken. Make sure each piece gets covered. Don't overcook and let it dry, though, because that sauce is perfect for drizzling over rice, noodles, or potatoes!
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
Yes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well in this recipe and stay especially juicy. Just cook until the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature.
Does orange marmalade chicken taste sweet?
It has a sweet-savory flavor. The marmalade adds sweetness and citrus, but the sauce also has enough depth to make it feel like a real supper dish, not a dessert-like glaze.
Can orange marmalade chicken be made ahead of time?
Yes. You can bake it ahead and refrigerate leftovers for several days. Reheat gently and spoon the extra sauce over the chicken when serving.
A jar of store-bought marmalade works perfectly well here, but if you happen to have homemade orange marmalade on hand, it’s especially good in this recipe. The color is bright and beautiful, and the fresh citrus flavor really shines through.
If quick, cozy suppers are your style, here are a couple more easy dinners from GB’s Kitchen that readers make again and again:
✅ Runza Casserole – All the comforting flavors of Nebraska’s famous sandwich baked into an easy family casserole.
✅ German Sauerkraut Casserole – A hearty, old-school Midwestern favorite that’s pure comfort food.
Recipes like this are the kind that have kept families fed for generations — simple ingredients, a good skillet or baking dish, and a sauce that brings everything together.
Sometimes the best suppers aren’t fancy at all. They’re just good food shared around the table, the kind that makes everyone reach for one more spoonful of sauce before the pan is empty.
If you liked how this recipe turned out, I'd love it if you left a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review or dropped me a note in the comments! It really helps my little business connect with people who cook and eat the way we do. Thanks! ❤❤
Love, GB (Betty Streff)
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hello, betty - i tried this recipe and the flavor was GREAT! however, the sauce never turned into a "sticky" glaze. i made rice and steamed broccoli and we used the sauce on both of those too, with sprinkled fresh parsley..
i am wondering, tho, what i might do differently next time to get more of a glaze. i have to tell you that i did not have 2.5 lbs of chicken thighs, only about 1.5. therefore i reduced the marmalade to about 3/4 cup and the dry onion soup to 3/4 of the package (pkg was 4 Tbls so i used 3 TBLs). i used 2 TBLs of soy sauce. i had expected that less chicken would yield less liquid as it cooked and thus the sauce would thicken into a glaze - but it in fact never became a glaze even tho it bubbled nicely in the stove.
paul asked me to "add it to the rotation" so thank you!
Hmm, I have to noodle on that one-we just finished up a three-day antique show and sale, so I admit I am tired and my "thinker" is a little slow. Your math makes sense; my only thought right now is that maybe the chicken breast meat is drier and absorbed more liquid? I don't use thighs because my husband tolerates chicken but doesn't really like chicken. I will give it more thought! You are awesome, thank you!
betty - even after the sauce bubbled merrily & cooked down, there was a LOT of it at the end. hard to think even chicken breasts would have absorbed enough to become just a sticky glaze. i used to prefer chicken breasts to thighs. but i kept reading that thighs were more moist and forgiving in some recipes, so i started using skinless boneless ones some-times when i could find them - and they truly are more flavorful in some recipes. i had some in the freezer so that's what i used for my first try of this recipe. {paul reports that the leftovers had even more rasty today than first time around yesterday. he really likes leftovers, which i appreciate!] if you have further thoughts after you recover from your antiques show, i'd like to hear them. we did get a real frost last night but nice & sunny today. despite some recent rains the foliage is hanging on - the neon purity of the reds, in particular, is amazing.
I LOVE your flower arrangements- I hope I live long enough to retire and maybe have an actual flower garden!!