43 Orange Recipes for a Fresh Squeeze of Sunshine
Maybe someone sent you a crate of citrus or you happened upon a good price; either way, you’re in luck. The best orange recipes go way beyond a glass of juice: You can use this sweet and tangy fruit in special occasion dinners and weeknight salads, beloved dessert recipes and easy cocktails. Some—like this Make-Ahead Turkey—simply call for halved oranges that’ll perfume the whole pan, while others distribute the sunny, orangey flavor via fragrant orange zest and juice. Scroll down for great orange recipes for every meal, including delicately scented yeast rolls, candied orange peel, gingery carrot-orange soup, and a showstopping classic duck preparation.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen1/43Orange Sweet Rolls
These thinly rolled pastries are made with both orange zest and juice for a full burst of sweet citrus flavor. This is one of the best orange recipes to try if you want to jazz up your bread basket over the holidays.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley2/43
Pollo Rostizado con Naranja y Chile de Árbol
This orange-and-chile roast chicken recipe yields a dish that’s a little spicy, a little sweet, and packed with orange flavor. Any leftovers are wonderful on a torta or a quick salad.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano3/43
Easy Candied Orange Peel
Don’t waste any part of this precious citrus fruit! Use these candied peels as a garnish for chocolate pudding or chop them up to include in a batch of Florentines.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Laura Rege4/43
Crispy Scallop Salad
This weeknight dinner will help you shake off any winter doldrums. The scallops get extra-crispy thanks to an Old Bay–seasoned cornmeal dredge; juicy orange segments add a touch of sweetness.
- Photo by Shelly Westerhausen Worcel5/43
Carrot-Orange-Ginger Soup
The zest and juice of an orange—added at the last minute—helps this simple soup recipe pop. Top it off with crunchy pepitas and fresh cilantro.
- Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell6/43
Orange Marmalade
This recipe calls for sour oranges, which are only available for a short time. If you make it with Navel, Cara Cara, or another sweet orange variety, substitute some of the juice for lemon juice instead.
- Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh7/43
Duck a l’Orange
This version of the retro dish has a luscious, not-too-sweet sauce. Serve it with potatoes Dauphinoise or a simple side of wild rice.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson8/43
Orange Chiffon Cake
This delicate cake is made with oil instead of butter for extra tenderness, plus whipped egg whites for a lofty batter. Top with Grand Marnier whipped cream and orange sections.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich9/43
Fennel-Orange Salad
This crisp, refreshing dish is just what a rich meal needs. Navel or blood oranges are great here, but you could also use blush-hued Cara Caras or sweet-tart pomelo instead.
- Photo by Dayna Smith10/43
Whole Wheat Cranberry Orange Cupcakes
These cranberry cupcakes with an orange citrus glaze are the perfect way to surprise your family on a lazy Sunday morning.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog11/43
Roast Goose With Oranges and Madeira
Blanching and then chilling this goose two days before roasting ensures a crisp skin; stuffing the cavity with orange slices and shallots imbues the whole bird with flavor.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton12/43
3-Ingredient Grilled Orange Margarita
Grilling the oranges infuses this drink with slightly sweet, slightly bitter notes and smoky flavor, balanced by bright lime juice and aged tequila.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell13/43
Broiled Cod With Fennel and Orange
A zesty mayonnaise spread is the secret to the super-flavorful fish in this simple sheet-pan dinner.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson14/43
Endive, Romaine, and Orange Salad for Two
The ultimate date-night first course: Eat it with a knife and fork or eat it with your hands. Either way it’s more fun if you share it off the same plate.
- 15/43
Mimosa
At home, the mimosas are always bottomless. As long as you have a good electric citrus juicer and lots of oranges on hand.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton16/43
Braised Chile-Marmalade Duck Legs With Brussels Sprouts
This recipe is an easy path to beautifully braised duck. “Shatteringly crispy skin, moist meat,” reports one reviewer.
- Jean Cazals17/43
Chocolate-Dipped Orange Peel
This recipe is the primary reason you should always, always save your orange peels.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Rhoda Boone18/43
Orange Upside-Down Cake
This recipe traces a familiar path: Slice fruit and nestle it in some caramel, pour cake batter over the top, bake, and unmold. When you flip over the cake, you’ll find it’s topped with delicious candied orange slices and citrusy caramel.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton19/43
Cranberry Orange Relish
Cooked cranberry sauce is fine and all—especially if there’s maple syrup involved—but this fresh orange-cranberry relish really brightens up the table.
- Photo by Andy Sewell20/43
Garibaldi
Two ingredients, so much refreshment. This lightly bitter drink kicks off any brunch with a bang. Hand one out to each guest to enjoy while you pull the breakfast casserole out of the oven and stir together a quick fruit salad.
- Nicole Franzen21/43
Roasted Citrus and Avocado Salad
Winter’s too long for boring salads. Baking citrus at a high heat caramelizes the sugars and adds depth. Let cool, then toss the roasty lemon and orange slices with arugula, mint, and quick-pickled onion.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks22/43
Vanilla-Buttermilk Sheet Cake With Raspberries and Orange Cream-Cheese Frosting
A little orange juice (and zest) wakes up the icing of this crowd-pleasing cake.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks23/43
Brown Rice Salad With Parsnips and Whipped Ricotta
This hearty salad combines roasted parsnips, hazelnuts, fresh orange, and crisp lettuce for a bright, refreshing vegetarian dinner.
- Romulo Yanes24/43
Chocolate Macarons With Orange Ganache
Chocolate and orange are made for each other. One plan-ahead note: You’ll want to chill these cookies overnight to get the perfect balance of crisp and chewy.
- Peden + Munk25/43
Jeweled Rice
This stunning rice dish from Samin Nosrat is perfumed with orange zest, saffron, cardamom, and turmeric.
- Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott26/43
Roasted Citrus Relish
Conceived as a Thanksgiving side dish for cranberry-sauce haters, this relish is just as amazing with fish and pork.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell27/43
Orange Chocolate Loaf Cake From Florida
This moist loaf cake is made with whipped cream instead of butter. After it’s baked, you’ll soak the chocolate orange cake in a simple orange glaze.
- Photo by Chris Court, Benjamin Dearnley, William Meppem, Con Poulos, Anson Smart28/43
Spiced Pomegranate and Orange Glazed Ham
Arranging orange slices over a ham and glazing with spiced pomegranate molasses and honey makes for a stunning Christmas dinner.
- France Ruffenach29/43
Bitter Orange Crème Brûlée
The simple addition of orange zest adds dimension to this French classic, with tangy citrus notes enhancing the creamy-sweet custard.
- Photo by Lara Ferroni30/43
Orange Chicken
This beloved chicken dish is saucy, crunchy, savory, and citrusy. Drying strips of zest in the microwave is a smart trick for deepening the flavor of the orange sauce.
- Photo by Sang An31/43
Roasted Arctic Char With Orange-Lentil Salad
Dressing cooked green lentils with orange juice, mustard, olive oil, and vinegar, plus mint and chopped red onion makes a quick side dish for rich fillets of arctic char.
- Photo by Romulo Yanes32/43
Mandarin Orange Napoleons
Five-spice powder, sprinkled throughout the layers of phyllo dough, and an orange-and-cream-cheese filling give this stacked dessert a wonderful aroma.
- Photo by Amy Neunsinger33/43
Orange Cranberry Cupcakes
We love the sweet, fresh flavor of these orange cupcakes, studded with tart cranberries (fresh or frozen work equally well).
- Photo by Quentin Bacon34/43
Braised Chicken With Olives and Citrus
A full cup of freshly squeezed orange juice teams up with preserved lemon and dried Persian lime in this cozy braised chicken dish.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop styling by Tim Ferro, Food styling by Taneka Morris35/43
Slow-Roasted Salmon With Fennel, Citrus, and Chiles
Slow-roasting fish with slices of oranges lets the fish absorb the juices as it all gently cooks. If you’re afraid of overcooking salmon, this is one of our top recommendations for easy recipes to start with.
- Christopher Testani36/43
Orange Cranberry Bundt Cake
This orange-juice-and-zest-scented cake is sauced with an orange-liqueur-flavored powdered sugar glaze. It’s quick, easy, and so very good.
- Photo by Peden + Munk37/43
Charred Chicken With Sweet Potatoes and Oranges
Feta and olives add a salty, bright complement to the caramelized oranges and roasted sweet potatoes in this flavor-packed chicken dinner.
- Photo by Alex Lau38/43
Seared Duck Breasts With Blood Oranges
Making pan-seared duck breasts really isn’t hard—it just takes a bit of patience to really render all the fat and get the skin good and crispy. Dressing the duck in an easy, citrusy sauce makes it all feel like a restaurant meal at home.
- Photo by Dan Monick39/43
Upside-Down Blood Orange–Polenta Cake
A touch of polenta in the batter gives this orange cake satisfying texture and an extra layer of nutty sweetness. It’s one of our best-looking recipes with oranges.
- Photograph by Paola + Murray, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Sophia Pappas40/43
Salmon With Citrus and Coconut-Chile Crunch
Chiles, ginger, coconut flakes, and peanuts form a delightful crunchy topping for this combo of roast salmon and sliced grapefruit, oranges, and/or tangerines.
- Photo by Ben Fink41/43
Orange Olive Oil Pound Cake
This astoundingly flavorful and moist cake recipe includes a touch of Cointreau in the batter and a simple orange glaze on top.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova42/43
Charred Kale With Citrus and Green Tahini
A quick char in a hot skillet tempers kale’s bitter bite and chew so it’s ready to get loose with a scattering of citrus and a nutty, herby tahini vinaigrette.
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Citrus Caramel Sundaes With Toasted Almonds
Some of the simplest orange recipes have star power, like this make-ahead sundae of mandarin oranges, caramel, and store-bought vanilla ice cream.
Tiffany Hopkins
