Canned mandarins in juice become a quick pan glaze for chicken thighs, sweetened by the fruit and juice itself without extra sugar. The citric acid and acerola juice give the sauce brightness while the mandarins soften and collapse into the glaze, making a light weeknight dinner that feels brighter than the effort it takes.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 970 calories a serving, 98 g protein, 30 g carbohydrate, 49 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Pat 4 chicken thighs dry with paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then lay the thighs skin side down and cook without moving them until the skin is brown and releases easily, about 8 minutes.8 min
2. Flip each thigh, scatter 2 minced garlic cloves around the pan, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring the garlic until fragrant. Pour the entire can of mandarin oranges in juice over the chicken and bring to a simmer.
3. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until the chicken is cooked through at the thickest part, about 12 minutes; the juice will reduce and the mandarins will break down into the sauce. Stir the mandarins gently once halfway through.12 min
4. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon butter until melted, tasting and adjusting salt and pepper. Serve each person 2 thighs with the glaze spooned over.

Note Swap chicken thighs for skin-on chicken breasts if preferred, though thighs stay more moist. Leftovers keep refrigerated for three days and reheat gently in a low oven. Serve over rice or with bread to soak up the glaze.