Citrus and Thyme Chicken
Citrus Thyme Chicken is about simple perfection, that comes from a generous dredging of citrus, usually orange and lime, a few fun spices and the magic of thyme. Not a lot of ingredients, but a magic combination that spells FLAVOR. I first heard and chanced across thyme, reading Julie Sahni, Classic Indian Cooking. Julie points out the similarity between the tastes of thyme and the Indian spice carom seeds or Bishops Weed or Ajwain. I bought my first bunch of thyme and there has been no looking back. Today, it is a different story, we have now gotten rather fond of thyme. This hardy bush is prolific and survives the east coast winter well. Also, the fussy husband prefers the gentler flavors of thyme to the stronger flavors of ajwain as do the kids.
Citrus Thyme Chicken gets done with just maybe 15 to 20 minutes of hands on time. We need about 45 minutes of cooking time but this is hands off. This recipe allows you to roast, bake, or air-fry the chicken. This is great with this potato salad right here.
So the beauty of Citrus Thyme chicken, let’s say when compared to classic chicken Tikka is simplicity and variation of flavor. And sure you could use this for something like a chicken tikka salad, for variety.
Today’s recipe, is one of those that visits the house during summer and I actually often make this in the oven during winter months.
This is a very simple dressing with cheery flavors that hold out well even in the cooler months. It works well with fish as well, but this recipe is with chicken. I shy away from calling it a marinade. It really takes about 15 minutes or so to get the flavors to work. This recipe, is one of the early dishes that I created for the children, flavorful but gentle in flavors.
This dish can withstand a nice amount of heat, and if you really want a deeper hued chicken dish, you can always thrown in a pinch of saffron.
So to get the deep rich flavors of the dish,
- Do not skimp with the citrus juice. The orange and lime juice all needs to be there. The added citrus slices are important while cooking as well.
- If baking using high heat, and allow the occasional basting.
Check out my herb garden, in progress. All green and gorgeous.
A well-seasoned chicken dish that is easy to make and perfect for the summer grill or roasting in an oven. Makes a perfect, quick-fix weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 2 limes
- 2 clementine oranges
- 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
- 4 pods of garlic, thinly slices
- 1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves plus more to garnish
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
- 11/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly crushed coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 10 chicken drumsticks or 6 chicken thighs (skin on or off depends on your prefference
- 2 oranges, thinly sliced
- Oil for brushing and cooking
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, squeeze in the juice of the limes and the oranges. Add in the garlic slices. Stir in the thyme leaves, honey, salt, coriander seeds, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix well and dredge the chicken in this mixture for 15 minutes to an hour.
- To cook the chicken, cook on a grill basting well with the oil, or the chicken can be baked at 400 degrees for 45 minutes in the oven.
- Lastly, if desired use an air-fryer and cook for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. You will need to turn more frequently with the air fryer.
Notes
The prep time is mostly for marinating.