Orange Beer Chicken

 This past weekend was a much-needed weekend for our family! It seems like we've been letting summer slip away from us and since we've had a new baby in the house we haven't really done much. We decided to take a trip to the zoo and we had so much fun! My 6-year-old daughter fell in love with the sea lions, giraffes and a very tiny poison dart frog this year. Our little baby boy slept through the entire zoo experience, but I'm counting that as a blessing.

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In our family, the only thing that makes a fun weekend even funner (Yes, I said funner. Yes, I realize it's not really a word. Or is it?) is good food! My hubby had recently brewed a batch of beer, a brown ale, and wanted me to make him something for dinner using his homebrew. I came up with a yummy orange-y, beer-y glaze with a hint of spice that was out-of-this-world. It's sticky, sweet and good to eat. That sounded a little cheesy, but just go with it... I highly suggest making this for the man in your life, especially if he is a beer lover. Or if he's someone who loves tasty meals. Either way, this chicken dinner is a winner! There I go with the rhyming again...

Orange Beer Chicken Recipe: {Print Recipe}

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken thighs

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon oil

For the Sauce:

2 onions (sliced thinly)

3/4 cup beer (the maltier the beer, the better)

1/2 cup brown sugar

zest of 1 orange

Juice of 1 orange

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

Orange slices (halved)

1 tablespoon oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon brown sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, mustard powder, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Combine and rub on both sides of chicken thighs.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil and brown chicken on both sides.  Remove chicken and place in a large baking dish.

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil and sliced onions. Cook onions until translucent (about 5-6 minutes). Add beer and cook for additional 4-5 minutes or until mixture has reduced to about half. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, cinnamon, pepper and salt. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water and add to sauce mixture. Cook sauce over medium heat for 6-7 minutes, or until sauce has thickened. 

Pour sauce over chicken, making sure to place onion slices on the tops of the chicken thighs. Place sliced orange halves in the baking dish around chicken pieces. 

Cook in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, basting chicken once after 30 minutes. 

Serve chicken with onions and orange slices. Enjoy!