Description

Sticky Glazed Christmas Chicken features succulent bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks marinated in a festive blend of orange zest and juice, cider vinegar, brown sugar, and aromatic spices. Roasted to a deep golden caramelized finish, this dish offers a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors, ideal for holiday gatherings or special family dinners.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken

1.2 kg / 2.4 lb chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
800 g / 1.6 lb chicken drumsticks, or more thighs

Marinade

5 tsp orange zest (from 2 oranges)
1/2 cup orange juice (from the zested oranges)
1/4 cup cider vinegar (can substitute white wine, sherry or champagne vinegar)
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
2 whole star anise
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Serving and Garnishes

2 oranges, cut into wedges or halved then sliced
Good value leafy greens such as endive or watercress (for bed)
Orange zest curls (see note)

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Instructions

Marinate Chicken: In a jug, combine all marinade ingredients. Pour the marinade over the chicken in a large ziplock bag. Massage the bag to ensure all pieces are well coated. Refrigerate and marinate ideally for 24 hours, with a minimum of 3 hours and 12 hours acceptable.
Preheat Oven and Prepare Trays: Preheat your oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan). Line two baking trays with foil and then parchment or baking paper to prevent sticking and facilitate cleanup.
Arrange Chicken on Trays: Place the marinated chicken pieces evenly on the prepared trays. Pour the marinade evenly over the chicken pieces to keep them moist and flavorful.
Roast Chicken: Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Baste and Continue Roasting: After 30 minutes, baste the chicken with the pan juices and continue roasting for an additional 20 minutes. During this time, baste the chicken 2-3 more times. Initially, the juices will be watery, but in the last 10 minutes, the juices will thicken and darken into a sticky glaze. At this point, baste more frequently and heavily to achieve a deep golden caramelization.
Rotate Trays: When the top tray is nearly done, swap the positions of the trays—move the bottom tray to the top rack and vice versa—to ensure even cooking and caramelization until all chicken pieces are deep golden and sticky.
Final Basting: Before serving, baste the chicken once more with the thickened sticky juices for maximum gloss and flavor.
Serve: Spread leafy greens on a serving platter, pile the sticky glazed chicken on top, and garnish with orange slices or wedges and orange zest curls.

Notes

The skin on and bone-in chicken pieces are essential to achieve the perfect caramelized glaze and juiciness resembling a mini ham. Using boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs requires adjusting marinade and cooking times with glaze reduction on stovetop.
Using a ziplock bag for marinating ensures even coating, but if not preferred, use a non-reactive bowl and increase marinade by 50%, turning the chicken occasionally.
To make orange zest curls, slice thin strips of zest and twist around a wooden spoon handle. Let rest for 15 minutes or more to hold the curl shape.
If the glaze isn’t thickening by 50 minutes, remove chicken, cover with foil to keep warm, and return trays without chicken to the oven to reduce juices into syrup for glazing.
Leftovers keep well for 4 days in the fridge and reheat to juicy perfection either in the microwave or loosely covered in the oven at 180°C/350°F for 15 minutes. The dish can also be frozen and thawed prior to reheating.
For make-ahead, combine chicken and marinade and freeze immediately. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours, allowing it to marinate while thawing before cooking as directed.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 piece (approx 200 g)
Calories: 430 kcal
Sugar: 13 g
Sodium: 850 mg
Fat: 25 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 15 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 35 g
Cholesterol: 110 mg