When you don’t want to spend ages in the kitchen, try this easy turmeric chicken recipe with fennel, orange, and warming spices!
This turmeric chicken recipe is a no-fail situation that takes just 15 minutes of hands on time–the oven does the rest! It’s loaded with flavor from the savory, warming spice mix, and an easy marinade of olive oil, white wine, and citrus. Everything cooks in one pan!
While it roasts, you’ll have plenty of time to make a quick side of basmati rice or bulgur, throw together a side salad, or simply relax with a glass of wine. After about 40 minutes, the chicken turns golden and crisp, and the fennel and citrus become deliciously caramelized. The result is a comforting, flavorful dinner with just the right balance of sweet, earthy, and bright.
Turmeric Chicken Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this turmeric chicken recipe:
- Marinade: Extra virgin olive oil, white wine, orange juice, lime juice, yellow mustard, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Spice rub: This is where the star of the show, turmeric, comes in. It’s combined with garlic powder, coriander, paprika, kosher salt, and pepper.
- Chicken: I used whole chicken legs (the thigh and drumstick), but you could also use breasts, a combination of the two, or a whole chicken cut into 6 or 8 pieces.
- Vegetables and more: Fresh fennel has a strong anise kick when raw, but this transforms into a delightful sweetness when it’s roasted. I also add some sweet onion and unpeeled sliced oranges.
How to Make Turmeric Chicken
One of my favorite things about turmeric chicken is that it is so dang easy. You only spend about 15 minutes of hands-on time! After that, your refrigerator and oven do most of the heavy lifting. Here’s how to make it:
- Make the marinade. In a large mixing bowl, mix together 1/2 cup each olive oil, white wine, and orange juice. Juice in 1 lime and season with 2 tablespoons yellow mustard and 3 tablespoons brown sugar.
- Make the spice mix. In a separate small bowl, mix together the 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Season the chicken. Mix about half of the spice mix into the marinade. Pat the chicken dry and generously cover with the remainder of the spice mix, lifting the skin and applying some of the spices underneath.
- Marinate the chicken. Add the seasoned chicken to marinade, along with 1 sliced fennel bulb, 1 large sliced onion, 2 sliced oranges, and 1 sliced lime (optional). Toss to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. (If you don’t have time, skip the marinating and let sit at room temperature while your oven heats.)
- Roast the turmeric chicken. Preheat your oven to 475°F. Transfer the entire contents of the marinade bowl to a large baking pan so that everything is comfortably arranged in one layer. Be sure the chicken’s skin is facing up. Sprinkle with a dash of salt and more brown sugar, if you like. Roast or until the chicken is cooked through (165°F) and the skin has nicely browned, 40-45 minutes.
What to Serve with Turmeric Chicken
The sauce is the real money-maker here, you’ll want something to soak it up. Simple basmati rice comes to mind, or pita bread for dipping. Start with something crisp and fresh, like cucumber salad.
More Weeknight Roasted Chicken Recipes
Meat and Poultry
Citrus Rosemary Chicken
Meat and Poultry
Garlic Dijon Chicken
Entree
Easy Balsamic Chicken
Browse all Mediterranean recipes.
Visit Our Shop.
Ingredients
- 6 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken (whole legs, breasts, or a combination), pat dry
- 1 large fennel bulb, cored and sliced
- 1 large sweet onion, sliced into half moons
- 2 oranges, sliced whole with the peel
- 1 lime, thinly sliced
For the Marinade
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar, plus more for sprinkling
For the Spice Mix
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Mix the Marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix together the Spice Mix, including salt and pepper to taste. Mix about half of the spice mix into the marinade. Pat the chicken dry and generously cover with the remainder of the spice mix, lifting the skin and applying some of the spices underneath.
- Marinate the chicken. Add the seasoned chicken to marinade, along with the fennel, onion, oranges, and lime (if using). Toss to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. (If you don’t have time, skip the marinating and let sit at room temperature while your oven heats.)
- Roast the chicken. Preheat your oven to 475°F. Transfer the entire contents of the marinade bowl to a large baking pan so that everything is comfortably arranged in one layer. Be sure the chicken’s skin is facing up. Sprinkle with a dash of salt and more brown sugar, if you like. Roast or until the chicken is cooked through (165°F) and the skin has nicely browned, 40-45 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
- To use boneless chicken: You’d need to tweak the recipe so the chicken stays moist—especially if you use breasts, which are much less forgiving:
- Pound the chicken so it is more or less uniform in thickness. This will promote even cooking.
- Set the oven to 425°F instead of 475.
- Cover the chicken in foil for the first 10 minutes of roasting. This allows steam to cook the chicken from the inside out.
- The chicken should be cooked in about 18 minutes.
Nutrition
Bundle and Save!
Four of our best-selling signature olive oils, perfect for everyday use.
*This post has recently been updated with new information for the readers’ benefit.
I made this exactly as printed. I found it pretty unflavorful and a lot of work for what it produced. When I”m reading comments, I like to hear from both sides. I’ll try again with a different one.
Hello,
We are trying to cut all sugars and thus recipe consists of brown sugar. Could I omit the sugar or will it ruin the recipe?
Or I do have Stevia, if that is even an option.
Thanks
Hi, Amilea. Another reader has had success with this recipe without the brown sugar. The stevia might work, it’s just not something we’ve tested with this recipe, so it’s hard to say.
Hi, tried to make this dish last week, and it came out great! However, it did taste a little bittet, was that due to the oranges and limes? How could I avoid this in the future (adding more sugar / lesd orange juice or lime juice)? Thank you!
I’ve made this twice already this week! Very good and super easy. It’s even better the next day, leftovers have never been so good!
Hi Suzy,
This is just a question about your new cookbook. Will there be a picture with every recipe? Also are the recipes new or a collection of recipes that you graciously printed in your emails? Perhaps you could show one or two pages online, here?
Thank you very much,
Vera
Hi, Vera! Thank you so much for reaching out! Most of the recipes the cookbook come with beautiful pictures! And the majority of the recipes are brand new, although there are a handful of classic ones from the blog. I hope you order! I know you will love it!
This is a delicious recipe! The spices and citrus made the chicken thighs tender and full of flavor. Our local store didn’t have fennel, but I substituted 1 cup chopped celery and 3 medium leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only). I was not exactly sure how much salt to put in the spice mixture, but 1 teaspoon was what I used and it was not too salty. I served it over basmati rice with a green salad. It was even better leftover the next day! I will definitely make this recipe again. I can’t wait to find fennel, so I can make your exact recipe! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing, Heidi!!
So darn delicious and so darn simple!
Yesssss! Thanks, Sandi!
Can this be marinated overnight? I’d like to prepare in advance. Thanks!
Hi, Elizabeth. Yes, but if you do, I would make sure you refrigerate in a non reactive container with tight lid. Glass is best. Enjoy!
So much of this was good, but it turned out very bitter. Was that from the orange and lime rind? I want to correct, and make again.
Thank you!
This was amazing. I used juice from blood oranges, and sliced blood oranges on top and I used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. I also added some mini potatoes to make a full meal. So good and so easy!!
this recipe looks amazing and I will be trying it this weekend! I would like to accompany this with a simple side veggie dish. What would you recommend??
Hi, Elisa! Roasted veggies would be good. Here’s our recipe (you can swap the vegetables here for whatever you prefer): https://www.themediterraneandish.com/italian-oven-roasted-vegetables/. I think it would also be great with a salad!
If I could rate this recipe more than a five I would.. I was not a fan of fennel, but making efforts to use all veggies that come from my CSA this year. I’ve been making most of my meals for the past couple weeks from your recipes, and sharing with my neighbors since they make quite a bit ( still quarantining, just sending over) This is the first recipe I did not want to share! This was so good I actually ordered a fennel bulb this week to be included in my CSA so I could make it again. That good, and now I can say I like fennel ( cooked this way). I do plan to share this time?. Also because everything has been so good they are now trying recipes and sending over some to me to try, so what a treat that is, we get to try more recipes. Only change I made was I used ground maple sugar for brown sugar.
How fun!! So glad you’re enjoying cooking and trying new ingredients!!!
Would boneless/skinless chicken breasts work in this recipe?
Hi Carrie! Yes, you can use boneless chicken in this recipe, but I would watch the cooking time, it will be ready faster.
Can’t say enough how incredible this dish is!
I had been looking for a great dish to help with my partner’s chronic pain from inflammation and this dish knocked it out of the park.
We first tried it without marinade and it was amazing, but the second time around I was able to for about 3 hours and it was unreal how much more flavorful and delicious it was. The tumeric, fennel and onion are all stars in this simple dish and really recommend it if folks are looking to add more anti-inflammatory ingredients into their diet!
Jason, i am so glad to hear this recipe provided what you’re looking for! Thank you for the thoughtful comment!
Hi. I’m making this tonight but I’m curious about the marinade. Did you squeeze the oranges and limes as well as use slices? Your picture looks beautiful with the sliced fruit but you don’t mention that anywhere.
Thanks!
I see it now 🙂
Rarely do my attempts look as good as your photos, but I think I got close!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/znEAar6KgRC9fp2L9