Roasted Orange Chicken and Fennel

I think pan-roasting chicken is one of the best cooking methods to bring out the flavor of the bird and tenderness of the meat. And citrus flavors are fantastic complements for poultry.

Here I went with orange, both juice and zest. The addition of honey gives the sauce a bit of a glaze texture, and roasted fennel slices add their own sweet anise flavor. This one-pan dinner is loaded with inviting aroma and taste—and it’s ready in less than 30 minutes.

Tip: If you don’t have an ovenproof (preferably cast-iron) skillet large enough to hold four breasts and vegetables, sear them in two batches on the stovetop in a smaller skillet then transfer everything to a roasting pan to finish.

More tips: Use a vegetable peeler to easily remove the zest from an orange. Core the fennel by cutting the bulb in half, then cutting a wedge into each half to remove the core:

Remove zest with a vegetable peeler

Fennel bulbs ready to trim and core

Cut bulb in half then cut a wedge to remove the core

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup orange juice (if bottled, not from concentrate)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1-1/2 tbsp finely chopped orange zest
• 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 oz each
• 2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored, and cut lengthwise into about 1/2-inch-wide slices
• 1 tsp chopped fennel fronds
• 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

Chopped Zest

Prepared Fennel

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Combine the juice, honey, zest, and vinegar in a bowl, stirring well to dissolve the honey. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Heat a very large, ovenproof (preferably cast-iron) skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil, swirling to coat the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Season the fennel with salt and pepper and scatter around the chicken.
4. Sear until the chicken is browned on the bottom and the fennel is browned in spots, 6-7 minutes.
5. Turn the breasts over and stir the fennel slices. Pour the reserved orange juice mixture into the pan, tilting to cover the bottom around the chicken and fennel.
6. Place the skillet in the oven and roast until the chicken is browned and just cooked through, and the fennel is tender and browned, about 15 minutes.

Juice Mixture

Chicken and Fennel Beginning to Cook

After Turning 

Juice Mixture Added

Sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds and rosemary and serve the chicken and fennel with pan juices spooned on top.

Roasted Orange Chicken and Fennel