These Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts with Citrus Sauce are golden crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside, and bursting with fresh, bright flavor. A quick brine ensures the chicken comes out juicy and infuses lots of great flavor.
Two key points to this recipe, don’t skip the brining, as it makes the chicken juicy and flavorful. You can make this dish with either boneless skin-on or skinless chicken breasts, and you'll need about 8 oranges. If you’ve never sectioned an orange, it’s super easy to do, just follow the step-by-step photos below.
Jump to:
Essential Ingredients
Chicken: I like to use skin-on boneless chicken breasts for this recipe. Unfortunately, it's not easy to find chicken breasts this way, but its not hard to debone them (see below). Or, you can also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe and follow the same instructions.
Orange segments and juice: I think the best oranges to use for this recipe are Cara Cara oranges, but you can use regular navel or blood orange as well, or a mix of a varieties. See below for easy step-by-step instructions on how to segment an orange.
How to make the recipe
1. To brine the chicken, combine the orange juice, zest, salt and 2 cups water in a large bowl and stir to dissolve the salt. Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. (Don't let the chicken sit longer, or the acid in the orange juice will begin to "cook" the chicken.)
2. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook undisturbed until the skin is golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Turn the chicken breasts, season to taste with pepper, and transfer to the oven. Roast until chicken is just cooked through and registers 160F on instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes (take care not overcook).
4. Transfer the chicken to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest while you make the sauce.
5. To make the sauce, melt 2 Tbs. of the butter in the skillet. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the brandy and cook, scraping the bottom of the skillet, until the brandy has almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the orange juice. Increase the heat to high and boil, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about ½ cup, about 5 minutes (A).
5. Add the chicken broth and any accumulated chicken juice from the cutting board, and boil until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup, about 3 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the heat, add the remaining 1 Tbs. of butter and swirl until melted. Stir in the orange segments (B).
7. Slice the chicken on the diagonal and arange on serving plates. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.
Recipe Tips
- When pan-searing the chicken, don’t move the chicken for a full 3 to 5 minutes once in the pan. If you can’t easily flip the chicken with tongs, it’s not ready for flipping yet — and it won’t be golden-brown.
- Turn the chicken once, and then don’t touch it again. Turn the breast one time only, with the goal of golden-brown color on each side.
- When buying oranges, look for ones that are firm and heavy for their size to ensure they'll be juicy. Select those that have no blemishes, soft spots, or look dry.
- Store oranges in a cool place, and use them within a week or two.
Recipe FAQs
the best way to tell f the chicken is cooked through is to test it with an instant read thermometer. You'll want to cook chicken breasts until an internal temperature of 165F. Although, I remove them 160F because they will continue to cook as they rest.
A heavy-bottomed 10 or 12-inch skillet or sauté pan is best for searing the chicke for this recipe. I prefer to use cast iron and would avoid nonstick pans.
How to section an orange
1. Cut off the top and bottom of the orange, slicing off enough to expose a circle of the orange’s flesh.
2. Using a sharp paring knife, slice off a strip of peel from top to bottom. Try to get all of the white pith, but leave as much of the flesh as possible. Continue all the way around.
3. To make segments, hold the orange over a bowl to catch the juice, and using the paring knife cut on both sides of each membrane, freeing the orange segment in between.
4. If you want to make slices, cut the orange crosswise in the desired thickness.
More recipes to try
Comments and ratings
If you’ve tried these Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts with Citrus Sauce or any other recipes on our site, please leave a comment and rating below. We love hearing from you!
Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts with Citrus Sauce
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 cup fresh orange juice, preferably from Cara Cara
- 1 Tbs. orange zest
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 4 boneless chicken breast halves, skin-on (see Note below for skinless)
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
For the Sauce
- 3 Tbs. butter
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 2 Tbs. brandy
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 medium orange, preferably from Cara Cara
Instructions
Brine the chicken
- In a large bowl. combine the orange juice, zest, salt and 2 cups water, stir to dissolve the salt. Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. (Don't let the chicken sit longer, or the acid in the orange juice will begin to "cook" the chicken.)
Cook the chicken
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Remove the chicken form the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook undisturbed until the skin is golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Turn the chicken breasts, season to taste with pepper, and transfer to the oven. Roast until chicken is just cooked through and registers 160F on instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes (take care not overcook).
- Transfer the chicken to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest while you make the sauce.
Make the sauce
- Melt 2 Tbs. of the butter in the skillet. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the brandy and cook, scraping the bottom of the skillet, until the brandy has almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the orange juice. Increase the heat to high and boil, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about ½ cup, about 5 minutes
- Add the chicken broth and any accumulated chicken juice from the cutting board, and boil until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup, about 3 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the remaining 1 Tbs. of butter and swirl until melted. Stir in the orange segments.
To serve
- Slice the chicken on the diagonal and arange on serving plates. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
How to debone a chicken breast
1. With a sharp boning knife, begin cutting between the meat and rib bones along
the narrower edge of the breast. Gently pull back on the meat as you continue
slicing the meat away from the bone.
2. When you reach the wing joint, maneuver the knife over and around the joint as
you continue to pull back on the meat.
3. At this point, you should be able to feel a spur of the wishbone in the breast meat.
Scrape and cut around the wishbone to free it from the meat and then, if
necessary, finish cutting the breast completely free of all the bones.
4. Remove the tendon that runs down the length of the breast by pinching the
end and pulling it taut. Scrape the knife against it on either side until it pulls free.
Let's connect!
Be sure to FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST Many thanks!
Joanne says
Yum, very good. Will make it again.
Sandy says
This was so yummy and you're right, sectioning an orange isn't hard.
Thanks for the directions.