Roasted Chicken with Smoked Paprika, Blood Orange and Ginger

I originally saw this recipe from Elly Says Opa! over a year ago and bookmarked it to try once blood orange season came around. Well, I never had a chance to make it until now and figured that another savory dish featuring delicious winter citrus was in order! This chicken marinade is chalked full of different flavors and makes one delicious chicken dinner. Elly cooked potatoes in her roasting pan with her chicken, and I opted to do the same because less dishes are always a plus! I loved the flavor of the cilantro with the bite from the ginger and jalapeno, and smokiness of the paprika! The fresh flavors from the orange also provide a wonderful and subtle sweetness to the chicken. I only made a slight change to the recipe and added a little mustard to the marinade because I love the flavor it gives to chicken. The other great thing about this recipe is the crispy skin on the chicken thighs.  I love cooking chicken with the skin on, but hate when it does not turn out crispy. The potatoes are equally delicious and full of flavor from roasting in the delicious pan juices alongside the meat. This recipe will work well with regular oranges if you do not have blood oranges. 

Tonight, I am headed out to dinner with a few girlfriends to a restaurant called 335. I have eaten here a few times and had the catered for at my gift opening, baby shower and a few political parties. The food is always creative and delicious and I am really excited to go!  Ron and Kellen are having a boys night and having a pizza- Kellen will be thrilled because he has been asking for pizza for weeks!


Ingredients

1 tsp blood orange zest
1/2 cup fresh blood orange juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
3 Tbl olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbl fresh cilantro
1 small jalapeño, halved
1 Tbl grated fresh ginger root
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp smoked hot paprika
1 3/4 - 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 8 thighs)
1/2 tsp salt
Sliced scallions for serving

for potatoes (optional):
3 - 3 1/2 cups chopped potatoes 
1 1/2 Tbl olive oil
1/2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp black pepper


Instructions

In a blender or food processor, combine the zest, juice, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, ginger, salt, and paprika. Blend until smooth. Place chicken in a large re-sealable bag and pour in marinade. Seal and gently toss to coat. Place in the fridge and marinate 4-8 hours (longer the better). 

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix potatoes oil, salt and pepper- set aside. Place the chicken in a pan and surround the chicken with the potatoes. Sprinkle chicken with a little salt if desired. Roast the chicken until skin is golden and meat juices are no longer pink, about 40-50 minutes. Remove from over and sprinkle with sliced scallions. 

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