These crispy, juicy Jalapeño Chicken thighs are filled with a sweet and spicy jalapeño orange relish. This easy dinner is made from chicken that is pan seared in a cast iron skillet and quickly finished in the oven for a citrusy chicken dinner with a spicy kick.
Why this recipe is just so good....
- You will love that the jalapeño chicken gets quickly pan seared on the stovetop and then finish cooking in the oven. One pan to scrub is always a good idea!
- What starts as plain chicken gets a huge flavor boost from the jalapeño orange relish and transforms into a special meal. The presentation is really enticing enough to serve to company.
If you would like to try some more savory chicken recipes that are perfect for the whole family on a busy weeknight, these are some of our favorite easy dinners:
Ingredients and Substitutions
- This recipe uses skin on, bone-in chicken thighs. The jalapeno relish is stuffed under the skin, which helps keep the chicken juicy. The dark meat of chicken on the bone is more moist as well.
- If you only have boneless skinless chicken thighs, you really can't stuff the relish into them unless they are thick enough. So I would suggest spreading it over the top of the chicken after it has browned. If the relish falls into the pan; just stir it around and serve with the chicken thighs.
- Feel free to use regular orange marmalade with this recipe.
- If you don't have marmalade, you can try substituting a few tablespoons orange juice, orange zest and a teaspoon or two of sugar. Taste the relish before putting it in the chicken adjust the flavor as you prefer.
- Jalapeño peppers are pretty spicy so I removed all the seeds for the recipe. If you like things with a higher heat level, leave a few seeds in the relish.
How to make Jalapeño Chicken:
- Mince the garlic and peppers into a fine dice either with a food processor, chopper or sharp knife. (Don't rub your eyes after handling jalapenos.)
- In a small bowl, stir the jalapenos, garlic and the vinegar, salt and marmalade. Taste for sweetness.
- Gently loosen chicken thigh skin and spread about 1 tablespoon of relish onto the meat. Pull back the skin and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat cast iron or oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into pan.
- Carefully place chicken thighs skin side down into hot oil in a cast iron or other large skillet and let them cook without moving for about 5-6 minutes. Flip over and cook the other side until golden brown for another 3-4 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place orange slices around chicken thighs and spread any remaining relish over chicken. Squeeze the juice from the other half of the orange over the chicken.
- Place skillet in oven to finish cooking chicken for about 15-20 minutes. Chicken thighs will be done when an instant-read meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove the pan from the oven, baste with pan juices and let chicken rest for 5 minutes.
Recipe Testing Notes
- To lower the heat in this recipe, use poblano peppers which are milder than jalapeño but still have some heat. Or for no heat but lots of flavor, use bell peppers.
- For the best sear on the chicken, make sure the cast iron skillet is preheated for a few minutes before adding the oil. Don't move the chicken for at least 5 minutes since the skin may stick to the pan. If the oil is smoking too much or the chicken is getting overly browned, you can turn the flame down to medium or low-medium.
- Make sure the skillet is large enough so the chicken isn't crowded. If you are cooking a large amount of thighs, it is better to pan sear them in batches. Then you can transfer chicken to a large baking sheet and continue cooking in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, For the stovetop, take chicken from refrigerator and let it sit about 30 minutes at room temperature. Spray a skillet with nonstick cooking spray or add 2 teaspoons oil or butter. You can also pour in 2-3 tablespoons chicken broth to help moisten the chicken. Add a sprinkle of favorite seasoning and reheat for about 5-10 minutes, turning halfway.
Reheat in the oven, Preheat at 350°F. Place chicken on baking sheet sprayed with nonstick baking spray. Cover chicken with aluminum foil and heat for about 10-15 minutes.
es you can, but if I do say so myself, the pan juices are fantastic spooned over the chicken!
For a sauce, stir together ½ cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sweetener (syrup, honey, white or brown sugar, or substitute sugar), 2 teaspoons white or apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon favorite seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Add cayenne, red pepper flakes or sriracha sauce if you want some heat in the sauce. Heat in a small sauce to a low simmer and spoon over chicken after it is cooked.
The pan sauce and chicken is so delicious! You can serve it on a bed of white, brown or cauliflower rice. You can also make some buttered noodles or any potato. Since this dish finishes cooking in the oven, you can make a side dish that is cooked in the oven or stovetop. Try Marinated Asparagus, Mexican Green Beans, Sweet and Spicy Brussels Sprouts.
If you tried this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love if you gave it a 5 star rating. This tells me what you like and want to see more of. Thank you!
More chicken recipes to try:
Jalapeño Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top, Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This crispy, juicy jalapeño chicken dish is so delicious! They are filled with a sweet and spicy orange jalapeno relish. The sweet, syrupy citrus flavor is balanced with some heat from the peppers. The chicken is pan seared in a cast iron or other oven safe skillet and quickly finished in the oven.
Ingredients
Jalapeño Relish
- 2 Jalapeno peppers
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove, quartered or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon orange marmalade (regular or sugar free)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on (about 1 ½ - 2 pounds)
- ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium orange, half cut in slices or wedges, half left whole.
Instructions
- Remove chicken thighs from refrigerator to come to room temperature.
- Make relish: cut tops off peppers, remove the inside membrane and seeds. Place peppers and garlic in a mini food processor or food chopper and pulse for 10 seconds. Check consistency. It should be finely minced but don't over process or the relish will lose texture and be mushy. *
- Stir in salt, vinegar and marmalade. Taste for sweetness and add more marmalade if needed.*
- Gently loosen skin from thighs and spoon about a tablespoon of the relish under skin. Smooth the relish over the thigh meat. Pull skin back over the thigh. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken.
- Preheat skillet over medium-high flame.
- Add oil to pan. Place chicken thighs in pan, skin side down. Pan fry for about 5-6 minutes or until the skin has browned. Carefully turn the thighs over and cook that side for another 4 minutes. If the chicken spatters too much, lower flame to medium or low-medium. Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Squeeze the orange half over chicken and lay the orange slices around chicken. Spoon any remaining relish over chicken.
- Place cast iron skillet in oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 165°F. The total cook time depends on size of the thighs. Remove from oven, let chicken rest for 5 minutes and baste with pan juices.
Notes
*I removed the seeds from the peppers so that the relish was mildly spicy. If you want more heat, leave a few seeds in the relish. If you want more orange or sweetness, add more marmalade.
*If you don't have a food chopper or processor, you can finely mince the peppers with a sharp knife.
*Besides the crispy skin on the thighs, the pan juices are the best part. Baste the chicken while it is resting and spoon over right before serving.
*The nutrition was calculated using 2 tablespoons of orange juice from half the orange. The total carb count would be higher if you ate some of the orange or used more sauce. But it would be minimal.
*The leftover chicken should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan or oven to 165°F.
Kate says
Loved the sauce this made. No too spicy just right.
Deb Belsha says
Yes! We love the sauce too!