Orange Cinnamon Chicken

Chicken pieces get browned in butter first for color and flavor, then slow cook for hours in a pool of orange juice spiked with cinnamon and studded with raisins. The result is fall-off-the-bone tender meat in a sweet, fragrant sauce.

Browning the chicken before it goes into the slow cooker is a step you should not skip. That golden crust adds a layer of savory depth that balances the sweetness of the orange juice and raisins. Without it, the dish tastes flat and one-dimensional.

The raisins plump up during those long hours in the slow cooker, swelling with orange juice and becoming little bursts of concentrated sweetness throughout the sauce. Cinnamon adds a warm, spiced backdrop that ties the orange and raisin flavors together without tasting like dessert.

The sauce gets thickened at the end by mixing flour with a cup of the cooking liquid and returning it to the pot on high for 30 minutes. This turns the thin braising liquid into a glossy, spoonable sauce that clings to the chicken.

Kitchen Tips

• Brown the chicken in batches so each piece gets proper contact with the hot pan. Crowding steams instead of sears.
• Use bone-in, skin-on pieces for the most flavor and moisture during the long cook.
• The sauce should coat the back of a spoon after the final thickening step. If it’s still thin, cook uncovered on high a bit longer.
• Serve over steamed rice, couscous, or egg noodles to catch all that sauce.

Variations

• Add sliced almonds or pine nuts at the end for crunch.
• Swap orange juice for tangerine juice for a slightly sweeter, more perfumed citrus flavor.
• Stir in a tablespoon of honey and a splash of soy sauce for a teriyaki-orange fusion.