This roast chicken with fennel and citrus is a gorgeous and flavorful Mediterranean dinner that is packed with bold flavors! A vibrant turmeric marinated chicken is braised with fresh citrus and fennel, creating a show stopping main course.
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About This Recipe
This gorgeous turmeric braised chicken exemplifies everything I love about Mediterranean cuisine! Bone in chicken is marinated in a vibrant mixture with lemon zest and juice, thyme and earthy turmeric. For another wonderful mediterranean recipe try my Turkish Stuffed Onions or my Mediterranean Crispy Rice Salad.
Once the turmeric chicken is seared, citrus an fennel are layered on top and everything braises until incredibly tender. Serve the citrus chicken with fennel alongside a dollop of cucumber yogurt sauce for an explosion of flavors! For another wonderful Chicken meal, try my One Pot Chicken Provencal or my Chicken Francese.
Recipe Highlights
- Bright and Flavorful: This roast chicken combines the brightness of fresh citrus with warm turmeric and savory garlic, resulting in a burst of flavor in every bite!
- One Pot Recipe: Once the chicken is marinated, everything is layered and braised in one pot, making it an impressive yet easy to prepare meal.
- Healthy Ingredients: Fennel, citrus, and turmeric are used all throughout Mediterranean cuisine for both their delicious flavors and health properties.
- Gluten Free and Dairy Free: Roast chicken with fennel is a gluten free recipe with no dairy ingredients, making it a delicious recipe for most diets.
📋 Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs: Bone in and skin on chicken thighs are juicy and full of flavor. Take the time to really sear that chicken skin to get is deeply charred and crispy.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil adds richness but also helps distribute the marinade evenly, resulting in tender and flavorful sauce to baste over the chicken.
- Fennel Bulb: One of my favorite vegetable, fennel has a unique licorice-like flavor that becomes sweet when roasted. You can serve it raw and sliced thin in a citrus salad or let it roast to soften and caramelize.
- Stone Ground Mustard: This robust and tangy condiment serves as the base of the marinade, adding depth and complexity to the dish.
- Garlic: Finely chopped or grated garlic cloves infuse the marinade with a rich, savory aroma and flavor.
- Citrus Zest and Juice (Lemon and Clementines): The zest and juice of lemon and clementines bring a vibrant, zesty, and slightly sweet citrusy punch to the marinade. They not only provide a refreshing tang but also tenderize the chicken, making it succulent and flavorful.
- Ground Turmeric: This golden spice not only imparts a warm, earthy flavor but also adds a beautiful color to the marinade. Turmeric is known for its health benefits and complements the citrusy and herbal notes of the chicken beautifully.
- Fresh Thyme: Fresh thyme leaves offer a a fragrant and herby layer of flavor to the marinade. Thyme pairs wonderfully with citrus and adds a layer of aromatic complexity to the chicken.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- Use Chicken Cuts: Bone in chicken thighs are used in this recipe and other options are drumsticks, chicken breast or use the same marinade for grilled chicken skewers.
- Grilled Variation: Instead of roasting, grill the chicken thighs over medium-high heat for a smokier, charred flavor.
- Citrus Variations: Experiment with different citrus fruits, such as blood oranges, tangerines, or grapefruit.
⏲️ Instructions
Step 1: To a bowl, add the grated garlic, whole grain mustard, citrus zest and juice, turmeric, thyme, salt and pepper and mix to combine.
Step 2: Dry the chicken with paper towels and add the chicken to the bowl. Rub the marinade all around the chicken until evenly coated.
Step 3: Preheat a cast iron skillet to medium-high and pour in olive oil. Once hot, sear the chicken on both sides until charred.
Step 4: Nestle in the fennel wedges and layer the citrus slices all over along with more fresh thyme and pour chicken stock around the chicken.
Step 5: Place the chicken in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven and roast for 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced slightly.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Dry the Chicken: Before adding the chicken to the marinade, use paper towels to pat the chicken dry on all sides. This will help any seasonings stick to the chicken better.
- Let it Marinate: If you have the time, marinate the chicken in the turmeric mixture for at least 30 minutes up to overnight for even more flavor!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, boneless chicken thighs will work well with this recipe. Adjust the cooking time slightly since boneless thighs cook faster.
Yes, use a microplane or small grated to grate the fresh turmeric and be sure to wear gloves as fresh turmeric can stain fingers easily.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the roasted chicken with fennel on top of lemon herb couscous or Mediterranean yellow rice to soak up that delicious sauce.
More Chicken Recipes to Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Roast Chicken with Fennel and Citrus
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped or grated
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 2 clementines zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoons fresh thyme about 4 sprigs, leaves chopped
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Roast Chicken
- 2 pounds bone in, skin on chicken thighs
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 fennel bulb stems removed and cut into thin wedges
- 1 lemon sliced thin
- 2 clementines sliced thin
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock low sodium, preferred
- Fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit.
- In a bowl, add the whole grain mustard, garlic, turmeric, citrus zest and juice, thyme leaves and salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and add to the turmeric mixture and massage the marinade all over the chicken. if you have the time, let it marinate for at least 20 minutes, up to overnight.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add pour in the olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken and sear on each side so the outside is a deep yellow brown color, about 3 minutes on each side.
- Once seared, nestle in the fennel wedges, clementine and lemon slices and more thyme sprigs on top. Pour the chicken stock around the chicken and bring up to a strong simmer, then carefully place the skillet in the oven and cook for about 28-30 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Once the chicken is done, the sauce should have thickened and fennel and citrus tender. Allow the roast chicken to rest for at least 5 minute before serving.
Notes
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- Dry the Chicken: Before adding the chicken to the marinade, use paper towels to pat the chicken dry on all sides. This will help any seasonings stick to the chicken better.
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- Let it Marinate: If you have the time, marinate the chicken in the turmeric mixture for at least 30 minutes up to overnight for even more flavor!
- A printable list of Mediterranean Spices for your Pantry.
Karen WW says
I plan to make this recipe this week with fennel from my garden. I’m unclear on the fennel instruction in the recipe. It mentions slicing the stems, but you slice the bulb into wedges as well, correct?
Samantha Ferraro says
Hi Karen! Thanks for bringing that up and I'll make sure to rephrase it in the instructions. Cut the fennel into wedges, usually I'll cut one fennel into 8 wedges. I kept using the word "slice" in my instructions but I will change it to "fennel wedges" for more clarity. Please let me know how it comes out! - Samantha
Tracey says
I'm trying this recipe tonight but don't have stone ground mustard.. Could I subtitute Dijon mustard or dry mustard, and if so, how much? Thank you.
artchee @ pangbenta.com says
I like chicken and I try to look for recipes that I haven't tried yet. It's a good thing I came across your post while I was searching because I'm a fan of turmeric as well.
I like adding turmeric to my meals but I don't like it tastes too much so I try to add it with other ingredients to hide its taste.
I'll go ahead and try your recipe and check. If it doesn't taste too "turmericy," I'll definitely add it to my recipes list. Thanks for sharing this.
Kaye says
P.S. I love Spain too but just went to Italy last spring and shipped home Italian olive oil. : )
Kaye says
I made your recipe last night. I only used 1/4 olive from Italy. Since it was a mild day in Upper Michigan, we cooked it on our grill which kept the mess outside. It was a beautiful looking dish and quite delicious! We will definitely make this recipe again. Thanks! I served it with a wild rice mix by Lundberg and a nice spinach and strawberry salad. I just bought some strawberries and the salad went well with this dish. Thanks!
Samantha says
Hi Kaye! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 I will have to try it on the grill next time! And I also love adding fruit to my salads...what a lovely meal you had!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
Oh I am so in love with everything about this dish! Especially the whole oranges. I love cooking and baking with whole citrus and I think it's something that totally under used. Beautiful photos!
Samantha says
Thank you so much Liz!! I LOVE cooking with citrus and citrus zest too...brings out such a gorgeous brightness! :))
Allie @ Sweet Potato Bites says
oooh I love this! I have the same aversion to black licorice so I hear you on the fennel thing...but I do love cooking with it.
mila furman says
Your pictures are beautiful...and this dish just screams spring to me. I love a simple roasted chicken dish...could have it any day or any night 🙂
Samantha says
Thank you so much Mila...I agree..nothing better than a good roast chicken dish!