This Orange Rosemary Grilled Chicken brings bold, fresh flavor to the table with a simple marinade of citrus, garlic, and herbs. It is perfect for warm-weather grilling.
I make this Orange Rosemary Grilled Chicken on repeat from late spring through the end of summer. Once the weather warms up, this bright, citrusy chicken is one of the first things I crave. It’s easy to prep, quick to cook, and full of the kind of fresh flavor that just belongs outside on the deck with a tall glass of iced tea.
The marinade leans on pantry staples like orange juice, a little olive oil, garlic, and fresh rosemary. The marinated chicken is grilled and served with a salad of romaine, orange sections, and grilled onions. It’s an easy recipe that’s perfect for a weeknight family meal.
If you enjoy this kind of light, citrus-forward main dish, you might also like my Meyer Lemon Chicken. It uses similar ingredients but takes a different path. It’s baked instead of grilled, but just as vibrant.
How to Make Orange Rosemary Grilled Chicken
Make the Marinade
Prepare the marinade by grating ½ to 1 teaspoon of zest from 1 orange into a large mixing bowl. Squeeze in the juice from the orange. Add the juice of a lemon, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, garlic, rosemary, and ¼ cup of olive oil. Remove and set aside ¼ cup of the mixture.
Add the chicken to the bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (Photo of raw chicken above…yuck and sorry.)
Prepare the Grill
Heat the grill to medium temperature. This is BeeBop’s “big rig” grill. It has five main burners, a side burner, and a warming rack (or something like that). I usually never touch the “big rig.” It’s strictly BeeBop’s domain. But, you know what, I’ve seen him do it enough times that I thought, “I bet I could do that; what’s the big deal?” I cranked that big old grill up just like I knew what I was doing.
When BeeBop got home, he asked me what I was cooking, and I told him I was grilling chicken. He said, “On the grill? Outside?” He had a vaguely panicked look on his face and went right out to the deck to see what was going on. I must have passed the test because he just said, “Looks good.” I never told him that I forgot to turn off the gas when I was finished. I turned it off the next morning when I remembered. That evening, he was completely perplexed that we were out of propane. Hmmm…
Grill the Chicken
So, after the grill has heated, place the chicken, skin side up, over indirect heat and cook, covered, for 35 minutes. I put the chicken over one burner, which I turned off, and left the ones on either side running. Made sense to me, anyway. Turn the chicken and cook, uncovered, over direct heat, until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, brush the onion slices with the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Grill until tender, about 8 minutes.
Prep the Salad
Peel the remaining orange and slice into ¼-inch thick rounds. I like to make a game out of peeling the orange. If I cut it all off in one long piece, I win! Hey, who said cooking wasn’t entertaining for the cook, huh? Cut the rounds into quarters.
Combine them with the grilled onion, lettuce, and reserved marinade/dressing in a bowl. Transfer to individual plates and serve with the chicken.
More Recipes You’ll Like
- Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Steak Blue Cheese Salad
- Grilled Endive Salad
- Simple Grilled Fish
- Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Lime Glaze
- Juicy Grilled Turkey Burgers with Gruyere Cheese and Dijon Mustard
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
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Orange-Rosemary Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 navel oranges
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
- 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- ¼ cup olive oil plus 1 teaspoon
- 1 ½ pounds chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
- 1 large red onion sliced into rings
- 1 head romaine lettuce
Instructions
- Grate ½ to 1 teaspoon of zest from 1 orange into a large mixing bowl. Squeeze in the juice from the orange. Add the juice from the lemon, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, garlic, rosemary and ¼ cup of olive oil. Reserve and set aside ¼ cup of the mixture. Add the chicken to the bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.2 navel oranges, 1 lemon, salt and pepper, 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 ½ pounds chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
- Heat grill to medium. Place the chicken, skin side up, over indirect heat and cook, covered, for 35 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook, uncovered, over direct heat, until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, brush the onion slices with the remaining 1 tsp oil and season with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Grill until tender, about 8 minutes. Peel the remaining orange and slice into ¼-inch thick rounds. Cut the rounds into quarters and combine them with the grilled onion, lettuce, and reserved dressing in a bowl. Transfer to individual plates and serve with the chicken.1 large red onion sliced into rings, 1 head romaine lettuce
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
What a tasty looking marinade. Thanks for the recipe!
I love the look and sound of this. Am a big fan of combining chicken with fruit anyway, but never thought of adding orange! Sounds like a great idea.
the marinade sounds very good n i must try it soon….grilled chicken looks perfect.
next time be careful to switch off the gas dude…
Wow, this looks good. Great receipe for the July 4th cook out. Be careful with that grill.
That’s one beautifully grilled chicken. Goes wonderfully with that salad. I love the touch with the orange.